Art Nouveau style: Restyling Your House

Art Nouveau style is around one hundred years old and has origins in Paris.  It is famous because it was the first style to stop looking backwards to history for ideas.  Inspiration came from the natural world around us - and of course - the feminine form. The style caused outrage from those who loved it and those who hated it in the 1960s, after it made a real comeback. However, today, Art Nouveau is a very popular choice with homeowners.

About Art Nouveau style:

Art Nouveau is a style that is all about the natural elements; curves, winding lines, and, of course, the feminine body, on which it was based. When you see this style of an Art Nouveau home, its elegance becomes clear -- from the design of the furniture to the floor and to the front door.   The Art Nouveau style is both timeless and elegant.

Restyling Your Home the Art Nouveau Way:

Are you looking to change up the style of your home? While you can’t do so much to rebuild what it looks like on the outside, the possibilities are truly endless when it comes to the inside of the home. Flooring Flooring is often planked wood or parquet and is stained or varnished. An oriental or exotic rug finishes the flooring off. Colour on the walls is often light or muted, including sage, violet, salmon and robin’s egg blue, with a focus on textures and patterns in the other aspects of the decor. The wallpaper designs feature eye-catching portrayals of flowers, water lilies, and poppies as well as feathers, birds and other stylised nature symbols that are then reflected in the upholstery design. Stained glass panels are extremely popular in this style and have and can be placed in mirrors, walls as windows, and even some furniture. Lighting For lighting, you must have a Tiffany style. While an original might be out of your price range, there are many lamps that replicate that design. Fireplaces should have cast iron and be tiled while door handles should be beaten metal; the same goes for lighting fixtures. Front Door and Stained Glass Adding a traditional style door with Art Nouveau glazing is a simple way to incorporate the era.  This is a very practical choice in the remodel too; a new front door will add kerb appeal to your property. Our own Art Nouveau door (see right) is a fantastic choice for two reasons. 1) The door looks stunning with its charming stained glass, based on an authentic Art Nouveau design from the period and handcrafted by a Nottingham based glazier 2) Made from heavy duty timber, reinforced with a steel inlay and fitted with a diamond standard snap proof cylinder lock, our Art Nouveau door is highly secure. Furniture Typical Art Nouveau style furniture includes high-backed chairs and upholstered furniture with floral fabric. Other materials within an Art Nouveau home include exotic woods, silver, semi-precious stones and iridescent glass. All of these can be included in various types of decor and accent pieces, including wall art and glass figures just to name a few.

Tips on Art Nouveau Style:

While the Internet is a great place for inspiration to see visual ideas for Art Nouveau, you just see and don’t experience the true effect of this style. So, if you are looking for true, pure inspiration, visiting a home or building styled in Art Nouveau is a very good idea. When choosing designs, be sure to think curvy, elongated, and exotic. Make it your own so that you feel comfortable and at home.