Rupert Bevan Scallop

Art Deco furniture is characterized by its celebration of modern life. More than its emphasis on natural wood grains and focus on traditional craftsmanship, vintage Art Deco dining chairs, tables, desks, cabinets and other furniture — which typically refers to pieces produced during the 1920s and 1930s — is an ode to the glamour of the “Roaring Twenties.” 

ORIGINS OF ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGN

• Emerged in the 1920s 
• Flourished while the popularity of Art Nouveau declined
• Term derives from 1925’s Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) in Paris, France
• Informed by Ancient Egypt, Cubism, Futurism, Louis XVI, De Stijl, modernism and the Vienna Secession; influenced Streamline Moderne and mid-century modernism 

CHARACTERISTICS OF ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGN

• Bold geometric lines and forms, floral motifs
• Use of expensive materials such as shagreen or marble as well as exotic woods such as mahogany, ebony and zebra wood
• Metal accents, shimmering mirrored finishes
• Embellishments made from exotic animal hides, inlays of mother-of-pearl or ivory

ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

• Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
• René Lalique
• Eileen Gray
• Jean Dunand
• Donald Deskey
• Jean Perzel

VINTAGE ART DECO FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

Few design styles are as universally recognized and appreciated as Art Deco. The term alone conjures visions of the Roaring Twenties, Machine Age metropolises, vast ocean liners, sleek typography and Prohibition-era hedonism. The iconic movement made an indelible mark on all fields of design throughout the 1920s and ’30s, celebrating society’s growing industrialization with refined elegance and stunning craftsmanship.

Widely known designers associated with the Art Deco style include Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray, Maurice Dufrêne, Paul Follot and Jules Leleu.

The term Art Deco derives from the name of a large decorative arts exhibition held in Paris in 1925. “Art Deco design” is often used broadly, to describe the work of creators in associated or ancillary styles. This is particularly true of American Art Deco, which is also called Streamline Moderne or Machine Age design. (Streamline Moderne, sometimes known as Art Moderne, was a phenomenon largely of the 1930s, post–Art Nouveau.)

Art Deco textile designers employed dazzling floral motifs and vivid colors, and while Art Deco furniture makers respected the dark woods and modern metals with which they worked, they frequently incorporated decorative embellishments such as exotic animal hides as well as veneers in their seating, case pieces, living room sets and bedroom furniture.

From mother-of-pearl inlaid vitrines to chrome aviator chairs, bold and inventive works in the Art Deco style include chaise longues (also known as chaise lounges) and curved armchairs. Today, the style is still favored by interior designers looking to infuse a home with an air of luxury and sophistication.

The vintage Art Deco furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes dressers, coffee tables, decorative objects and more.

Vintage and antique wall mirrors add depth and openness to a space — they can help create the illusion that a narrow hallway isn’t so narrow. But you don’t need hundreds of enormous arched French or Italian mirrors framed in gilded bronze to dress up your home (maybe just a few).

A few well-placed large wall mirrors and other types of mirrors can amplify lighting and help showcase the decorative and architectural features of your home. For the Palace of Versailles during the 17th century, French King Louis XIV ordered the construction of the Hall of Mirrors after spending millions of dollars importing expensive Venetian mirrors from the revered glass-blowing factories on the island of Murano. A mirror-manufacturing rivalry between Paris and Venice took shape, and soon, across from 17 large windows that open out over the adjacent Palace Gardens on one side of the Hall, more than 350 mirrors — large mirrors made of groupings of small panes — were installed, effectively bringing the radiant colors of the outdoors into the opulent corridor.

Wall mirrors for your living room can work miracles — pull your landscaping’s colors and textures indoors, Louis XIV–style, by covering the length of an interior wall across from your living-room windows with wall mirrors.

For a similar effect, surrounding your mid-century modern wall mirror with leafy air plants and fern floor plants can amplify the sense of serenity that greenery offers in your home. Choose wall mirror frame styles to match your home’s decor, or shop for a frameless, organically shaped mirror that’s cut or beveled for a clean yet distinctive showpiece. For a free-spirited Bohemian feel, create a cluster of mismatched antique wall mirrors — an arrangement of circular Art Deco wall mirrors, Rococo-style silver leaf mirrors and decorative oval Victorian mirrors could add spice to an otherwise unadorned dining-room wall.

Elsewhere, there’s nothing vain about buying a full-length mirror for your bedroom, bathroom or walk-in closet to help you perfect your look for the day. Another may be needed in your entryway for a last-minute ensemble inspection. In fact, a shimmering 18th-century hall of mirrors awaits visitors behind the steel door of Stephen Cavallo’s atelier in Manhattan.

“We like to see the look on people’s faces when they walk in,” says Cavallo.

Decorating your home and office with wall mirrors is an art form in and of itself — get started today with the variety of antique and vintage wall mirrors on 1stDibs.