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Art Deco in Hollywood: Three celebrity homes to get lost in 0

Hollywood's love affair with Art Deco is one that goes back to the early days of both art forms. The first movie filmed in Hollywood was filmed in 1910 and by the time the cinema had picked up in popularity, Art Deco was making its first overtures in France and quickly spreading to the USA. The relationship goes so deep that many of the buildings in Hollywood and surrounding Los Angeles are Art Deco style.

Thanks to movies, it is easier to find Art Deco originals and knock-offs. Even Hollywood's most well-known symbol, Oscar, is designed in Art Deco style. It's no surprise then, that many celebrities choose to build and decorate their homes in Art Deco style. This week, we take a peek inside three of these homes that the Art Deco lover could happily get lost in.

Jennifer Aniston: Beverly Hills

When Jennifer Aniston bought a Harold W Levitt house in Beverly Hills, she decided to transform it into an opulent Art Deco palace in which she could comfortably entertain guests in style and privacy. Designer Stephen Shadley was tasked with bringing Jennifer's vision to life and, after virtually rebuilding the house, it was finally revealed in all its glory.

Source: Architectural Digest

Our favourite? The games room, perfectly set up for entertaining and with its stunning view over LA, it's the stuff of Hollywood fantasy.

To spruce up your entertainment area, what about a beautiful buffet?

Jeremy Renner: Holmby Hills

Everyone's favorite hawk-eyed Avenger, Jeremy Renner, has a fun and interesting sideline – buying, renovating and flipping houses, including a stunning mansion in Holmby Hills that he and his business partner, Kristoffer Winters, sold off in 2013.

Priced at just shy of $25 million, they described the home as a "Roaring 20s Art Deco-style home fit for a 21st century Howard Hughes" – and when you take a look inside, you'll agree. It certainly is a home we could comfortably become recluses in.

Source: Business Insider

Our favourite? Definitely the gents' walk-in closet with its own barber chair and station. Nothing quite encourages enjoying one's home more than being able to get your shave and haircut without leaving the house.

Recline in luxury and celebrate your privacy with luxurious club chairs, fit for a king and queen of cool.

Mickey Drexler: Tribeca

Ok, he's not exactly Hollywood, but the incredible Art Deco stylings of J Crew's CEO's New York home are too good to skip on a technicality.

Drexler went straight to the source for the full-scale rebuild and design of his home – French architect and designer Thierry Despont. Filled with French Art Deco inspiration, including the Maison de Verre in Paris, this five-bedroom former factory is an Art Deco paradise.

Source: Elle Decor

Our favorite? This bedroom. It is flawless Art Deco, from the step-and-repeat wallpaper, to the trimmed pillow covers, to the poster flanked by the symmetrically asymmetrical picture frames containing Art Deco images... this room is a masterpiece and we could happily spend days on end here.

Just because sleep is a necessity doesn't mean it can't also be a luxury. Cradle yourself in style with an Art Deco bed.

Art Deco How-to: 3 Tips for Lighting Up Your Space 0

We've said it before, and we'll say it again – clever use of lighting is one of the easiest ways to get started on your Art Deco journey. With a little know-how, you can transform your room's lighting from purely functional to gorgeously glowing in a few simple steps.

Here are three ways to introduce Art Deco lighting to your space.

1. Table Lamps

The beauty of a good Art Deco table lamp is that it not only serves to brighten up a darker corner of a room, but, if you've chosen carefully, it can be a lavish work of art that looks just as stunning in the daytime when the lights are off.

Whether you choose a powerful and evocative piece like this image of Diana the Huntress and her dog, or go for a dramatic geometric piece like this matching pair, your table lamps will cause quite a stir and create a beautiful focal point for your Art Deco adventures.

Top Tip: Place your lighting artwork on the "pedestal" it deserves by pairing it with a unique accent table.

2. Sconces

If you're looking for a bit more function out of your lighting but still want to transform your room into an Art Deco palace, you can't go wrong with a good set of wall sconces. They light up the entire room, without dominating it, but still add that classy décor touch.

If you're looking to make a bold statement, these incredible clear frosted glass sconces will definitely do the job. If you prefer something a little more subdued, but still unmistakably Art Deco, this set by French artist Degue might be more your speed.

Top Tip: Wall sconces incorporate various different geometric designs. While you don't have to match all geometric patterns in your décor, it helps to weave a theme throughout.

3. Chandeliers

If you're feeling adventurous and really want to make a statement with your Art Deco lighting, a chandelier is the way to go.

Ideal for larger rooms or high-ceilinged areas, the right Art Deco chandelier will bring all the opulence and decadence of the 1930s into your space and give you a fantastic focal piece to work around.

