Most of us are familiar with the art deco look of the 1920s and '30s. However, there are many interesting facts about the fashion that are not that well known.
For example, even though the style was well-known and the term may have been first used in 1925, the style was not popularly known as art deco until 1968, in a book about art and interior design, long after the style's heyday. At the time art deco was simply considered "modern".
Art deco style is mainly reflected in clean, sparse lines, almost always in combinations of black, white, silver and perhaps red. It is a style that is simple, yet elegant, always evoking opulance. Seeing art deco interiors always makes one think of elegant ladies slinking past with their long gowns, bee-stung lips and long cigarette holders. It is a symbol of the Jazz Age.
The style was most popular in the Roaring Twenties, that era in which people were quickly become rich from the stock market. Before the crash of the Great Depression, people could indulge in luxury. And that's what art deco interiors were about -- luxury. While all previous art and design movements had a philosophy, art deco, with its sleek black-and-white lines, was simply about luxury.
Art deco also came about at the same time that movies became popular. For the first time, people could see "how the other half lived", or at least how they thought they lived. They saw black/white/silver images of rich people on the silver screen and wanted that look for themselves.
Of course, with the stock market crash and the hard times that followed, people could not afford some indulgences any more. Those few who could were not comfortable flaunting it before those who couldn't. When better times returned after World War II, they were accompanied by the introduction of mass production. Suddenly everyone could afford art deco and other items previously seen as luxuries. As Yogi Berri once said, "No one ever goes there anymore, it's too crowded." And so, art deco never again achieved the popularity it once had although every so often there is a brief resurgence, usually when a popular depicts the era, such as "The Great Gatsby".
However, art deco never completely went away. There are many organizations working to preserve and restore deco interiors in historic buildings. Many buildings created in that era are being renovated to new uses. Art deco train stations have become art museums. Art deco fixtures covered over in previous renovations are being uncovered and given new life.
Art deco can be a great style to inspire your home decor and your own personal style. Sleek, modern yet still antique, it's a great way to make a statement.
About the Author:
Focusing on latest news in corner kitchen cabinets, Guy Morris publishes especially for http://www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com . His writings on kitchen cabinet design are published on his website .
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