Everything You Need to Know About the Art Deco Glamour Trend

It feels like every season brings about a new trend. From the minimalistic, bare-bones approach, to all the luxury and frills, home design trends are always shifting.

One of the newer trends on the scene is the art deco glamour trend—different than traditional art deco, and a little more on the fancy side—and it’s all the rage right now. Here’s what design experts have to say about what it is, why people love it, and how long they think it’ll stick around.

What Is Art Deco Glamour?

“Art Deco, short for Arts Décoratifs, is characterized by rich colors, bold geometry, and decadent detail work,” shares Lionel Scharly, the Strategic Construction Advisor at Real Estate Bees. “It’s the beginning of contemporary design.”  

Contemporary design is characterized by boldness in color and shape, notable architectural elements, and striking decor pieces that somehow bring together all aspects of a home. These design principles date back to earlier trends (the origins of ‘deco’), but with a more modern flare.

“The Art Deco Glamour Trend is all about glamourizing your home with aesthetic details; it’s an era of simple modern designs,” shares Zac Houghton, CEO at Loftera. “Expect mid-century inspired furniture and accessories, with accessories that are raised to the next level of art deco styling.” 

So, what exactly does this mean? This style pulls from deco elements that were popular during the 1920s to 1940s—think Great Gatsby era and the proverbial ‘golden age’ of Hollywood—with a ‘today’ twist. If your home adopts this style, it will look, feel, and exude glamour—paintings, fancy decor, and an overall captivating aesthetic—while still offering you the opportunity to showcase your own style.   

“A bit of mystery, nostalgia, effortless chic, and boldness are apparent in this trend,” shares Houghton. So, in essence, it’s glam with a touch of nostalgia that brings you back to the early 20^th century.

“The deco style started after WW1 and ended around the 1940s,” shares Amy Hillary, expert Content Creator at Wall Sauce. “It was a new and exciting style that represented change and the atmosphere of the time: speed, progress, optimism, and confidence.”  

And this is unmistakable in the main design elements. Characterized by wild patterns, geometric shapes, linear elements, and of course, bold colors (blacks, golds, emerald greens, and navy blues), the deco trend celebrates the charisma and strength of the times.

How Has Art Deco Glamour Grown in Popularity?

“We’re seeing more dramatic color palettes, including highly-saturated earth tones and smokey hues that evoke a similar sense of drama and emotion as high Art Deco spaces,” shares Alessandra Wood, the VP of Style at Modsy.

“We’re also seeing a revival of some of the geometric, architectural patterns, especially in lighting fixtures. [And] an investment in gorgeous materials such as burl, marble, and other natural stones that offer dramatic and luxurious details to any space."

It's also becoming a popular choice for hotel room design and decor, as it gives off a luxury feel that hotel guests enjoy. As far as the rise in popularity, Nichole Abbott, designer for FLOOR360, believes people are connecting more with vintage styles.  

“Generation X would have a strong connection to the style and have a desire to bring it back to give nostalgic meaning to their home design,” Abbott shares. “Art Deco design also speaks to those who are decorating in the maximalist style—the ‘more is more’ approach. They would be attracted to the shiny materials of black onyx, use of mirrors, chrome, brass furniture, and light fixtures."

How Can You Make Your Home Art Deco Glam?

Adopting a new trend is always a feat—redesigning, painting, and even fully renovating spaces can feel like a lot—but sometimes trends can be implemented with a few intentional shifts (rather than a total reshaping). 

Richard Petrie, home expert at Thomas Sanderson, suggests bringing in rich colors, shiny surfaces, and eye-catching furniture into rooms to create all the glitz and glam of the trend.  

“[You can also] use large art deco-style mirrors that take up a large proportion of the wall to add style and more light into your room,” he shares, “For smaller accessories like vases and frames, include hints of gold to ooze elegance.” 

Art deco glamour is all about honoring the past, celebrating the present, and making subtle-yet-powerful shifts to add a touch of glam to your home.