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Thursday, September 20th, 2018
Marge Carson Living Room Bolero Console
Just like its relative, Art Nouveau, Art Deco has affected many industries. One of the areas that it has had a relevant effect is in the decorative arts as well as fashion, car styles and architecture. This style is known to be elegant, glamorous, modern, yet also functional.
The Resilience of Art Deco
Art Deco successfully survived the periods of Depression in the 1930s. It also managed to come out from the ‘40s and the ‘50s until it finally bowed out to make way for the Mid-century modern design. Despite all these, Art Deco is slowly making a comeback.
Period pieces are finding their way to many homes. Have you seen the style of the homes in The Great Gatsby? Then you just caught a glimpse of the perfectionist style that is Art Deco.
It’s About Being Bold
Interior decoration, just like architecture, has been a good home for Art Deco. It has all been about making a statement. So, if you love geometric patterns complete with edgy angles, and if you like symmetry rather than organized chaos, then this should be your go to style.
Art Deco-inspired homes also use generous amounts of steel and gold. It’s impossible not to think of wealth when creating an Art Deco zone.
Art Deco is as exotic as you could go. Use angular and linear forms. Say no to fussiness or the romantic elements. Use a lot of mirrors, stainless steel, lacquer, chrome, glass, inlaid wood, and even exotic animal skins such as zebra and shark.
Are you looking for elements that can become the motivation for your Art Deco home? Elements that are typically seen are trapezoids, nudes, branches, leaves, feathers, zigzags, chevron, sunbursts, and jagged edges as is seen with the Chrysler Building.
Let’s Decorate
Okay, so you’ve finally chosen Art Deco as your official style. What should you do now?
Begin with contrasts. Art Deco is also about creating contrasts. Use deep yellows, blues, reds, greens or pinks with black, silver or chrome. Those who prefer to have a softer version of this design would do well to use beiges or creams. These hues beautifully contrast with a lacquered finish or with polished wood.
Now it’s time to pick your furniture. Go for the strong and streamlined pieces. Say no to frills and small pieces. Nod instead to exotic woods, big pieces like armoires, sideboards, etc. Find those that are typical of the past decades when Art Deco flourished.
Lacquered furniture pieces are also a staple in many Art Deco homes. These are attention-grabbing elements that can help spice up the already interesting palette of an Art Deco abode.
As for your fabric choice, don’t go for florals or plaids. The Art Deco room thrives in geometric or solid designs. Add a punch by highlighting the room with cushions. Again, the keyword here is bold.
When it comes to lighting, use a lot of chrome and glass. Have the glass enameled or etched. Tiffany-style is also quite common. Be sure to evoke elegance. Sunburst pattern is a widespread Art Deco motif. Be sassy and stand out by glamming up your home with evocative lighting.
When you’re done designing the top to middle part of your home, then it’s time to look down and see how to beautify your Art Deco flooring. Find black and white tiles or set up a lacquered floor. Abstract designs are also an amazing option.
Go ahead and shine. Let the floors do the talking. Use polished wood or any such material that offers a gleaming effect. Anything that looks timeless and sophisticated (picture a Chanel outfit in all its glory) is acceptable in an Art Deco setting.
Tags: art deco, Art Deco interior design, Art Deco style, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
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Thursday, August 3rd, 2017
FFDM Deco Collection offers the Transparencies Glass Top Cocktail Table that transports you back to that time when arts and crafts were revered.
When asked to define Art Deco, will you be able to give an apt meaning for it? Will you also be able to distinguish like types of this decorative art?
Art Deco is often recognized intuitively, meaning, upon seeing a piece, you could pinpoint that it is Art Deco but when asked to describe the elements involved, the circumstance becomes a tad more complex.
Primarily, there are different varieties of Art Deco. This is the pastiche for styles and is also an eclectic fusion of materials, influences, and shapes. These are the reasons that make recognition of Art Deco more complicated.
Just think about this, if Art Deco were to be placed side-by-side with Art Moderne, Art Nouveau or Bauhaus, would you be able to tell the difference?
