Three Interpretations of Art Deco

Exploring Art Deco in London, Brussels, and Marrakesh

Has there ever been a more stylish form of aesthetics than art deco? Short for Arts décoratifs, it first appeared in Paris in the 1910s, and flourished in the US and Europe during the 1920s and 1930s, when it was replaced with a stricter and more utilitarian style, inspired by the Bauhaus movement. The name is derived from the 1925 Exposition internationale dees arts décoratifs et industriels modernes, and the style has its origins in bold geometric forms of the Vienna Secession and Cubism, with a colour scheme influenced by Fauvism and the Ballets Russes.

From the start, art deco represented luxury and glamour; an elevated understanding of design, based in the belief of continuous technological advancements. It introduced new materials, such as chrome plating, stainless steel and plastic.

We’ve visited three houses, one outside London, one in Marrakesh, and one in Brussels, to highlight the lasting allure of this era.