Move over, mid-century modern and give way to art deco. The furniture from this earlier period is increasingly appealing to collectors and interior designers, who mix it with mid-century and contemporary pieces for added richness.
With its elegant geometric or stylized forms, Art Deco took the world by storm in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a reaction against the natural, flowing design of Art Nouveau, which was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. But one country in particular wears the Art Deco crown: France. Because unlike much Art Deco elsewhere, including the United States, French Art Deco furniture tended to be handmade rather than mass-produced.
These high-quality, one-of-a-kind pieces were made by named ébénists, or cabinetmakers, who specialized in intensive inlay, marquetry, and lacquering, and stamped their initials on each creation. Furniture by the best of them – such as Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, René Groult, Paul Dupré-Lafont and Pierre Legrain – is highly sought after, and only for those with the deepest pockets.
At online furniture marketplace The Bruno Effect, CEO Carmine Bruno has seen a resurgence of interest in Art Deco, “having been somewhat overshadowed in recent years by the ongoing popularity of mid-century modern,” he tells BBC Culture. “And French Art Deco in particular is having a moment.
“French Art Deco was not a celebration of mass production – it was a continuation of all the fine craftsmanship we associate with the best antiques,” adds Bruno, “but with a forward-looking vision, which in our eyes now looks both decorative and modern .”
Anthony Barzilay Freund, director of art and editorial director of online design marketplace 1stDibs, backs this up: “The pieces seem to straddle two worlds: on the one hand, the world of antiques, with its sinuous shapes, luxurious details and fine craftsmanship; and on the other modernity, which can be seen through the designers’ pared-down silhouettes and forward-thinking of materials, ornamentation and functionality. Many of the best examples of Art Deco were ahead of their time and feel today as if they were created decades later than they were.”
