They all start with “art,” but each of these styles has its own distinct look. Let’s look at the differences between art deco, art nouveau.

Art Deco

Becoming popular in the 1920s, the art deco style celebrated the changes happening in the modern world — the excitement of jazz music, electricity, the radio, skyscrapers and cubist art. Zigzags and sharp angles dominated the style in the 1920s. Mirrors and black lacquered finishes were popular too, as well as glass and highly polished metals. Think The Great Gatsby. By the 1930s art deco style began taking on a softer look, with curved lines (as in the chair shown above) taking the place of sharp angles. Stepped forms reminiscent of architecture — notably the Chrysler Building, built in New York in 1930 — became popular.

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Art Nouveau

Working our way backward in time to the late 19th century, art nouveau was the style of the day, although it wasn’t called that at the time. Art nouveau is immediately distinguishable from art deco, thanks to the “whiplash” curves and ornate, nature-inspired designs featuring insect wings, flowers, feathers, and vines. Art nouveau was heavily influenced by the fine arts and included stained glass, painting, bas relief, and finely crafted wood and metal, both in architecture and interior design. I like to think of art nouveau as Lord of the Rings-style (even though the books came much later), because the fine craftsmanship and natural forms remind me of what the elves in Rivendell would make.

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