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How To Decorate In The Art Nouveau Style
People often get the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles muddled up. I did it myself when I was a student. The first thing to do is understand the patterns, colours and designs of each era. This article on Art Nouveau will detail the patterns, motifs, colours and influences of this era. A concise outline of the Art Nouveau movement will give you some knowledge to help you make informed decisions.
The Art Nouveau movement lasted for about thirty years until 1910. This was a style were natural forms were used for inspiration and used in an original way. The most popular Art Nouveau motif was peacock feathers. The hallmark of the style are the curved undulating lines known as whiplash lines, plant like forms and highly stylised curvilinear designs. The style is often described as sinuous, rhythmical and dream like.
Motifs and Patterns
- Floral motifs (often abstracted)
- Delicate female forms
- Peacocks
- Insect wings
- Bird feathers
- Shells
- Vines
- Flowers, (Poppy, wisteria, water lilies, Japanese lotus….)
- S curves
- Whiplash lines
Colours were muted and delicate. Natural vegetable dyes were used in wallpaper, chintzes and other materials. Art Nouveau is considered by many as primary a decorative style. The influence of Japanese print is also evident in the designs.
Colours
- Pastels
- White
- Off white
- Olive
- Mustard
- Sage
- Brown
- Lilac
- Gold
- Peacock blue
Wallpaper patterns
- Stylised long stemmed poppies and lilies
- Lancet shaped leaves
- Slender blooms
Stencils were also used. The Stencil Library at stencil-library.com