Janet Ramin - Elegance, sophistication, and glamour describe the Art Deco era, but this was just the frosting on a multi-tiered cake. Art Deco culminated from the convergence of global culture and tastes – with motifs that included modern geometrics, Egyptian, Babylonian, African, and Aztec styles and Greco-Roman classicism. For the latest in our series of mood boards, we’ll rediscover the glamorous world of Art Deco style.
Art Deco was the nickname given for the style that arose from the influential 1925 world’s fair that occurred in Paris, France called the Exposition Internationale des Artes Decoratifs et Industriels Moderne. Legendary designers, artisans, and architects contributed to the World Fair, including glass designer Rene Lalique, furniture designer Emile-Jacques Rhulmann, and architect Le Corbusier, to name a few.
In our first mood board above, we show a French Art Deco console table from French Design, Inc. made from macassar ebony, a popular rich-looking wood of that era. Its center leg displays a gilt and silver artwork of geometric shapes. On top of the table we have accessories that are globally inspired – the muscular Eve with Serpent sculpture from Renaissance Man is created in the Greek tradition and the vase, Biches Bleues, designed by Charles Catteau reflects African influences. The vase is from the Modernism Gallery.
For seating, we have a streamlined lacquered club chair from French Design, Inc. The delicate side table, reminiscent of furniture designer Emile-Jacques Rhulmann, is made of rosewood and covered in shagreen, available from Gary Rubinstein Antiques. On top of the table from TFTM Gallery is the coffee service from ocean liner, Il de France, and designed in the iconic Art Deco geometric shapes. For lighting we have a French chandelier designed by Petitot and available from Versailles Antiques. Petitot created an octagonal shaped light made of nickeled bronze and frosted glass insets with a sunburst design. The rug, though not Art Deco, is very geometric and is from Safavieh.