Chandelier by Verrerie des Hanots

For larger rooms with higher ceilings, choose something dramatic like this six-armed piece from Verrerie des Hanots.

If your space is smaller, or you have regular ceilings, don't despair! Choose a smaller, yet still stunning, piece like this Lalique "Soleil".

Top Tip: It pays to measure your room's height before shopping for chandeliers. No matter how beautiful and suited to your tastes it is, knocking your head against it will quickly become old – not to mention the chances of breaking the probably irreplaceable glass.

Lighting is a good entrée to any décor style, because it helps you work out which aspects of that style you prefer. With Art Deco, you'll find yourself choosing between bold and delicate, angular and rounded, geometric and step-and-repeat.

Choosing lighting is a great way to gain insight into your own preferences and it's a journey to be enjoyed, every step of the way!

4 Steps to Getting Don Draper's Apartment 0

Sadly, 2015 brought the final season of the highly acclaimed Mad Men to our screens and when it went, so did everyone's favorite alpha-male, Don Draper, as well as our favorite décor porn. From Sterling Cooper's offices to the diner, from hotel rooms and family homes to Draper's luscious apartment, we spent half our time scrutinizing the sets!

It was one of the most popular shows of the last few years and we're sure we're not the only ones who are going to miss it. But, with a little effort and know-how, you can invite a little of the Mad Men magic into your home with these four ways to recreate the look of Don Draper's apartment.

One thing to note about Don Draper's apartment is that, although it was chock-full of Mid-century Modern eye-candy, it was also very spacious, with plenty of room to move around in.

While it could be tempting to go out and buy everything you see that looks like it could work, don't overcrowd the room – that will spoil the effect much faster than picking a table lamp from the 70s.

Mid-century décor prized multi-functionality and making the most out of smaller spaces, so unless your living room is big enough to host a party for forty people, stick to a few authentic pieces that create a feel, rather than going for an exact replica.

1. Pick a Room

Unless you're planning to recreate the apartment completely, it's best to focus on one room, so that you get a coherent look and overall effect, rather than just an item here or there.

For our purposes, we're going to focus on the living room and for two reasons: firstly, it's the room your guests are most likely to see, allowing you to show off your Mid-century Modern savoir faire, and secondly, it's the room you're most likely to spend the most time awake in, allowing you to enjoy your new look.

This allowed for a classic Mid-century Modern look to be built around these pieces, letting them be something great to relax on while enjoying the surroundings, rather than being the artistic focus of the room.

2. Large furniture

Large pieces of furniture are going to dominate the room, so choose carefully. One consistent factor of Don Draper's apartment décor was that his sofas were uniform in color, had sleek, clean lines and weren't overly decorative, while being clearly comfortable.

Medium tones of neutral colors, uniform fabric and just a few scatter cushions in various colors to break the lines up. Rather than get a matching set of sofas, consider one good sofa upholstered in fabric and a pair of leather-upholstered single-seat chairs to round out your seating needs.

3. Functional furniture

As we said before, overcrowding is a no-no, but you still need somewhere to put your scotch. A strong coffee table that screams Mid-century Modern will go a long way to cementing your look.

Metal and glass were the order of the day and shaking up lines by using a variety of geometric shapes keeps things interesting, so consider a classic round coffee table balanced out with square end tables, or vice versa.

4. Lighten up

Mid-twentieth century homemakers prized well-lit homes over dingy, dark rooms. This was the Atomic Age, after all, where modern advances in technology were sought after, pursued, as part of the American Dream.

Lighting is also a great way to add an artistic touch to your look. If we look at Draper's apartment, we'll notice that the majority of the illumination comes from downlights, while table lamps and a single accent swag light add to a rounded look.

Depending on the space you have available, a matching pair of table lamps in clean lines and a single highly decorative chandelier, or alternatively a pair of wall sconces can help channel the style of the period.

Done Draper's apartment relied more on space and clean lines than on overt decoration to make its statement, and the art was absolutely minimal, with just a few tasteful, cleanly-framed pictures on the wall, clean, undecorated carpeting and sedate, although well-patterned, curtains serving as finishing touches.

When rounding out your look, remember that simpler is better, and clean lines rule. If you have any doubts, read our article Mid-century Modern Décor for Beginners for inspiration and a brief history of this lasting staple of American décor.

Mid-century Modern Décor for Beginners 0

It isn't hard for the décor initiate to mistake Mid-century Modern décor and design for Art Deco; after all, the two share so many similarities – the cleanness of line, the importance of functionality, their modernist outlook and focus on the future, and the fact that the two styles so neatly bracketed World War 2. Nonetheless, Mid-century Modern is very definitely its own style and we'd like to introduce you to it.

