Decoration and Furniture 20’s: Get inspired by MisterWils

We travel back in time and dive into the references of the ‘Roaring 20’s’.

The 1920s were a time of rupture and renewal in which we saw many of the foundations of the current design of furniture and decorative elements. Now, that 1920s décor is back, updated, in our interiors.

Although, in reality, did it ever go away? The decoration of the 1920s, sober and opulent at the same time, which evokes in our minds that lavish image of the first department stores, of the golden Hollywood and its glamour, continues to mark the most luxurious interiors.

As we will see below, since the emergence of Art Deco in 1925 – the style that would become the flagship of the era – some of the basic characteristics of 1920s furniture, such as velvet upholstery, the use of brass for details and the love of geometry and symmetry, continue to be indispensable influences in the most elegant decoration today.

The 1920s: decoration that breaks with everything that has gone before.

The end of the great wars has always meant a break with everything that had gone before, an evolution that shakes every order: social, economic, moral, artistic, cultural?

After the First World War, Europe and the United States found themselves immersed in a movement that sought escape valves through a powerful desire to squeeze life, to become passionate about the exciting technology of that first machine age, to synthesize the thrilling speed of the new automobiles, to let themselves be carried away by everything excessive and pulsating that the world had to offer.

That interwar period was, therefore, a time of flowering, of the search for happiness and joy, a time in which the new generations tried to challenge everything that had been established. Therefore, it is not surprising that the decoration of the 1920s was also affected by the rupturist and changing waves of those generations who wanted to leave behind the chaos and pain of the great armed conflict.

Art Deco, the star of the decoration trends of the 1920s

The trigger that gave name to one of the most recognized trends in decoration of the 1920s was the Industrial Exhibition of Modern Industrial Decorative Arts in Paris, which took place in 1925. It was there that Art Deco was born, a style already uniform by then, which had begun a few years earlier to permeate all the arts, from graphic design to architecture, through painting and, of course, interior design.

Their characteristics? To begin with, their preference for geometric shapes stands out, using straight lines and angles, mass and symmetry as constant values. The reason is that it drew from avant-garde artistic models: the colorfulness of the Fauves, the simplification of form of Cubism, the geometric abstraction of Futurism and Constructivism.

Another key to Art Deco, which so influenced the decoration of the 1920s, was its approach to the motifs of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamian art, African primitivism, the Far East and, in general, everything that was different and exotic. And often, it also returned to the models of ancient Rome and classical Greece, with their imposing columns and rich materials.

So, Art Deco embraces both the past and the future, as it is fascinated by technology, machinery and speed, but also by the great historical civilizations. As for the use of color, in his interior design samples, strict black and white is very frequent, but also the explosion of tones.

That Parisian exhibition, open to the public for six months and with the presence of exhibitors from 21 different countries (most of them European), allowed the consolidation of the new decorative trends of the 1920s, which were marked and accepted despite their innovative zeal.

After all, the premise of the contest was to present new creations, works of “new inspiration and real originality”, since “copies, imitations and derivations of old or previous styles” would be “rigorously rejected”, as it was stated in the rules of the exhibition that would mark the decoration of the 1920s.

How to draw inspiration from the 1920’s decoration at home: the new Art Deco in upholstered chairs.

The same is true of the Lupin upholstered chair, available in various colors and with shapes that are both simple and sophisticated, those that perfectly define 1920s decor.

And if you prefer to opt for a more vintage touch in your 1920s furniture, how about the Lugger upholstered chair? Its brass-finished needle legs, combined with its upholstered seat in velvet fabric and the rounded backrest with vertical beading, are pure Art Deco.

Of course, if you prefer to squeeze the geometric side of the 20’s decoration, nothing like getting the Harvey upholstered chair, which will be the center of attention thanks to its zigzag patterned textile backrest, in a warm yellow.

Metal details, the absolute kings of 20’s decoration

Metal and glass were two of the materials most commonly used by Art Deco, which drank from the increasing industrialization of production methods of the time. Therefore, nothing screams ‘1920s décor’ like a wall sconce in these materials, such as the very elegant Corridor. It is made of steel and has very recognizable geometric shapes that give it a unique timeless air.

The tone of the lamp is, of course, gold, in keeping with the luxuriousness of the 1920s décor. The 1920s furniture, in fact, makes this tone a hallmark of identity, as is the case with the Jungle upholstered high stool, with its refined and exquisite forms marked by its tubular steel structure with a brass-like finish.

And if you prefer something even more majestic, take a look at the Dallas upholstered high stool, with a tubular steel structure with a gold-plated finish and a seat upholstered in midnight blue velvet. There’s real vintage flavor in this 1920s-inspired piece of furniture!

Decoration of the 20’s: maximum elegance

The decoration of the 20’s, channeled through the lavish Art Deco style, has left us fantastic pieces, timeless classics perfect for dressing the most elegant interiors. Its influence reaches our days through 20’s furniture with stylized shapes that retain the essence of grandeur of the era of rupture, innovation and ‘madness’ to which they refer.