Art Nouveau interior – lightness and elegant simplicity

Recommendation points

• Main features and characteristics
• Children
• Bedroom
• Kitchen
• Hallway
• Bathroom
• Living room

What associations does the name of the modern style evoke? Of course, this is something ultramodern, original, unusual and bright. Yes, translated from French, moderne means precisely “modern”, but this style arose at the end of the 19th century, so that all of its contemporaries have long been in the past.

And modern is still very relevant and designers confidently call it the most popular style in interior design today..

What has attracted this unusual direction for more than a hundred years? What are the main characteristics of Art Nouveau and how to distinguish it from other interior design options? And how to create such a style in an ordinary city apartment?

Do you think this is a classic? Not at all – such bright colors can be seen only in Art Nouveau. From the same place, a mixture of different types of furniture, curved table legs and an asymmetrical shape of the room

Main features and characteristics

It should be said right away that if the Japanese style, country, high-tech and classics can be recognized at first glance, like the Mediterranean style, then it is rather difficult to determine that this particular room is decorated in the Art Nouveau style..

And this is not surprising, because modernity arose in the course of mixing different historical styles, as an alternative to the too magnificent baroque and the classics, which had already begun to lose their positions by the end of the 19th century. Modern is an extremely versatile style and gives tremendous scope for imagination and the embodiment of the most daring ideas of the designer.

In different countries, Art Nouveau has different names: in the United States – “Tiffany”, after the most famous designer who worked in this direction, LK Tiffany; “Jugendstil” or “Jugendstil”, that is, “youth style”, after the name of the magazine of the same name in Germany; “Secession style” in Austria; “Modern style” – “modern style” – in England; and an unexpected name – “spruce style” in Switzerland.

However, the most popular second name for Art Nouveau in interior and architecture is “Art Nouveau”, that is, “new art”, which appeared in France.

Modern was renamed to “fir style” or style sapin in Switzerland, I think, precisely because of the abundance of conifers in this country, the use of pine and spruce wood in the manufacture of furniture and the frequent use of the image of cones or needles in patterns and decorations.

Usually, modernity is opposed precisely to the classics, because it appeared as an alternative to this that does not go out of fashion, but still sometimes annoying with its severity and straightforward style..

Curved lines, free planning, unexpected lines on the ceiling or walls that do not carry any functional load are one of the main characteristics of Art Nouveau

The following main distinguishing features and characteristics of modernity can be distinguished:

• if the classics are straight lines, clear forms, slender columns, then modern – winding lines smoothly flowing into each other pieces of furniture and rounded corners. In an Art Nouveau house, there are often corridors with smoothly turning walls, semicircular or asymmetrical rooms, and so on. It was this smoothness of forms, a departure from straight lines, rectangular or square rooms, the plasticity of furniture that became the first distinctive feature of this style;
• in contrast to the country, Mediterranean style and all the same classics, modern is not bad “friends” with technology. A home theater system, an ultra-modern speaker system, and all household appliances in the kitchen perfectly fit into this style. In this respect, Art Nouveau has something in common with hi-tech, but “high technologies” elevate devices and equipment to the status of the main subject of design, and Art Nouveau simply harmoniously blends modern details into the interior;
• the modern color scheme is so diverse that it is difficult to single out the main palette. And yet Art Nouveau prefers red, gray, brown tones. His favorite colors are ash pink, tea rose, smoky, slightly muted red. In Art Nouveau, it is not uncommon to intersperse two or three bright color accents, for example, a bright purple or lilac armchair against a beige wall or scarlet pillows on a completely boring gray sofa;
• plant motifs are inherent in Art Nouveau or Art Nouveau – wallpaper with a pattern in the form of plant stems, images of flowers and buds are found almost everywhere here. If you see an ordinary chair, decorated in the form of a half-open bud, this is modern, even if the rest of the room looks quite ordinary. Often leaves, birds, beetles or butterflies are also depicted on wallpaper or upholstered furniture;
• the decor in modern style is given special attention. Stucco molding on the ceiling, which can now be replaced with structures made of plasterboard, plastic or polymer materials, stained-glass windows in the interior door, an abundance of textiles, ceramic tiles, bronze figurines, porcelain dishes – all this can serve as a decoration for a room in the Art Nouveau style;
• Art Nouveau furniture is distinguished by unusually curved legs, straight lines are still prohibited, therefore cabinets and kitchen sets usually have rounded corners and facades. Sofas are usually large enough, voluminous, lush, much attention is paid to upholstery, which must be combined with wallpaper and a pattern on the curtains.

This Art Nouveau living room can be called “orange mood”. Upholstered furniture has practically no right angles, and an asymmetrical table and paintings with abstract images of flowers complement the interior

The credo of modernity is to create beauty around oneself, an interior that will be convenient and comfortable, but at the same time by no means trivial and boring.

Art Nouveau is perfectly combined in the interior with both classics and high-tech, mixing objects that seem to be completely different in style and focus. It is in this variety that the most attractive feature of this design direction lies..

Children

There are rooms for the decoration of which modern is just perfect. And the nursery is one of them. Often parents do not even think about the style in which they decorated the room for their baby. They just choose furniture without sharp corners, with smooth lines and a bright floral pattern, use wallpaper with a bright, cheerful palette and, as a result, they may be surprised to find out that they have received an interior that has all the signs of the Art Nouveau style..

