Art Deco Interiors

These 48 color plates are paintings by architects from the early 1930s in France. They represent drawings for clients mostly in the ile-de-france, but also the south. They express the joy of Art Deco, which is far brighter and cleaner than the cluttered and overstuffed Victorian/Beaux Arts era. The introduction explains it as forward looking, as opposed to jamming apartments with antiques. You can only do that so long, and Art Deco was the whipsaw reaction: minimalism as relief. The lines are clean and squared. The organics left over from Art Nouveau add a balance of grace. No gathered brocade drapes here.What you will see is architects attempting to make tiny Parisian apartments feel large. They take advantage of the naturally high ceilings of beaux arts buildings, and reinforce that with extra low furniture and furnishings. It has the exaggerated look of Frank Lloyd Wright interiors, except his furnishings were so low because his ceilings were so low.Thanks to Dover for once again finding and rehabilitating a gem from the past.David Wineberg

Art Deco today is a term applied to styles that are not representative of the actual era and movement. This book is a quality reprint of a book first published in 1925. It is a collection of hand drawn treatments of interior designs by decorators and architects prominent in the Art Deco movement in France. The value of this book is it shows simplicity of line, solid colors, and minimal decoration were main points of Art Deco; intents that are missing from some designs today which imply they are of the genre.

Was hoping for photographs of actual rooms or furniture, not artists renderings of different places throughout Paris. The plates are nice and detailed but not sure 96 color drawings are worth the price.

Interesting book

One really has to appreciate these wonderful reprints of then-contemporary works. In this case, a collection of full page, full color illustrations/designs of interiors from the art deco/moderne period, assembled at the time in 1935. Owing more to Le Corbusier and the more austere European aesthetic than the glamour of Miami or NYC, the heart here is of clean forms of modern materials. As the preface states, the desire is to get away from living in an antique store of oak furniture and clutter; instead, the goal is simplicity through modern materials like glass and steel.The book contains 48 residential rooms covering most areas of a home: from bathroom to sitting room, living room to storage. Of note, kitchens are oddly missing from this collection but you'll find other interesting 'interiors' such as terraces. A recurring theme in nearly all the plates is that the walls are not for hanging so much as part of the living space; furniture is nearly always built in and a part of the house structure. Beds, desks, couches, even dining room tables are almost always attached to or built into a wall so as to be inseparable if one moves homes. Few items of furniture are free standing and closets are envisioned as part of a wall block and not a separate room.Since the illustrations are contemporary to the period, they are an authentic account of the period's architecture and design styles. Clean lines, few pictures, typically wall-to-wall rugs with geometric designs and patterns. Especially striking are the childrens' rooms with built in beds and desks that look clean and admittedly very sterile.The book contains a simple one page publisher's note and then another one page note from the original compiler, Delacroix. Plates are full page with only a simple title (room type, owner). Most are sketches of final room appearances but some plans are also included for several areas. Because they are sketches of how a room will be completed, we get a really nice picture of how pieces are put together - from furniture to color schemes, custom carpets to accents. The cover image is very indicative of what you will find inside.In all, the 48 sketches are nicely presented and this is a great resource for the moderne (more than art deco, to be honest) movement. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Title: Art Deco InteriorsAuthor: Henry DelacroixPublisher: Dover PublicationsPublished: 1-18-2017Pages: 112Genre: Art & PhotographySub-Genre: Home & GardensISBN: 9780486811215ASIN: B01N9LWTV6Reviewed For NetGalley and Dover PublicationsReviewer: DelAnneRating: 4.5 StarsFirst published in Paris as Decoration Moderne dans l'Interieur, this rare 1935 portfolio of full-color plates reflects the influence of Art Deco modernism on architects and interior designers. Designs for every space include living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, offices, terraces, artists' studios, and other settings. Equally eye-catching are the lighting, chairs, tables, beds, bookcases, desks, accessories, and other furniture along with floor and wall treatments and additional elements of modernist interior design.Captions identify the creator of every design, and the book includes a translation of the original Introduction and a new Publisher's Note. This splendid collection of authentic, hard-to-find designs will provide a treasury of inspiration for architects, interior designers, and designers of furniture and accessories as well as collectors of authentic Art Deco material and students of design, architectural history, and popular culture.The 35 colored plates are different art deco designs from the 1930's. With little of deviations these are still popular today. With clean lines and colors the designs are still used to portray open concept. Perfect for the minimalist desired by so many.Great for those with small living areas wanting to make them appear larger. Even though I lean toward the colonial and country styles I do appreciate the Art Deco scene.My rating of "Art Deco Interiors" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Rich source of colour references and ideas. Very good illustrations and view of the period. Happy to have added this to my libraray.