During the 1920s and 1930s when Art Deco was popular, it was considered to be a style that was ultra-modern. It was also eclectic in nature and drew elements from several sources. There were primitive influences taken from Egypt and Africa. It drew upon the sleek modern influence of technology such as aviation. And, Cubism and Futurism also played a role in the Art Deco period.
Clean and Uncluttered
Art Deco is defined by a clean and uncluttered appearance. It is known for its minimalism. Therefore, create an uncluttered, clean, minimalist look and feel to your bathroom. For example, your vanity should be free of clutter, so store your toiletries inside the vanity or medicine cabinet. Your walls should also reflect this minimalist style by having few pictures.
Materials
Before you can begin decorating your bathroom, you should understand the types of materials that were used during the Art Deco period. The style was functional but elegant, modern and eclectic. Materials that were used were lacquer, stainless steel, aluminum, inlaid wood, sharkskin and zebra skin. So, these are the types of materials you should introduce into your bathroom décor to achieve that Art Deco look.
Colors
The walls of your Art Deco inspired bathroom should be painted in a pastel color. Light blues and soft greens were quite common. These muted colors are chosen to provide a backdrop for brightly colored posters, which were popular during that period.
Putting it all Together
Now that you know the basic elements of the Art Deco style you can begin planning your bathroom décor.
When it comes to lighting, choose fixtures or sconces that have clean lines and are made of stainless steel or aluminum. Due to the rebirth of this decorating style, finding Art Deco-styled lighting fixtures shouldn't be a problem as there are many reproductions available.
Paint your walls that beautiful sea foam green that was used in the 1930s milk glass pieces. Also consider painting one wall in metallic paint to give the look and feel of metal---metallic silver would be a good choice. If you are really adventurous, paint the ceiling black.
Purchase a reproduction of a poster from that era and put it in a black or lacquer frame.
Look for a throw rug that has geometric designs, as geometric designs were prevalent in this style as well. Or, consider purchasing a faux zebra skin throw rug---this would definitely give your bathroom that Art Deco look and feel. If your budget allows, tile the floor with white and black checkerboard tile.
For the final touch, look for an Art Deco sculpture to place on the vanity (sculptures of nudes were popular during this period) or even a sleek tall black vase with a single tall silk orchid would work well.
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