What are the origins of art deco?
How does art deco and art nouveau differ?
How do I add art deco décor into my home?
What materials were used in the art deco period?
How do I choose art deco lighting for my home?
How many lights do you need?
What art deco lights do you recommend?
Why is art deco still so popular today?
Will art deco lighting remain popular in the future?
When designing, renovating, or building a home, one of the first things to do is establish the home style you want to achieve. Here at Fat Shack Vintage, one of the styles we love is art deco, known for its opulent and timeless glamour. But loving a style and knowing how to apply it in your home are two very different things. So, we’ve created our how-to guide for art deco lighting for your home.
After reading our guide visit our Art Deco Lighting collection for lighting ideas.
What are the origins of art deco?
Art deco is a style of art, design and architecture that originated in France prior to WWI. Art deco evolved after the art nouveau period, and ranged between the 1920s to the 1930s.
This style is often interpreted as a response to the austerity and frugality of the preceding wartime society. The economy boomed during the ‘roaring 20s’ and the emergence of vibrant colours reflected this prosperity. Art Deco symbolises this in its signature use of deep and opulent hues with hints of gold. However, buildings designed with saccharinely sweet pastel colours and rounded edges were the most notable and informed which colours could work together in this spectrum.
While it is difficult to ascertain the exact design origins of art deco, several movements can be attributed to its influence, including cubism, the Vienna Secession, the bold colours of fauvism and Ballets Russes, the craftsmanship of Louis Phillipe I and Louis XVI and even the exotic and Middle Eastern styles.
Art deco is also identifiable through its bold geometric forms, innovative use of materials, and a desire to eschew traditional design in favour of modern and conceptual design. This period marked a shift towards clean lines and form and embracing practical and utilitarian functions.
There are many iconic art deco buildings around the world. New York has the Times Square Building, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the Chrysler Building. Closer to home on Australian shores, we have the ANZAC War Memorial in Sydney’s Hyde Park, the Grace Hotel in Sydney, the Manchester Unity building in Melbourne, and the Astor Theatre in St Kilda. The Astor Theatre opened in 1936, is an exemplary heritage-listed art deco theatre imbued with vintage glamour. It has a streamlined exterior façade and a grand theatre with chandeliers and draped curtains, which is a testament to its luxurious yet timeless design.
Did you know that our iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge is art deco? Built in 1932, it incorporates art deco, Roman, Mayan, and Egyptian influences and is a tribute to art deco’s utilitarian yet opulent innovation and design.
How does art deco and art nouveau differ?
How do I add art deco décor into my home?
First things first, find a style that reflects who you are and what you want the space to be. There are many different elements of art deco, from over-the-top opulence to more subdued, so find out what suits your personality. We recommend creating mood boards through platforms such as Style Sourcebook and Pinterest. This is a fantastic way to visualise a style that you like the most.
Remember, you don’t need to make your home fully art deco. You could incorporate accent art deco pieces to sit against a more contemporary setting if you’re unsure of committing to a home style; remember that you can always swap it out in a few years if you feel like changing it up.
Incorporating art deco into your home might be as simple as a new floor or table lamp, complemented with a few ornaments or knick-knacks to inject an opulent yet cosy design. Why not take a trip to a vintage market or antique store? These less frequented places often have hidden gems. Curved furniture in deep greens and blues, and pastel pink has been coming back since its heyday in the 1930s. These pieces bring a touch of luxury and are growing in popularity in modern chic homes. Crittall windows are another popular feature in modern interiors. Originally designed in the UK by ironmonger Francis Henry Crittall in 1884, they have made their mark in the Art Deco movement. Their slender steel framework highlighted in hues that stand out is a characteristic feature, and this geometric look was the ideal complement for the elegant minimalism of Art Deco.
A simpler way to bring Art Deco into your home is through art deco lighting. If you can’t afford authentic fittings from over a century ago, we recommend investing in high-quality recreational pieces, for some1920s style. Not sure how to incorporate it into different rooms? Keep reading for some tips and tricks on injecting art deco lighting into your home.
What materials were used in the art deco period?
The art deco period marked a shift towards utilising more accessible materials, such as chrome, plastic, aluminium, painted metal, brass, opal glass, etc. And given the growing accessibility of electric lighting, there was a trend towards using new and innovative materials such as Bakelite to create high-quality and durable pieces of lighting.Bakelite is a synthetic plastic material that was invented in 1909 in New York. Since then, it has been produced locally in Australia, where it continues to be manufactured to this day. It has a long history of being used in general stores around our nation and has been extensively used by flower growers due to its heat-resistant properties. Bakelite was prolifically used during the art deco period, and there has been a recent revival of Bakelite products in homes and businesses due to its retro look. The Bakelite currently manufactured in Australia even uses the original moulds and machinery from the 1930s; so, with this durability and historical charm in mind, we are proud to have a vast range of Bakelite lighting at Fat Shack Vintage. Want to find out more? Click here to see our full range.
Another frequently used material for art deco lighting was milky/opal glass. Often hand blown to create stunning light shades, this glass was often accented with brass metalware, sleek chrome, gold leaf, etc., for a one-of-a-kind look. The glass could also be detailed with floral designs, or even multi-coloured! The sky was truly the limit, and designers were unafraid to test traditional design boundaries.
More generally in art deco design, there was also a shift towards using high-quality woods such as Macassar ebony, Brazilian rosewood, and amboyna burl. These were commonly inlaid with tortoise shell, ivory, or other unique materials.
How do I choose art deco lighting for my home?