Influences on Mid-century Modern Décor and its Development

Following the international devastation of the second worldwide war in less than half a century, the world was ready for a modern outlook, a focus on the future, a strong and positive influence on design. With the International Style and Bauhaus movements gaining a whole lot of traction at the time, North American designers took these functional styles and made them their own. You can see strong influences of both International and Bauhaus style in Mid-century Modern, as well as strong echoes of Art Deco.

With the Baby Boom in full swing and a massive focus on post-war growth and development, designers were under pressure to produce massive quantities of brand-new, modern-looking furniture and decor. The old and antique was out, the new, fresh and modern was in. The nuclear family with its working father, home-maker mother and perfectly turned-out children was the ideal to strive for. Keeping up with the Joneses meant showing off the best in up-to-date technological advances and ultra-modern home design.

At the same time, the era was that of the young family – a multitude of returning soldiers and their eager young wives pursuing the American Dream full-steam ahead and on a limited budget. This meant that multifunctionality was a prized aspect of furnishings; one didn't buy a dining-table, a kitchen table and a working table – no, you bought one multipurpose table that did all three jobs without taking up too much room in your unit of the burgeoning tract-house market

Recognizing Mid-century Décor

While Art Deco conjures a sensation of opulence and early twentieth century largesse, Mid-century Modern puts you smack in the middle of the 1950s aspirations for a brighter tomorrow. Probably the best word to describe Mid-century Modern is "curvilinear". It's a style dominated by circles and spheres, where every square, rectangle and triangle is softened, the edges curved and turned into flowing, often repeating, geometric patterns.

Where Art Deco cut down on the frou-frou of Art Nouveau, Mid-century Modern eliminated it, allowing the shape of the object to dominate its design, rather than any extraneous decorative elements. Fringes, flounces, studs, piping all disappeared from furnishings; tables and chairs had clean lines and angles, softened only by the curving of their corners.

Decorative patterns did, however, appear – mainly on such simple, unalterable elements as carpets and accent cushions. While Art Deco adored symmetrical step-and-repeat patterns, Mid-century Modern loved asymmetry, gleefully mixing different geometric patterns.

Buildings themselves lost their simple rectangularity, developing smoothed-out, round-cornered façades. Simple, clean and ultra-modern looks date these buildings today as not only unique and instantly recognizable, but as firmly entrenched as part of Mid-century Modern's history.

Mid-century Décor in Today’s World

The popularity of Mid-century Modern waned somewhat in the 1960s and 1970s, although its influences could still be seen in the fluid, organic designs that permeated these two decades. It regained nostalgic popularity in the 1980s and since then, elements can be found everywhere. The style has evolved, though. No longer content to live as mass-produced, functional elements, the style is now the province of talented designers who create marvelous retro-chic works based on the core design features.

People entranced by movies like 2009's A Single Man, or television series like the wildly popular Mad Men have ensured the survival – or even, dare we say, rebirth – or Mid-century Modern design in the home. Functional though it may be, it has a glamour associated with it that many enjoy, not only for its style alone, but for its accessibility. It is entirely possible to outfit your entire home in retro-chic or even with genuine 1950s pieces, without bankrupting yourself. Because of its coherence as a design form, one can easily mix a $2,000 one-of-a-kind sofa with a sixty-year-old hand-me-down coffee table that once dominated your grandmother's living room and still maintain integrity of style.

In our next edition, we will look at how you can introduce some elements of Mid-century Modern décor and design into your home. Until then, take some inspiration by enjoying some classic 1950s movies – of course you can watch all of them; it's research!

3 Times Hollywood did Art Deco Right 0

Who doesn't love a good movie? The chance to get transported into another world with people whose lives are extraordinary, frightening, magical, inspirational, saddening or enlightening... it's an art form that has thoroughly dominated for more than a century, drawing in young and old, rich and poor alike to get swept away into the imagination of screen writers, directors and our favorite – set decorators.

We'll admit, sometimes the movies don't get it quite right, placing objects from the wrong era or style, but sometimes they get it really right too, creating such a perfect replica of an era that nothing stands in the way of us believing we are right there with the characters. We're taking a look at three times Hollywood did Art Deco right and the fantastic movies that resulted.

Bugsy Malone (1976)

There's nothing about this Alan Parker mid-seventies smash hit that we don't love – the daring casting of children in adult roles, the stark realities of gangster life so neatly juxtaposed with their innocence; the costumes that so perfectly capture the styles of the 1920s; and, of course, the incredible Art Deco styling of the film sets. They created a perfect atmosphere for these talented youngsters to bring a bygone era to life – albeit with custard pies and ping-pong ball guns.

