October 27, 2021
Art Deco tiles transport you back to the Roaring Twenties with their elegance, richness, and unmistakable design.
Art Deco refers to an artistic expression dating from the early 20th Century made manifest in architecture, design and the arts. Today, with the help of decorative floor and wall tiles you can master the Art Deco look in your home. The sensuality and luxurious elegance of this classic style have a universal appeal that never looks tired or dull. Ever youthful and optimistic Art Deco tiles are as much a state of mind as a decorative style.
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The name of the style is an abbreviation of Arts Décoratifs and references a time when Paris was the hub of visual arts and modern industrial innovation. In fact, Art Deco marks the recognition of industrial design as an artistic profession on a par with painting, sculpture and other handicrafts.
Although the style dates from before World War I, it became associated with the 1920s and 1930s around the world, particularly in Europe and the United States. Hollywood and the movie star magazines of the day propagated the style during the Great Depression. Its glamour and luxury helped create a dream world of escapist fantasy for the masses struggling to get by. Today, it stands out as an exuberant and forward-looking attitude to décor that is still very much relevant. In short, Art Deco represents a timeless and classic design that exudes universal appeal.
The origins of the Art Deco style are classical. Its proportions and compositions are informed by the search for harmony, balance, symmetry, geometry and colour. The style was pleasing to the eye and, above all else, decorative. No matter the expression, i.e. from industrial design to entire buildings. The following characteristics are typical of the Art Deco period:
It’s no coincidence that the most iconic Art Deco style design is associated with steam liners, skyscrapers, railway stations and movie theatres. The cutting-edge technologies of the time were housed in these structures that adopted this opulent style. Art Deco represented an unadulterated optimism about the future and the possibilities that science held out for mankind. There are world-renowned UK-based surviving examples of the style including the Hoover Building, the Battersea Power Station, the Daily Express Building on Fleet St. and the extraordinary Eltham Palace. This Tudor-era mansion, which is listed and open to the public, displays some of the most refined conserved Art Deco interiors.
There is no better way to bring the elegance of Art Deco buildings into your home than with tiles; they can effortlessly and affordably transform your home into spaces that recall Art Deco chic. They can also be extremely striking when combined with matching furniture and accessories. But what kind of tiles and designs should you consider for an Art Deco home? Well, there are a few that can be quite effective. Among them are:
Geometric forms, such as triangles and hexagons, are frequently used in Art Deco style to create stunning visual effects. Choose tiles with a repeating geometric pattern for the wall or floor, or tiles that can tessellate together to create a larger geometric pattern.
The Art Deco style is at its best in black and white tiles. Combining these monochrome tiles in a checkerboard pattern is a simple way to create an Art Deco feature wall or floor. Alternatively, for a timeless and effective visual result, choose geometric patterned tiles in black and white, or shades of grey for a more contemporary twist.
Metal mosaic tiles provide a rich and luxurious facelift for tired spaces in the home. Add movement and dynamics to any room with the gorgeous patterns of the Gravity Aluminium collection, including stainless steel fish scale-shaped tiles.
High-end materials, such as marble, help to reinforce Art Deco’s appeal and add a sense of richness to interiors. Choose marble for the walls or the floors for a sophisticated, Art Deco appearance.
Bathroom tiles are the starting point for achieving an Art Deco look whether it be the family bathroom or ensuite. The decorative qualities of floor and wall tiles are especially effective if handled correctly. Even though the style is exuberant, there is always an overall rationale at play. This means that the various elements that make up the Art Deco bathroom look like they belong together. Whether it is colour, pattern or motif, the floor and wall tiles must create a dialogue with one another.
The following tips and simple rules of composition will help recreate the Art Deco bathroom in your home:
The Art Deco bathroom starts from the floor up. As we have already explained, planning and bathroom layout are essential elements of recreating the style. Think of the bathroom floor tiles as a stage set or a canvas upon which the pieces are placed. This, in practice, means thinking about the composition of the whole, i.e. bathroom artefacts, mirrors (and other accessories), lighting and wall tiles. Here are some examples of Art Deco tile designs.
The tubular frame metal stand and mirror composition are light and modern. The Gravity Aluminium Wave Metal Titanium mosaic provides a contrasting random backdrop to the hyper-rational bathroom composition. An asymmetrical Wash Hand Basin serves to highlight the harmony of the whole.
This statement bathroom features Gravity Aluminium Shell Gold wall tiles that provide a lustrous backdrop to an ultra-modern sculptural Wash Hand Basin stand. The same stone tile is featured on the wall flanking panels and floor. Moody lighting is picked up by the metallic reflections creating even more drama.
Essential Links Carrara floor tiles create a strong hexagon geometry inscribed within a circle. The marble wall tiles add a luxurious backdrop for the strong geometric shapes that are coordinated between the bathroom mirror and double WHB. Here the scallop edges of the WHB and the floating console add a highly contemporary feel to the whole.
Today’s kitchen is an exercise in artistic expression, where the functional and the decorative come together. The stylised motifs of the Art Deco provide the ideal kitchen décor, a whimsical foil to sophisticated engineering and manufacturing standards of plumbing. The luxurious chic and visual appeal of Art Deco helps humanise the technology. It is a style that will not look dated over the years because its principles are timeless.
We’ve gathered some examples of kitchens with Art Deco-style tiles to inspire you. With these Art Deco tiles, your kitchen can have the elegance and luxury of a commercial restaurant. Whether it’s black and white monochrome or in a more exuberant colour, these tiles create beautiful backdrops.
The monochrome palette is used to great effect with this pared-back Art Deco-style Trenza Marmi wall tile. The feature wall pulls the entire interior design look together, from banquette seating to shelving and lighting. The weave of the mosaic suggests a more three-dimensional surface with added depth.
Recreate this elegant feature wall in your dining room. This restaurant banquette seating in lush chartreuse-coloured velvet becomes the base to a feature wall of white and black marble Piano Black mosaic. The gold strip and scalloped tile detail reflect the sumptuous materials and add subtle luxury. The cubic upholstered seating and globe lighting provide classic Art Deco touches.
Here are some transformative ideas for using Art Deco tiles in the living room. An unloved chimney breast or even a forgotten niche can be the key to re-imagine the entire décor. Allow your imagination to run wild to create an eye-catching look.
Geometric motifs in white and gold tiles clad a feature chimney breast. The simple geometry and neutral colours are appropriate for the period or contemporary living rooms. Here marble-effect porcelain tiles add more drama making a setting where an appearance from Fred and Ginger wouldn’t be out of place.
A few stools placed beside a built-in curved counter with a marble shelf convert a humdrum living space into a retro-style cocktail bar. Glass mosaics pick up the scone illumination to catch the light and sparkle. The blue and white elongated Crystal Cream mosaic tiles add texture and dimension to the feature wall.
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