The Art Nouveau design style made its appearance during the last ten years of the nineteenth century. At the time Victorian design and decoration was truly excessive, and people were secretly looking for something with perhaps a little less "clutter".
Art Nouveau design was born out of that desire to simplify things.
There was a general movement towards making rooms lighter and altogether less cluttered. This was reflected in the newly popular, paler paint colors for walls that were in strong contrast to the previously fashionable, darker shades and were seen as fresh and airy by comparison.
To provide interest, a paper or painted frieze might have been added at the ceiling line and borders above the skirting/base board were not unusual. Architectural embellishments were few. Dados diminished in popularity, but a picture rail or plate rack at approximately eye level might have been featured. Pilasters and paneling were also sometimes applied, especially if they could be employed to emphasize the vertical. Wallpapers, mostly depicting botanical themes, continued to be favored, particularly now that their cost was much reduced as a result of machine-manufacture.
Plain window and door glazing now gave way to more decorative treatments. Stained glass featuring geometric patterns or representations of botanical subjects was popular.
The latter part of the nineteenth century saw a decline in the fashion for large area rugs. These were often removed in favor of wood floors, both board and parquet, which were frequently covered with faded oriental carpets.
Art Nouveau Furniture
Plush curtain treatments and deeply buttoned upholstery were eschewed by the followers of the New Art. In their stead simpler furnishings were in evidence.
Attention was directed to the windows themselves rather than to how they were dressed. Pelmets, if they were used, were now flat and of simple design, otherwise lengths of fabric would be simply gathered and suspended from a plain wooden pole. With the emphasis on vertical lines, the curtains were frequently full length and rarely caught in a tie-back.
Furniture designs were pared down to a more basic form and were usually constructed from oak or satin-wood for a lighter look than the traditional mahogany. These items would have a simple wax finish and the grain was much in evidence. Cutouts, often in the form of a heart, inlaid work and simple carving were the principal embellishments to be seen.
Other items of art nouveau furniture, in the Mackintosh manner, were highly stylized, and chairs with their exaggerated ladder-backs were often painted black.
Lighting And Accessories
Probably the first item that springs to mind when Art Nouveau is mentioned is the Tiffany lamp. Its skilled American creator, L. C. Tiffany, who also designed whole houses (appropriately enough, for someone whose middle name was Comfort), produced some of the loveliest colored and leaded glass lamps to be seen. Although electricity became available during this period (to those who could afford it), in general the appearance of light fittings varied little from those fittings previously designed for gas.
Far fewer accessories were displayed, the emphasis being on objects made from silver, copper, ceramic, glass, bronze and pewter.
Whatever design style you are looking to incorporate into your home, check out these tips for interior room designs inspiration. Whether you're thinking along the lines of a Victorian style or just looking for some living room design ideas.
