100 Years of Art Deco: Looking Back on a Century of Elegance

Celebrating 100 years of Art Deco means revisiting a major artistic movement that profoundly shaped the history of decorative arts, architecture, and interior design. Born in the 1920s, this style embodies a modern, elegant vision firmly focused on the future.

Even today, Art Deco continues to inspire designers, interior decorators, and lovers of refined interiors. Through our collections, we carry on this legacy by reissuing iconic models from our archives and adapting them to contemporary interiors.

1925: The Birth of an Iconic Style

The year 1925 marked a decisive turning point in the history of art with the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. This major event gave the Art Deco movement its name and laid the foundations for a new aesthetic.

Throughout the city of Paris, pavilions, workshops, and exhibition houses showcased a distinctly modern vision of decoration. The artists and decorators of the time, influenced by industrial progress and international exchange, created a style that was both luxurious and structured.

This exhibition became a cultural and artistic landmark, still studied today in museums, libraries, and through immersive guided tours.

Art Nouveau vs. Art Deco: What Are the Differences?

Often confused, Art Nouveau and Art Deco are in fact clearly distinct styles.

Art Nouveau favors organic forms inspired by nature: flowing lines, floral motifs, and arabesques. It conveys a fluid, almost plant-like movement.

In contrast, Art Deco embraces a more geometric and structured aesthetic:

• Straight and symmetrical lines
• Modern geometric patterns
• Industrial and architectural influences

Where Art Nouveau celebrates nature, Art Deco embodies modernity, speed, and innovation.

The Hallmarks of Art Deco Style: Patterns, Lines, and Materials

Art Deco style is instantly recognizable through its bold patterns and luxurious materials. It combines refinement and audacity within a unique aesthetic.

Iconic Patterns

Art Deco patterns play with shapes and rhythm :

• Geometric and repetitive motifs
• Symmetrical compositions
• Stylized natural inspirations

The Katea model, created in collaboration with Maison Jean-Vier, is a perfect example. Its interwoven lines evoke the craftsmanship of a goldsmith, like a precious jewel. It reflects the full elegance of the Art Deco style, particularly emblematic of the French Basque Coast.

Other creations, such as Cyprins, designed in 1925 by E. A. Séguy, illustrate a more dreamlike universe. Fish and seaweed intertwine in flowing lines, offering a poetic interpretation of the movement

Colors and Materials

Art Deco is also distinguished by its use of noble materials and rich, intense colors :

• Gold, black, ivory, deep blue, and emerald green
• Materials such as silk, shagreen, and lacquered finishes

In wallpaper design, these effects are expressed through plays on texture and contrast.

The Frondaisons model, inspired by the 1930s, features a spectacular botanical décor where light and shadow interact beautifully, enhanced by touches of color. It brings depth and elegance to any wall.

How to Recognize Art Deco in Architecture and Interior Design

In architecture, Art Deco is characterized by :

• Symmetrical façades
• Structured volumes
• Stylized ornamentation

In a home or office, these hallmarks can be seen through :

• Furniture with clean, streamlined lines
• Geometric patterns
• Strong contrasts

In interior decoration, wallpaper plays a central role. It allows walls to be enhanced with bold motifs while also structuring the space.

Le Chant des Oiseaux, printed as early as 1925, perfectly illustrates this approach. Delicate foliage and colorful birds create a lively scene, typical of the works of E. A. Séguy.

Art Deco Today : A Style That Remains Contemporary

One hundred years after its creation, Art Deco remains a major source of inspiration for modern interiors.

Why has this style stood the test of time ?

• It combines elegance and modernity
• It adapts easily to contemporary interiors
• It allows for unique and personalized decorative settings

Matin, created in 1925 and reissued for the centenary, is a perfect example. Its delicately slanted vegetation forms a pattern that is both simple and strikingly modern.

Today, these motifs can be integrated into minimalist spaces to create elegant contrast, or into more classic interiors to enhance their character.

Art Deco Wallpaper : A Revisited Heritage

Wallpaper is one of the most iconic mediums of the Art Deco movement. It makes it possible to translate the full richness of the style directly onto walls.

At Isidore Leroy, we reissue designs from our archives and heritage collections, in collaboration with institutions such as the Bibliothèque Forney in Paris.

Our collection dedicated to the 100 years of Art Deco offers exclusive designs, faithful to the original works while adapted to contemporary uses.

These wallpapers can be used :

• As full-wall coverings for an immersive effect
• As decorative panels to structure a room
• In bedrooms, living rooms, or reception areas

They make it possible to create a setting that is both historically rooted and distinctly contemporary.

FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Art Deco

Why is 1925 considered the official birth year of Art Deco?

The year 1925 corresponds to the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. This event defined the movement’s codes and gave it its name. It marks the official beginning of Art Deco on the international stage.

What are the characteristic patterns and materials of Art Deco style?

Art Deco patterns are mainly geometric, symmetrical, and stylized. They also include reinterpreted natural inspirations. Iconic materials include precious wood, metal, glass, silk, and shagreen, combined with rich colors such as black, gold, and deep blue.

How can you recognize Art Deco style in interior design ?

Art Deco style is identified by its structured lines, repetitive patterns, and elegant aesthetic. In interior design, it appears through furniture, decorative objects, and wallpaper, which plays a key role in enhancing walls.

What defines an Art Deco wallpaper ?

An Art Deco wallpaper features geometric patterns, structured lines, or stylized compositions inspired by the 1920s–1930s. Designs such as Katea, Matin, Cyprins, or Le Chant des Oiseaux perfectly embody this spirit, combining artistic heritage with modernity.