Our favorite set in the movie? Fat Sam's Grand Slam, the infamous nightclub owned by notorious gang boss, Fat Sam and featuring Jodie Foster as singer Tallulah, his dame and the club's lead act.

The Great Gatsby (1974/2013)

This F. Scott Fitzgerald novel about the slow disillusionment of a hopeful young man amid the grandeur and opulence of 1920s society life has been adapted for the stage and screen many times throughout the world and every time, set and stage decorators have relied on classic Art Deco styling to bring the decadence and melancholy of the era alive for movie and theater-goers.

Five separate full-length movie adaptations have captured the era and the story, starting in 1926 and all of them have done the story and the stylings of the time justice. We're not going to lie, it's impossible to choose just one here, so we're going to call it even between Jack Clayton and Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 version, and Baz Luhrmann's 2013 masterpiece.

What? We have to choose a favorite set? Ok, then, Daisy's sitting room in the 2013 version, with the billowing curtains, plush white furnishings and strategically placed accent pieces that made us drool just a tiny bit. And we're not even going to get started talking about that carpet...

Swing Time (1936)

Is it cheating to pick a movie that's not only set in the era, but was filmed during Art Deco's heyday? We think not! Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire famously glided, tripped, skipped and swayed their way together across the silver screen in no less than ten musical comedies between 1933 and 1949.

1936's Swing Time is widely touted by dance enthusiasts as including some of the pair's best dancing performances in their careers together and features the Oscar-winning song, "The Way You Look Tonight," still a beloved classic. There's nothing quite like the sheer authenticity of a movie masterpiece that was filmed during the Art Deco era to appreciate the true style and grace behind it.

Everything about this film sweeps us away into an Art Deco paradise – but our favorite (and we're sure it's the favorite of many, many others, too) is the Silver Sandal with its impeccable attention to detail, gorgeous symmetrical step-repeat patterns showing up simply everywhere, its dazzling use of metallic fabrics to create shimmer and a sense of opulence in this black-and-white film, the lighting that's just perfectly on point... we could go on and on!

We can't recommend it often enough – if you love Art Deco even half as much as we do and you want to start dipping your toe into it, make a weekend of it. Line up a few good movies that bring Art Deco to life and immerse yourself in the world of gangsters, disaffected youth and swinging dance partners. We're convinced you'll find the inspiration you're looking for.

Art Deco How-to Guide: 4 Easy Décor Ideas 0

Ah, Art Deco – that beautiful, functional, stylishly retro art and décor that exudes a feeling of opulent modernity and harks back to an era of carefree abandon and joy in progress. It's a style reflected in Old Hollywood's glamour, in Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural marvels and in the iconic and much-copied fashion drawings of Erté.

We've seen it in a host of movies and TV series – from Boardwalk Empire to American Horror Story – and its legacy lives on in some of the most well-known buildings around the world.

If you've developed a bit of a hankering to surround yourself with a little old-style glamour after watching The Great Gatsby or bingeing on Bogey and Bacall, we certainly can't blame you.

But where to start? Do you redecorate your entire house to look and feel just like a movie set, or do you start slowly, with a few select pieces? If you want to go all the way, we can, of course, help; but if you want to take it slow, ease into it nice and languid-like, we have a few tips on how to get started on your Art Deco journey.

Choose function over form

While innovative design was at the very heart of Art Deco, one of its defining characteristics is that most of its elements are functional as well as beautiful. So, rather than choosing a statuette, choose an item that serves a purpose, too. You could try a matching pair of table lamps, a useful coat rack, an accent table or a stylish mirror.

1. Shed some light on it

One of our favorite ways to introduce a bit of Art Deco to your life is through lighting. It's not as overwhelming as changing all your furniture, but it still adds that touch of opulence to your space. With a little attention to detail, you can replace your existing wall sconces with gorgeous Art Deco sconces, turning your room's lighting into something you don't just use to see by, but something to look at, too.

2. Hang your hat on it

Grab guests' attention the minute they step in the door with an eye-catching coat rack or hall tree. The epitome of form meeting function, this piece can set the tone and serve as a great introduction into the world of Art Deco.

3. Somewhere to put your "cuppa joe"

If you're feeling a little more adventurous and want to get into Art Deco furniture straight away, you can't go wrong with a good accent table – it will give you somewhere to put the elephant wine cooler when you throw a lavish party.

4. Look yourself in the kisser

Mirrors can be the aspiring Art Decorator's best friend. Not only does a mirror add depth and dimension to any space, but a beautifully crafted Art Deco mirror can jazz up the room – plus it gives you somewhere to check the cut of your zoot suit, or make sure your feather boa's lying just so.

These are just a few short little tips on how to take the first steps. We are sure you're going to enjoy your journey into the world of Art Deco. Stay in touch for more ideas.