An Influential Decorative Style
Art Deco is an influential decorative style during the first half of the 20th-century. It made its first appearance in the 1920’s in France. It also took its name from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes.
In no time, it spread quickly throughout the world as it also drew inspiration from other sources and disciplines.
Art Deco was deemed most popular during the two World Wars. While it is not distinguished as an art movement on its own till the sixties, this style did not fail in terms of beautifying homes. These days, artists are still fighting for Art Deco to be recognized as a distinct art on its own.
Art Deco and Other Similar Styles
Art Deco makes use of a lot of geometric forms. There is also use for symmetry as well as the fusion of crafts and arts. These are the elements that made Art Deco similar to the Bauhaus design. These two movements are placed at the opposite ends of the modernist spectrum.
Art Deco is also often compared to Art Nouveau. The latter is its forerunner. Both are strongly influenced by the traditional fine arts. Both are also filled with lavish ornaments and an interesting treatment of lines and shapes.
Art Deco was also strongly influenced by the technical and industrialization progress. With these, geometrical patterns were arranged in symmetry.
Art Deco in Architecture and Visual Arts
Art Deco effectively combined arts and craftsmanship in the field of interior design, architecture, fashion, textiles and furnishings. When it comes to visual arts, especially on sculpture, paintings, and graphic designs, Art Deco was also deemed phenomenal.
Art Deco Nowadays
Though this style was most popular during the World Wars, it hasn’t stopped making homes beautiful even on our era. Art Deco was revived during the 1960s especially during the rise of consumerism.
Art Deco is now global as it responds well to mass production requirements. Its influence is strongly felt in visual art, architecture, fashion and interior design.
Art Deco in Interior Design
When using Art Deco in your home, it would be safe to say that you need a lot of rectangular, blocky shapes. Use these in interesting geometric patterns then be sure to break them up with curves.
The employment of new building materials is necessary in this interior design style. Veer away from the fluidity of Art Nouveau as this is a more scientific approach in design.
Art Deco is more modern and opulent which makes it a suitable style for many cinemas and ocean liners.
Nod yes to mathematically-inclined geometric forms that look Roman, Greek or Greco-Roman classicist.
New materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, lacquer, plastics and inlaid wood are welcome. While you can still continue using high-end Art Nouveau materials like horn, moulded glass and ivory, you can throw in some zebra lines and shark skin exotics anytime.
Tags: art deco, Deco, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
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Thursday, June 29th, 2017
A living room ensemble from FFDM’s Deco Collection.
It’s that time of the year to frolic under the sun once more – summer is officially here. Your environment is a pleasant place to be in, to many homeowners, this could also be the signal to go for a season-inspired interior design.
How about Art Deco?
Take a closer look at the skyscrapers that are lining New York’s horizon. The Rockefeller and Chrysler buildings are the perfect example of Art Deco displayed in the most awesome manner. The birth of this design can be traced to the early 1920s all the way to the 1940s.
Art Deco was a style that showed a lot of accomplishments. It portrayed hope and strength for the future. It paid homage to past designs but, at the same time, it acknowledged newer technologies.
Art Deco – The Origins
Art Deco is often associated with nationalism, color, iconography, zigzag lines, geometry, relief, sculpture, murals, botany, mythology, and many more things. In terms of hue, buildings use pastels, to vivid paint, to gold to glossy hues.
Colors often contrast on the interior and exterior parts of the building. The artworks were inspired by a wide array of colors from bright down to mute. Some buildings also used ornamentation which referenced mythology, more particularly, Egyptian mythology.
Art Deco was easily recognizable with its rounded edges. These were seen on planes, in vehicles, on ships and other forms of sleek modes of transport.
Glass is also a common material used in Art Deco. You will see a lot of etching and blocks in this style. You will also see geometric forms and other materials such as linoleum, jade, plastic, steel, Bakelite and chrome.
Metal also perfectly represented Art Deco because it showed industrialism and strength.
Art Deco Artists – Influencers and Inspiration
There were many architects and artists that helped develop Art Deco. Cedric Gibbons was one such artist. Gibbons was a Hollywood set designer who was able to attend the 1925 Paris exhibition. He created Art Deco in all his Hollywood sets.
