10-02-2025
Everything you need to know about 2025's hottest home trend
It was a design exhibition in Paris in 1925 – the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes – that introduced Arts Décoratifs, to the world. This was shortened to Art Deco, and its hallmarks of geometric shapes, luxe materials and rich jewel colours would become an iconic look that would usher in a new era for interiors and be in fashion for years after the exhibition opened.
Looking forward after the destruction caused by the First World War, the exhibition organisers stipulated that historic designs would not be permitted. The result was striking modern pavilions showcasing highly decorative but steam-lined motifs including chevron sunbursts, zigzags, stepped designs and stylised floral elements.
Inside, beautiful burr woods were fashioned into stylish cabinets, chandeliers in angular shapes teamed glass with gleaming metallics and richly coloured fabrics glowed against dark woods for a sense of elegance and glamour.
During its six months, the exhibition attracted about 16 million visitors and generated worldwide demand for Art Deco, which continued throughout the following decades and into the next century. 'It threw off the fustiness and heaviness of 19th-century antiques and offered a new, truly modern type of furniture – simpler, more streamlined but still made with the finest materials and skilled craftsmanship that harkened to an earlier age,' says Anthony Barzilay Freund, editorial director of 1stDibs, the luxury vintage online marketplace for whom Art Deco pieces are a strong seller.
Art Deco's most famous architectural icons are arguably the Empire State Building, its striking stepped design reaching for the sky, and the Chrysler Building with its emblematic terraced crown. In London, Claridge's hotel in Mayfair is renowned for its Art Deco features such as its geometric patterned stained glass.
'Art Deco was also about a vision for how people could live a modern, glamorous life,' says interior designer Bryan O'Sullivan who, when he recently revamped Claridge's, was mindful of its heritage. 'It was the first time design was truly seen as something that could elevate daily life, combining beauty with functionality.'
It also fizzed with optimism and glamour, qualities that people were eager to embrace after the preceding decade. 'Its cultural significance is one of the reasons why it remains so popular all these years later,' says Emma Deterding, founder and creative director of Kelling Designs. 'It symbolises optimism, progression and resilience – qualities that really resonate in uncertain times.'
This is perhaps why, beyond its centenary, Art Deco continues to inspire today and, indeed, is roaring back into fashion. A 2025 survey of designers carried out by 1stdibs found that a majority plan to use objects dating from the 1920s and 1930s in their designs over the next 12 months.
Popular pieces include club and lounge chairs, desks, side tables and rugs. 'It seems to bridge eras – pre-industrial and post-industrial, the antique and the modern,' says Freund. 'Deco feels almost timeless and the furniture and objects can comfortably fit into design schemes of almost any style.'
'Metallic finishes in gold, brass and chrome are staples that bring in luxury and glamour to a space, whilst the movement's focus on symmetry and patterns, such as sunbursts and chevrons, create an eye-catching statement that is timeless,' says Nathan Kingsbury, creative director of Nathan Kingsbury Design. 'It's a design style [that's] all about opulence and indulgence, and materials like luxurious velvets, marbles and exotic woods combined with rich, jewel-toned colour palettes keep it as a go-to aesthetic for sophistication.'
'It's incredibly versatile,' says O'Sullivan. 'You can incorporate a single Art Deco piece into a modern space, and it will still feel relevant and sophisticated. In my own work, I often draw on its sense of proportion and its use of rich, tactile materials. For example, I might incorporate a brass inlay, or a mirror feature in a way that feels contemporary but pays homage to Deco's elegance. It's about creating spaces that feel layered, luxurious, and timeless – just as Art Deco always does.'
To introduce Art Deco into your home, go bold with wallpaper featuring its typical geometric motifs or introduce the design through tiles on a kitchen or bathroom floor. A striking rug will also elevate a room, or if you prefer just a touch of Art Deco, pop a patterned cushion or two onto an armchair or sofa. Look at luxurious fabrics such as velvet in rich, warm colours.
Statement pieces are also a brilliant way to introduce the beautiful, sculptural lines that Art Deco is renowned for. An eye-catching chandelier in an angular shape will add impact and style to a room, or a shapely mirror above a mantelpiece or console table in a hallway.
Finishes that gleam are also key to achieving a luxe look so think gold, silver and chrome, along with lacquered wood and glass. Stick, though, to a pared-back colour palette – Art Deco often features just two colours such as black and white or gold against deep blue or green.
Just be careful that you don't go back to the future too much and create a room that is a pastiche. Kingsbury says: 'For a fresh look, combine Art Deco designs with contemporary elements, to create a beautifully, balanced, and modern, result.'