The type of art deco lighting that you choose largely depends on the room and space you intend to place it in. For example, if you’re planning lighting for a living room or dining room, we recommend statement pendant lights such as our Astor Pendant Light, which can also be arranged in triplicates or clusters for maximum impact. If you love bold geometric lines, you can’t go past our Shoreditch Glass Pendant Light, which would be perfect atop a dining table or adoring a hallway space.
If, however, you’re decorating a practical space such as a study or home library, we recommend table lamps or wall lights. A key example of this would be our Bankers Table Lamp. While bankers’ lamps were invented in the early 20th century, they were popular during the art deco period, and were commonly emerald in colour, or even adorned with floral patterned glass. Or if you’d prefer a wall light, we recommend immersing yourself in the Roaring Twenties with milky opal hand blown glass shades, such as our Flinders Wing Arm Wall Lamp, which merges vintage design with a modern industrial aesthetic.
Heading into the bedroom, you can go as understated or over-the-top as you like. For a statement look, consider an art deco chandelier or multi pendant light, such as our Gatsby Glass Chandelier. Or if you’d prefer a more minimalist yet equally sophisticated design, why not add the Maslon Table Lamp or Harefield Table Lamp to your bedside tables?
And don’t forget that art deco style isn’t limited to inside your home. If you’re decorating, renovating, or building an outdoor space such as a backyard entertaining area, verandah, or garage, we recommend exterior lights such as our Glass Ball Gooseneck Exterior Light, or the Lyric Opal Wall Light. Pro tip: Don’t forget to check the IP rating! If in doubt about the suitability of the light’s placement, consult your local electrician for their professional advice. Check twice, install once!
How many lights do you need?
There’s no simple answer here, as it largely depends on the space, its purpose, and your personal preferences. If you opt for an art deco light that has a shade cover, then it might not disperse a large radius of light. While this might not be an issue in a bedroom, if you’re styling it atop a dining table then it might not provide enough illumination. In this case, you could opt to arrange several lights together for maximum spread, e.g. three pendant lights in a row above a dining table or kitchen island.
For spaces that don’t require as much light, and particularly if you want to create a moody atmosphere, one light may be more than sufficient. An example of this could be an atmospheric and luxurious bedroom – in this scenario, a single pendant or chandelier above the bed might be enough. However, if you want to create a stylish focal point, consider hanging pendant lights in the corner of a room at varying lengths for a cluster effect.
If you’re decorating a study or home library, consider task lighting in this space. While you will need something to provide general light, such as a ceiling light, you can complement this with directional and focused task lighting, such as a wall light, table lamp, or desk lamp.
If you’re looking to decorate the inside of a bathroom with opulent art deco lights, we recommend single wall lights and ceiling lights. Depending on how much space you have, you could opt for installing several single lights. However, it is critical that you consider the wet zones in your bathroom and the lights’ IP ratings when deciding on the layout. Above all, consider the space and its purpose, and the extent to which you want to get creative and make a decorative look, and this will guide how many lights you invest in.
What art deco lights do you recommend?
Here at Fat Shack Vintage, we’re crazy for art deco lighting, and it’s impossible to pick our favourite! One of our most popular art deco lights is our Astor Pendant Light, which is a great example of the use of art deco materials with geometric shapes and would be perfect inside an opulent living room with ornate furniture. Other popular choices include the Bunker Globe Light, and Charleston Black Table Lamp.
Want to explore our whole collection? Check out our art deco lighting here: https://www.fatshackvintage.com.au/collections/art-deco
Why is art deco still so popular today?
The opulent and glammed-up décor of art deco, combined with the utilitarian structure and form of art deco, has led to it remaining one of the most popular historical styles today.
Symmetry and geometry are what make art deco its own flavour. Shapes are distinct, patterns are strong, and colours are all in bright hues. There are no small or subtle graphics here! Attention is drawn to the space, made busy with various goings-on. Luxurious, strong gold accents stand out confidently against any canvas.
It is bold, confident, flashy (yet not kitsch), and unrelenting in opting for irregular shapes set against a finery of furniture. It remains popular today for those who are searching for over-the-top classic accent pieces that complement moody room tones. Combined with today’s contemporary design, art deco pieces balance out to create a living space that is cosy enough for a family to enjoy, while retaining the classic luxe appeal for which the style is loved.
Will art deco lighting remain popular in the future?
We certainly think so! The interpretation of the art deco movement into modern design has come a long way, and we firmly believe that we will continue to see it come a lot further. For purist art deco lovers, the style will never die. And for others, classic design principles of structure, form and symmetry will never fade. We also believe that our love affair with opulent finishes, metals and quality materials will never cease. While popularity may ebb and flow with the times, the influence of the period is so significant and sustained that it is permanently ingrained into contemporary design.
Okay, I’m convinced. But I still need help/have some more questions!
If you’re now a total art deco convert and would love to instil some glamourous art deco style into your home, but you still have a few lingering questions or concerns, why not get in touch with our friendly FSV team? We’re always here and ready to assist with any lighting questions you may have; so, if you’re in doubt or just need some further info, get in touch! Give us a call, send us an email, or drop into our DMs on social media; whatever your preference, we’re here and ready to help you out however we can.
We also have a range of comprehensive guides available, ranging from lighting styles, to architectural styles and how-to guides. Whether you’re a home renovator, builder, or simply searching for inspiration, we’re sure to have a guide to help you. And if we don’t, simply drop us a line – we’re always looking for new guide ideas to add to the pipeline.