Another one was William Van Allen who was the architect that conceptualized the Chrysler Building. Donald Deskey, also an architect, built the Radio City Music Hall. Other names followed suit such as Edward McKnight Kauffer, A.M. Cassandre, Rene Lalique, Jean Puiforcat, Jacques Ruhlmann, and jean Dunand.
Today’s Art Deco
These days, Art Deco is a style that relies in the past though it continues to imagine, re-imagine and pay attention to the design elements of today. It is often studied and collected by people who are fascinated by the ‘20s and ‘30s styles.
People all over the world collect jewelry, posters, chinaware and furniture.
Art Deco Furniture
Parisian factors influenced the Art Deco furniture pieces of today so you will see a lot of grandiose features. Expect opulence and exotic pieces like ebony furniture and rare materials like ivory.
Stained glass is also possibly included as are enamels and inlays. Other materials that are used in Art Deco pieces are marble, wood, metal, plastic, animal skin, and lacquer pieces.
The different types of Art Deco furniture include chairs, cabinets, beds, and tables. Chairs come with curved lines and often represent the human form. Some pieces incorporate leather and chrome.
Cabinets, on the other hand, are often rigid and large. They have lacquered wood with distinctive grains such as burled oak, bird’s eye maple and Macassar ebony.
The beds are oversized and they come with head and footboards. These are often constructed from metal or wood. The tables – specifically the cocktail tables – come with glass or leather tops, or wood or chrome legs.
The factors that you need to consider when buying Art Deco pieces, are its condition, quality, and its details.
Tags: art deco, Art Deco interior design, Art Deco style, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
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Saturday, September 17th, 2016
FFDM Collectors’ Room: This is many homeowners’ dream dining room.It is rustic, pristine, classy and sophisticated – everything that one could ask for in a room.
When you are out to choose a theme for your home, there are many styles that you could get confused over. There are period styles that could fit nicely to the interiors of the smallest apartments like Mission styling, Georgian, Art Deco, Minimalist and Retro deco. You could begin looking at these time-tested styles so that there won’t be regret in the end.
Go Georgian
If you would like to try the Georgian theme, you should look into colors that are muted such as off-whites and grays, browns, blues and olive green. Be sure to add gilding in your style. Don’t stop there – decorative molding is also a huge part of this design.
Use window treatments such as swags, drapes and tie-backs. Make good use of upholstered items for both furnishings and decorative items. The perfect backdrop would be white or cream which would depict flower arrangement or a serene pastoral scene.
Georgian furnishings include French repro, winged chairs, and roll-top office desks. Use Chippendale or Hepplewhite furniture styles as they are also appropriate.
Hooker Furniture Home Office Skyline Bunching Bookcase may look traditional but it sits perfectly inside this modern home office.
The Art That Is Mission
Mission style is also referred to as the Arts and Crafts style. This was a defiant style from the ornate Victorian concept. This was and is the right apartment look as it is comfortable and uncluttered.
Mission gets its inspiration from nature, therefore, it displays a monochromatic earth tone. Walls could be brown, tan, moss, or ochre. Cream is a common accent. The doors are almost always made of natural wood, a great way to be abreast with the period.
Stained glass is also a necessary décor, with stained glass lamps taking center stage.
Beautiful, Lustrous Art Deco
Art Deco is a theme that was embraced during the 1920s till the 1930s. It’s composed of simple, clean lines. Other events that could be included as inspirations to this style are jazz music, inventions, skyscrapers and discoveries.
Since this is art, go and paint your walls with colors that contrast the woodwork. Use muted gray with turquoise, bright green or deep blue. Don’t forget to bring a little black to this look. Use it on either the accessories or the furnishings.
Mirrors and chrome pieces are great accessories.
Awesome Retro
If you were born in the 60s or 70s, you know what wonderful years those have been. Retro is a theme that’s applicable to you if you love the richness of brown and other deep tones. Use prints and wall treatments along with geometric designs.
The Scandinavian furniture pieces will also look great in this theme.
