Art deco: Giving our homes a touch of glamour

What does modern actually mean? In the 1920s it meant art deco, and today its chic aesthetic is sparkling once again in many areas of interior design. Decorative and ornamental elements combined with geometric shapes, often broken up, are the characteristic features of this artistic style that evolved in parallel and in contrast to the Bauhaus, reaching its peak in the 1920s.

Art deco did not set out to reinvent design, but rather to overcome historicism in a more linear and at once more glamorous aesthetic. While art deco may lack a fundamental stylistic trait, it is still defined by a refined language of form and the use of bold colours and sumptuous materials. Many designers and furniture brands today are again drawing inspiration from its dark and elegant ambience that exudes comfort.

Alongside bronze, ebony, crystal, leather and silver, filigree glass was one of the sumptuous materials of choice in art deco. Such an unexpected use of materials creates a fascinating effect in the Bell High Table by ClassiCon. A coloured transparent table base bears a metal body that forms the table surface. Despite its substantial weight, the metal surface seems so light that it appears to float. Designer Sebastian Herkner accomplishes a tremendous artistic feat here: He takes the captivating contrast between the two elements and produces a harmonious whole that evokes the elegantly curved shape of a bell

Italian designer Luca Nichetto paired premium materials and a sophisticated language of form with virtuoso flair to create the new Paradise Bird collection for Wittmann. The distinctive metal frame – available in a choice of black or brass – envelops the seat backs like a nest or serves as the stool’s support. The inviting roundness of the upholstery and the generous dimensions of the seats give the lounge chair, high-back chair, sofa and stool a warm and cosy feel, either as individual pieces or as an ensemble.

To mark its 150th anniversary, Kettnaker presented its Masterpiece 150 limited edition collection at this year’s imm cologne. Surfaces were developed especially for the masterpiece using marquetry, palladium and Fenix with a 3D-lasered front. The result is two sideboards, a square cabinet and a chest of drawers in a limited edition of just 150 pieces. The exclusive techniques and materials lend the furniture remarkable character. In the Fenix version for instance, the black Fenix panels are finished to exceptional precision with a high-tech 3D laser to create a fascinating three-dimensional surface pattern in a widely varying colour palette with elegant haptics.