Art Deco Style Resurges in Fashion and Decor for Its Centenary

'Return of Egypt' Lacquered Drawers, 19th c

$3321

The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 ignited Art Deco's fascination with Egyptian forms—stepped pyramids, hieroglyphic patterns, and ceremonial grandeur translated into domestic objects. This archaeological romanticism wasn't mere pastiche but philosophical alignment: both cultures celebrated monumentality and geometric precision. Contemporary designers mine this vocabulary not for exoticism but for its structural clarity and symbolic weight. The stepped silhouette, originally derived from ziggurat forms, creates visual rhythm through repetition and shadow play. Modern interpretations maintain the essential geometry while updating materials and proportions. Barracuda Interiors' 'Return of Egypt' drawers exemplify this translation—lacquered surfaces reflect light like polished stone, while the stepped profile creates the monumental presence that made Egyptian revival so compelling to Art Deco's original practitioners.

Galileo 2.3

$1281

Art Deco emerged during the Machine Age, celebrating industrial materials as luxury mediums. Steel, previously hidden in construction, became decorative element—polished to mirror finishes or left raw to showcase honest materiality. The movement's metalwork vocabulary drew from both Constructivist geometry and American industrial optimism, creating objects that were simultaneously futuristic and grounded in manufacturing reality. Contemporary designers understand this dual nature: metal frameworks provide structural honesty while their geometric arrangements create visual poetry. The interplay between steel's strength and its capacity for delicate detailing mirrors Art Deco's broader tension between monumentality and refinement. Edoardo Lietti Studio's Galileo 2.3 demonstrates this balance—steel and tin components create geometric compositions that reference both industrial heritage and cosmic aspiration, the piece's name suggesting the period's faith in technological progress and scientific discovery.

Josef Hoffmann Fledermaus Cabaret Salon Set

$11832

Josef Hoffmann's Wiener Werkstätte represented Art Deco's intellectual foundation—total design philosophy where every element served both functional and aesthetic purpose. This Viennese approach to luxury differed from French Art Deco's ornamental excess, instead pursuing geometric purity and material honesty. Hoffmann's work for venues like the Cabaret Fledermaus established templates for integrated design environments where furniture, textiles, and architectural elements formed unified compositions. The Werkstätte's influence on contemporary design extends beyond style to methodology: comprehensive material consideration, proportional relationships, and the belief that everyday objects deserve architectural attention. Modern interpretations maintain this systematic approach while updating cultural references. Galerie MLS's Josef Hoffmann Fledermaus Cabaret Salon Set preserves the original's material sophistication—wood, brass, tile, and textile components create rich textural dialogue while geometric arrangements maintain the intellectual rigor that distinguished Viennese modernism from purely decorative movements.

Granada Ceiling Pendant Lamp

$4319

Art Deco lighting transcended mere illumination to become sculptural architecture, with brass serving as both structural element and decorative medium. The period's lighting designers understood that electric illumination was transforming domestic space, creating opportunities for dramatic effects previously impossible. Brass became the preferred material for its warm reflectivity and capacity for complex geometric forming. The metal's golden tones complemented Art Deco's broader palette while its malleability allowed for the intricate stepped forms and radiating patterns that defined the movement's lighting vocabulary. Contemporary interpretations maintain this sculptural ambition while updating proportions and light sources. Barracuda Interiors' Granada Ceiling Pendant demonstrates this evolution—brass and glass components create geometric compositions that reference both Islamic architectural patterns and Art Deco's characteristic sunburst motifs. The piece's name suggests the cultural cross-pollination that enriched Art Deco's formal vocabulary, drawing from diverse historical sources while maintaining distinctly modern sensibilities.

Sona Cabinet

$9494

Aluminum represented Art Deco's most futuristic material choice—lightweight, reflective, and associated with aviation's emerging technologies. The metal embodied speed and modernity, qualities that resonated with the period's optimistic faith in technological progress. Streamlining, borrowed from aerodynamic research, became both functional principle and aesthetic vocabulary, creating objects that suggested movement even in static form. The material's reflective properties created dynamic surface interactions, changing appearance with lighting conditions and viewing angles. Contemporary designers mining this vocabulary understand aluminum's capacity for both monumental presence and delicate detailing. The material's industrial associations have evolved from futuristic novelty to established luxury medium. Animate Objects' Sona Cabinet demonstrates this maturation—aluminum surfaces create streamlined forms that reference both Art Deco's speed obsession and contemporary material sophistication. The cabinet's geometric arrangement maintains the movement's characteristic stepped profiles while its material execution reflects current understanding of aluminum's expressive possibilities.