Minimalism Means Green
If you choose a minimalist theme, then you are one person who loves the uncluttered look. This style asks you to keep everything simple, from the lines, to the furnishings to the accessories. Furniture must be constructed with materials like chrome, natural wood, glass or stainless steel. These materials offer an ultra-modern look which is why they are at the top of the list.
The Functional Layout
Sometimes, all it takes for a homeowner to decide on which style to choose is knowing what layout would be most functional for his or her home. Interior design, after all, starts with the functional layout. Figure out which one is most functional for your house structure. This is also dependent on your lifestyle, how much budget you are willing to shell out and living needs.
Keep in mind that there is no one ideal layout that’s applicable to every person on the planet.
If you are still unsure about which theme to use in your home, then look through interior design magazines or sit down and speak with an interior designer.
Tags: art, art deco, Art Deco style, designing luxury homes, elements of luxury homes, Georgian theme, luxurious home, luxurious interiors, luxurious living, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist interior design, minimalist interiors, minimalist living, Mission design, Mission style, Retro design, Retro style
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Saturday, March 19th, 2016
Living Room Uttermost Naeva Gold End Table 24422 is perfect in a Boho dwelling. Go for shiny metals to boost the Boho charm in your home.
Do you gravitate towards the laidback vibe of the Boho scheme? This is a cohesive look that you can use in your home but if you also feel like including luxurious textiles, metallic accents, and opulent jewels, then nothing’s keeping you from doing so. Boho design is free so it can take flight where you want it to soar.
Boho: A Blend of Glamour and Tranquility
You might think that it’s impossible to achieve both glamour and serenity but these are two characteristics that are both present in Boho. There are many ways to use this look in your home.
First, you simply have to achieve a gallery effect. What is this? This is a bright and airy space where the walls are lined with wall art, photographs and pops of hot pink, turquoise, and indigo hues.
Branches can be used effectively in this kind of design. During pruning season, they are affordable, even abundant. They could last for more than a week so that means a week of having a huge interior design impact. Instead of the usual flowers in vases, why not consider branches the next time?
A sunroom is already an exciting place to begin with. With a burst of color and thrilling patterns, it can become a vintage-inspired room. Add 50s vinyl chairs to complete the look. Sheers can provide the needed separation and privacy.
Creating visual balance is easy with Boho. All you have to do is take a stack of books and place them in sturdy shelves, use white and blue vases for your flowers or indoor plants, and display your collections. Don’t be tempted to bring out all of your collectibles, though, or you would end up with chaos instead of a symmetrical design.
Universal Furniture Bedroom The Boho Chic Bed (King) 45076B
The breakfast nook can be styled in a casual manner by using a rustic table and breadboards. These can be easily contrasted by anything that’s brightly-colored such as a green chairs. Mid-century wine racks will also serve an aesthetic and functional purpose inside this room. Enjoy that morning cup of coffee as you take a careful look at the wine bottles in those racks.
Take your Boho charm a bit farther as you display your collection of rocks or white pottery. Add a lovely painting that is leaning against the wall and you’re just a few steps from finishing.
Wild flowers and weeds can make a difference in your Boho interiors. Indoor organics don’t necessarily have to be flowers or green plants all the time.
Adding wicker furniture with sheepskin is a classic way to achieve the 70s look. This combination spells retro. If white sheepskin is a little too delicate for you, you can also opt for the black or gray sheepskin. It is a foolproof way of ramping up your Boho glam.
Adding a bar trolley is yet another stylish way to cap your Boho interiors. Say no to uniformity. Discard the other pair if you have two lamps, two rugs or two chairs. Then make room for lots and lots of plants. If weeds don’t make you go gaga then just opt for green plants with wide leaves. Macramé plant hangers will also look great.
Mix in some tribal prints inside the bedroom. This is a special room where you can have the relaxed side of Boho. Art Deco stuff is also welcome inside this space. Find a stylish white headboard, piped edging, and a glass-topped bedside table. Ethnic prints bring in a different kind of vibe. Normally, this shouldn’t work but the miracle of Boho is that – it does, it always does.
Are you ready to bring in a unique interior design? Then Boho it is.
