Everything you need to know about art deco design

To mark the centenary of art deco‘s debut on the world stage today, Dezeen rounds up everything you need to know about the style in a three-minute video.

In this video produced by Dezeen Studio, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker explores the history and context of the movement, as well as its most notable characteristics.

Art deco was a design movement that rose to prominence in the 1920s and 30s. Its origins are sometimes disputed, but most agree that art deco’s entrance onto the world stage took place 100 years ago, at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris.

Over 15,000 exhibitors from 20 countries took part in what is now often celebrated as the birth of art deco – although the term was only retrospectively attached to the movement in the 1960s, following on from a book written by art historian Bevis Hillier.

“Art deco was influenced by an eclectic range of artistic and design movements, from the more traditional to the avant garde,” said Barker.

“It was a key aspect of the hedonism that emerged in Europe and the United States in the aftermath of the devastation caused by world war one, and it embraced the new dynamism of technology.”

Art deco came about in a time still deeply divided by imperialism, and the movement was also intertwined with the Orientalist framework of the era. Designers often appropriated and copied motifs from across Africa, Asia and Mesoamerica in their work.

Ancient Egypt was a particular fascination, following on from the uncovering of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.

Art deco is often referred to as a “total style”, meaning that it crossed many disciplines, influencing not only architecture and interiors, but also furniture, industrial design, transport, fashion, graphics and art.

“Art deco took many forms and because it was never based on any written theory, it can be hard to pin down,” explained Barker.

“But there are some common elements we can point to.”

One such element was the use of streamlined lines and forms.

“Inspired by the speedy aerodynamics of the machine age, designers began incorporating smooth symmetrical curves and lines into their work, taking notes from ocean liners, trains and sports cars,” said Barker.

Another key feature of art deco design was its verticality.

“No building type is as synonymous with a design movement as the skyscraper is with art deco,” said Barker.

“Particularly in cities like New York, skyscrapers such as the Chrysler, Radiator and Empire State building sprung up as symbols of the city’s newfound commercialism and sophistication.”

Art deco was also notable for its use of ornamentation, particularly in the use of bold geometric patterns, such as chevrons, zig zags and sunbursts. Stylised motifs of the natural world can also often be seen.

Luxury was also a defining feature of the movement, with rich materials and colours often used. The use of materials like ebony and precious metals reflected not just the post-war desire for comfort and opulence, but also the colonial power structures of the time.

Art deco’s reign was ultimately short-lived, with the Wall Street crash in 1929 bringing in a new era of austerity, further compounded by the looming threat of the second world war at the end of the 1930s.

“The exuberance of art deco was replaced by a more functional, restrained modernist style that dominated architecture and design for decades and remains more influential in 2025,” explained Barker.

However, art deco didn’t vanish completely. In the 1960s and 70s, the style was rediscovered, and its influence could be seen across fashion and interiors – such as in the opulent Kensington store of the cult brand BIBA in London.

Postmodern designers in the 1980s and 90s also took notes from art deco’s stylised geometric forms. Aspects of the style can be spotted in the work of the Ettore Sottass-founded Memphis Group, or in John Outram’s Sphinx Hill House, which was completed in 1999.

One hundred years after the 1925 Paris exposition, art deco still continues to captivate, with a lasting legacy on modern design.

This video is the second in an ongoing series by Dezeen exploring design history – in the previous instalment deputy editor Cajsa Carlson took a look at the five most iconic mid-century modern chair designs.

Find out more about art deco through the rest of the Art Deco Centenary series on Dezeen.

Art Deco Centenary

This article is part of Dezeen’s Art Deco Centenary series, which explores art deco architecture and design 100 years on from the “arts décoratifs” exposition in Paris that later gave the style its name.