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Interior Design vocabulary · Interior Styles

Art Deco

Meaning in interior design, with examples

/ˌɑːt ˈdekəʊ/nounCommon term

In interior design, Art Deco means: A glamorous design style of the 1920s and 1930s, known for bold geometric patterns, symmetry, curved forms and rich materials such as marble, brass, lacquer and velvet.

In Turkish: Art Deco

How it is used

Popular in hotel bars, restaurants and glamorous homes. The name comes from a 1925 exhibition of decorative arts in Paris. Designers talk about Art Deco details, an Art Deco-inspired bar or Deco curves.

Example sentences

  1. The bar has an Art Deco feel, with fluted wood, brass trims and a curved velvet banquette.

  2. We kept the original Art Deco tiles in the hallway.

Common collocations

  • Art Deco style
  • Art Deco-inspired
  • Art Deco details
  • Art Deco pattern
  • eclecticMixing furniture, objects and ideas from different periods, styles and places in one room, held together by a shared colour, material or mood.
  • contemporaryDescribes the style of design that is current now, usually with clean lines, neutral colours and a mix of materials; it changes as trends change.
  • mid-century modernA style of furniture and interiors from roughly the 1940s to the 1960s, known for clean lines, tapered legs, warm woods like teak and walnut, and organic shapes.
  • statement pieceA bold, eye-catching item of furniture, lighting or art that gives a room its personality and is meant to be noticed.

More terms: Interior Styles

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