Tags: 1970s, animal prints, art deco, Art Deco interior design, Art Deco style, Boho, Boho charm, Boho design, Boho interior design, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, Moroccan, Moroccan interior design, Moroccan interiors, Moroccan style, retro, Retro design, retro interior design, retro interiors, Retro style, wicker, wicker furniture, wicker pieces
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Monday, January 18th, 2016
Uttermost Accessories Rennick Metal Wall Art 04014 at McCreerys Home Furnishings. Reclaimed pine wood was used in the creation of this unique wall art.
Artists are fully aware that the term art deco came from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes in 1925, held in Paris, France. French artists then collaborated to come up with the show. Emile Decour, Hector Guimard, Eugene Grasset, Paul Follot, Raoul Lachenal and Maurice Dufrene were previously into Art Nouveau before they came up with the new show. Art deco was not that popular till Bevis Hillier, an art historian and critic, mentioned it in her book entitled Art Deco of the 20s and 30s in 1968.
Enough with art deco history; of course you would want to know how you can set up a purely decorative theme in your home.
Art Deco Features and Materials
The use of new building materials that were altered to other styles is what separated art deco from Art Nouveau. This kind of architecture showed scientific progress, technology, speed and the rise of commerce.
Combine these revolutionary characteristics with opulent, modern style and what you have is art deco in its purest form. To further picture what this style is all about, try to visualize the lavish interiors and architecture of cinemas, U.S. train stations and ocean liners like the Queen Mary. The simplicity of their designs is what made them endure even the Great Depression. This only means that your choice is a design that is timeless.
Art deco structure is fundamentally about geometric shapes from the Greco-Roman Classicism. You can also find the multi-faceted architecture of Assyria, Babylon, Aztec Mexico and Ancient Egypt. Think of monumental structures and skyscrapers, music halls, find trapezoids, triangles, zigzags, sweeping curves, and chevron patterns.
It is also not surprising to find new materials like stainless steel, aluminum, plastics, inlaid wood and lacquer. You can find these new materials fused with horn, moulded glass, ivory, and exotic stuff like zebra or shark skin.
Sam Moore Living Room Steamer Recliner 5560 features sleek arm rests yet an artistic fabric. This fine fusion of simplicity and artistry is what makes this living room furniture a must-have piece.
Art Deco Applications
Art deco is commonly seen in poster art, jewelry textiles, fashion, furniture, architecture and interior design. This style is also applied in graphics and painting.
Art deco design are now adopted by so many architects all over the world ranging from Australia, Romania, Argentina, India, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Cuba, to Spain. American art deco is evident in structures such as the Chrysler Building, News Building, Rockefeller Center, The Empire State Building, and the Chanin Building.
If you love the reappearance of art deco in interiors, then you are not alone. Many homeowners now embrace this style by using bold, geometric patterns. Curvilinear and rectilinear forms are also iconic forms used in art deco interiors. These can make any room come alive almost instantly.
Travel and tourism were quite popular in the 1930s, hence, the addition of African safaris and other exotic finishes to art deco was inevitable. So go ahead and use shiny fabrics, glass, mirrors and metallic paints in your home.
The Accessories Uttermost Bonjour Wall Art 13857 is an awesome replica of the 1800s French correspondence letter. It is perfectly framed in an antique mirror and a distressed dark-colored frame.
And what is art deco without artwork and sculptures? As the name of this style suggests, you should showcase the arts and the world of entertainment. Use sculptural lamps, the boldest oil paintings that you can find, and ornate bedroom furniture. Detailed furniture will surely bring in the art deco elements that you need for your home.
Using the term bold is surely an understatement when talking about the high contrast colors used in art deco. In your kitchen or bathroom, use finishes and tiles that revive the artistic vibe. Monochromatic black combined with white, deep brown or bright reds will surely look gorgeous.
Bring in some high gloss porcelain and ceramic tiles, bold fabrics, to finish off with a dramatic art deco flair.
Tags: art, art deco, artwork, bold, bold statement, displaying artwork, displaying works of art, geometric, geometric design, geometric elements, geometric furniture, geometric patterns, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, metals, patterns, textiles, tips, wood
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