Art Nouveau was one of the first design styles of the 20th Century. It was one of the first modern styles that stopped taking inspiration from history, and instead looked at the natural world and its surroundings. Some famous designers and architects of this period include Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Rene Lalique, Alphonse Mucha, and Victor Horta.
This design style is marked by certain characteristics. These are: elongated, sinuous, curvy lines, whiplash lines, height, stylized roots, seedpods, buds, and flowers, the female body, particularly with long and flowing hair, iridescent glass, semi-precious stones, and exotic woods.
If you would like to incorporate some design highlights from the Art Nouveau style, consider the following tips:
Color
Popular colors include sage, peacock blue, turquoise, mustard, emerald green, olive, gold, pale lilac, pink, white, and black. When applied to walls, they create an ethereal look similar to glasswork. Wall paper in highly stylized florals such as poppies, wisteria, and water lilies were popular designs. Other natural effects that were commonly seen on wallpapers include dragonflies, birds, peacock feathers, pomegranates, thistles, tendrils, branches, stems, and leaves.
Flooring/Rugs
Stained parquet and linoleum flooring were quite popular during the Art Nouveau period. If you currently have wooden floors and wish to give them an Art Nouveau spin, pain them white. Rugs with swirling, flooring patterns, particularly round, rectangular, and square shapes add opulence to floors.
Furniture
Furniture pieces of the Art Nouveau period have a natural appearance. They seem to be growing naturally. For example, chairs would have handles that resembled tendrils, fronts and corners were decorated with foliage designs, and balustrades were turned and twisted to resemble vines. Fitted furniture was also heavily used during this period. Some common examples include window seats, book cases and cupboards constructed from walnut, mahogany, and cherry.
Lighting
Tiffany lamps are a must. They were constructed with favrile glass, with metal and bronze latticework. The shade was umbrella shaped and was made from stained glass which has natural forms of insects, peacock feathers, and flowers. These lamps cost an arm and a leg, but you can get excellent imitations from reproduction shops.
Tiles
These were commonly used in France and Belgium during the Art Nouveau period. They were installed in panels and interspersed with white and patterned ones. This technique was called tube lining and it was used to make a design pop out. Tiles were often applied in kitchens, bathrooms, and in hall ways.
Ornaments
To complete your Art Nouveau design style, choose ornaments made from opaque glass, pewter, and silver. Lalique glass is famous for having etched, opaque, and pearly designs. Mirrors should have swirling designs with floral frames. Chairs can be upholstered and framed with wood. Furniture cushions should have shells, floral, or peacock feather patterns.
The Art Nouveau design style was marked by bold colours, floral patterns, natural materials, and inspiration taken from nature, and is easy to incorporate into any home.