Art Deco

The elegant style between the wars: geometry, luxury, speed and gleaming materials.

The name comes from the Paris exhibition of 1925, the Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes. The style was found in everything from ocean liners to skyscrapers and cinemas.

Art Deco mixed the geometry of modernism with luxury and decoration. Its Swedish counterpart of the 1920s, lighter and more classical in tone, is known as Swedish Grace.

Sunbursts, zigzags and stepped forms

Chrome, lacquer, exotic woods and ivory

Streamlining and speed

Large, contrasting areas of colour