Art Deco interior design began in Europe. By the end of World War I, Art Deco was a very popular choice and was the leading style until the end of the second World War in 1945.
The style is characterised by rich colours, bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation, a look that has retained real influence today.
Colour was strong and compromising – there was a lot of black! ‘Pitch Black’ No. 256 or ‘Black Blue’ No. 95 in Full Gloss and huge amounts of chrome immediately evoke this look. Strong yellows like ‘Babouche’ No. 223 were also used to create a bold look along with clean reds like ‘Incarnadine’ No. 248 and ‘Blazer’ No. 212. These were very often combined with a grey colour on the woodwork – either a light grey like ‘Blackened’ No. 2011 or a dark grey such as ‘Down Pipe’ No. 26.
For a less dramatic art deco look, creams and neutrals along with shades of green can also be used. Choose neutrals like ‘Skimming Stone’ No. 241, ‘Shaded White’ No. 201 and the slightly stronger ‘Dove Tale’ No. 267 combined with ‘Churlish Green’ No. 251 or ‘Arsenic’ No. 214.
Art Deco is all about symmetry and balance so geometric wallpapers were the most popular. Although not strictly from this period the following wallpapers could be used in strong colours; Stripes, Tessella, Lattice, Ranelagh and even Lotus.