The main goal of decorating a nursery is to create an interior in which the child will be both safe and comfortable. Parents want the baby to be surrounded by bright colors and beautiful objects from the very childhood. And it is modern that gives a unique opportunity to experiment with design techniques, create both a modern and stylish interior..

Bedroom

The curved lines of Art Nouveau look especially interesting in bedroom sets. Combining the beautiful with the useful allows you to create an interior that will be very cozy and there will be a sufficiently large number of storage spaces.

The main thing when decorating a bedroom in the Art Nouveau style is to decide on the choice of furniture, which will become the main decoration of this room. The ceiling can be white, blue, or beige, but we must not forget about a luxurious, large enough chandelier.

Walls can be decorated with decorative plaster and wallpaper – in vertical stripes, with a floral pattern, or simply plain. Art Nouveau bedroom flooring can be almost anything – from regular laminate to lush carpet. But the curtains are necessarily designer, unusual, possibly multi-layered.

By the way, in the bedroom, stained-glass windows typical of Art Nouveau can decorate not only a wooden door, but also a window. Such lighting will create a special, mysterious and intimate atmosphere in the room..

At first glance, it is rather difficult to determine which style this cozy bedroom belongs to. But it is worth taking a closer look at the bright red pillows, chairs of completely different styles, a round table, floral patterns on the wallpaper and curved legs of the bedside tables, it becomes clear that modernity plays a dominant role here

Kitchen

The Art Nouveau kitchen is characterized by unusual colors and the use of original fittings, which become an element of decor.

The Art Nouveau kitchen combines practicality and elegance, retro-style details and the latest appliances.

If only traditional materials are used in the decoration of a kitchen in a classic style, then Art Nouveau allows you to turn to the latest achievements of modern technologies. Facades do not have to be wooden at all – in such a kitchen there is a lot of gloss, shiny details, metal parts do not need to be hidden, as in the case of a country-style kitchen.

This design of the kitchen has already become a real trend. The “L” shaped kitchen allows you to place everything you need and does not take up too much space. Its smooth lines and rounded ends are the most striking feature of modernity. In addition, this style allows you to paint the walls in a muted pink color that is unusual for a kitchen, make the facades yellow-green and experiment with lighting.

The bright red color, more traditional for Art Nouveau, makes this kitchen very noticeable and original. The smoothly protruding part of the headset, where the sink and the stove are located, are also from Art Nouveau, but the ultra-modern hood in the form of a metal pipe was clearly borrowed from high-tech

Yes, this is, of course, not a kitchen, but a cafe. But who prevents you from installing such soft chairs and a round table in a small kitchen, arranging a modern corner in your apartment? Agree, such bright furniture can radically change the interior. The only caveat is that most likely you will have to repaint the facades of the cabinets.

Hallway

Of course, it is difficult to experiment with the interior in this small room. Nevertheless, some of the techniques proposed by the modernist style can be applied here..

For example, add bright colors, choose wallpaper with vertical smooth lines to decorate the walls, which can make the room higher, hang a large mirror, an unusual lamp, and so on..

In fact, it is not so difficult to make the hallway brighter and more dynamic, all the more so Art Nouveau puts practically no restrictions on the choice of finishes and colors..

Bathroom

As mentioned above, Art Nouveau combines the latest technology with traditional techniques, antique furniture and bright decorative elements. And it is in the bathroom that this feature is especially necessary, allowing you to combine ultra-modern plumbing with a retro tap, a Jacuzzi bath with a huge range of functions – with an artificially aged chest of drawers.

For all its eccentricity, modern is a very elegant style and does not tolerate unnecessary details and excessive pretentiousness. It is this feature that makes it an ideal solution for small bathrooms, allowing only with the help of bright tiles or mosaics to create an original interior in which both a modern shower cabin and cute embroidery on a towel will look harmonious..

A perfect example of combining different bright colors. Intense blue harmoniously coexists with no less juicy red. Even in a small bathroom, such a combination will look interesting and immediately attract attention, what can we say about such a luxurious bathroom.!

Living room

It is in the living room in the Art Nouveau style that you can see the most unusual furniture, rich stucco, the most magnificent and extravagant chandelier and a combination of all kinds of shades. Pastel walls can emphasize the riot of colors on the upholstery of the sofa, abstract paintings will give the room even more originality, and bronze, ceramics and mosaic panels will become a highlight of the interior.

And yet you should not get carried away and try to create an interior similar to the illustration for the book “Alice in Wonderland”. Remember that modern, although it combines objects from different eras and styles, implies some conciseness and elegance.

Art Nouveau prefers leather sofas, transforming tables that can serve as both dining and work areas, and asymmetrical furniture. And in this style, any material can be changed beyond recognition and take any shape. Wooden-looking, smoothly curved legs of the chair can actually be made not of wood at all, metal turns into gold, and ordinary glass turns into noble crystal.

To decorate this living room, Art Nouveau borrowed rich floral patterns on the wallpaper of the traditional gray color, plant patterns on the pillows and the rich color of the sofa itself. Even in a tiny room, such a combination of shades and patterns will look very stylish.

It is interesting that immediately after its appearance, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Art Nouveau was considered the height of bad taste and even bad taste. Literally only a few decided to decorate interiors in this style, personalities are bright, extravagant, who want to stand out from the crowd. Now Art Nouveau also has many critics and loyal followers, but such a bright and noticeable style does not leave anyone indifferent..