Design Vocabulary . . . Art Nouveau

nterior of a dome in the Grand Palais, Paris (courtesy of Essential Architecture)




Art Nouveau candlestick holders I inherited from my grandmother


Art Nouveau entrance in Paris. Courtesy of http://www.lostbiro.com/

Last time, I looked at art deco and now, we'll examine its predecessor, Art Nouveau. Special thanks to Encyclopedia Britannica and Answers.com for the official definition:

"Decorative style that flourished in western Europe and the U.S. c. 1890 – 1910. The term was derived in 1895 from a gallery in Paris called L'Art Nouveau. Characterized by sinuous, asymmetrical lines based on plant forms, the style was used in architecture, interior design, graphic art and design, jewelry, and glass. It was international in scope, with celebrated exponents in England (Aubrey Beardsley), Paris (Alphonse Mucha), the U.S. (Louis Comfort Tiffany), Scotland (Charles Rennie Mackintosh), Spain (Antonio Gaudí), and Belgium (Victor Horta). The style did not significantly survive the outbreak of World War I. See also Arts and Crafts Movement; Jugendstil."

What do you prefer, Art Nouveau or Art Deco? Can you pinpoint examples of Art Nouveau in modern design? I"m torn; I love them both in different ways. Art Nouveau is Paris and Art Deco, New York, at least to me. How do you pick between Paris and New York?

Design Vocabulary . . . Art Deco

Art Deco Bar Table From Svenska Mobler


Art Deco Side chairs from Svenka Mobler

Art Deco is the design vocabulary word today; it was a popular international movement emerging in the period between World War 1 and World War 2, most popular from 1925 until 1939, although influences persist still today.


Art deco sink hardware (from my Chicago 2 flat)

The style was used in interior design, architecture and the printed arts, showing us the prevailing design element in posters from that period. The Empire State building is a very good example of Art Deco design. It can be argued that art deco is a combination of many different styles of the early 20th century, with its most direct descendants being art noveau and bauhaus.

Art Deco's popularity peaked in Europe during the Roaring Twenties and continued strongly in the United States through the 1930s. Art Deco was purely decorative, a modern style to symbolize a modern era.

I love art deco, bauhaus and noveau art and its influences in accessories. They serve in some ways to innoculate a space against too much conformity. Americcan art deco furniture, on the other hand, is a bit big and clunky for my taste; that's why I like the cleaner lines of Swedish art deco furniture (found at Svenska Mobler in Chicago and L.A.)

What do you think of art deco design? I'd like to see and share your photos on Strange Closets.


1937 Exposition poster. Source: French Cab




Art Deco End Table. Available at Svenska Mobler


Art Deco Lamp - French Cab


Art Deco Mantel Clock

Sources:
Retropolis
Wikipedia
French Cab
Svenska Mobler

Design Vocabulary . . . Fauteuil

Top: Restoration Hardware Landon Upholdstered Fauteuil Armchair
Bottom: Louis XVI Fauteuil chair from Mal Maison (available at 1stDibs.)

Words are reality. There's an old myth that the Native Americans literally didn't see the first European ships, because they didn't have words for them, an established narrative to put them into. It makes me wonder if we're all seeing UFO's every day and just aren't processing it. Similarly, the Eskimos famously have dozens of words for snow. These aren't just words either; they impact decisions, moods and feelings and literally what the world looks like to them. What can be more important than that?

In a design setting, I'll wager that having a working vocabulary of design features and trends will literally change the way your house looks. Today's word is Fauteuil.

Webster Pronunciation: \fō-ˈtœy; ˈfō-ˌtil\

From Wikipedia: A fauteuil is a style of open-arm chair with a primarily exposed wooden frame originating in France in the early eighteenth century. A fauteuil is made of wood, and frequently with carved relief ornament. It is typically upholstered on the seat, the seat back and on the arms (manchettes). Some fauteuils have a valenced front seat rail which is padding that extends slightly over the apron. The exposed wooden elements are often gilded or otherwise painted.