Art Nouveau and Art Déco are two decorative styles that, despite presenting very different characteristics, tend to be confused with some frequency. From Balclis we have proposed that each week we answer some of the questions that cause the most uncertainty among our readers, and precisely, how to differentiate, especially in interior decoration: Art Nouveau and Art Déco is one of them.

So our experts want to take advantage of the occasion to put a little order between these two decorative styles, and what better than offering them some simple tricks to learn to differentiate them as if they were true experts.

Art Nouveau elements

Art Nouveau pieces have to do with sinuosity, whether as part of art, architecture or design, that is, their forms are based on agility, fluidity, in short, on the movement provided by curves and asymmetry.

It emerged as a way to deal with the rise of industrialization, thus imposing the value of the craftsmanship of objects, which is why they are very complex pieces that can only be made by hand.

It is mainly characterized by using forms and motifs derived from nature imitating plants and flowers, as well as forms of exotic animals such as dragons, peacocks, butterflies, etc.

Above all, it seeks a unity of style, so that each piece of furniture is designed to perfectly fit the whole. Any substitution would endanger the balance.

Characteristics of this style are stained glass windows, curved railings, scrolls, flowers, ceramics, columns with eccentric shapes, in general, all kinds of undulations and asymmetries that flee from the historicist references given to date.

As for the most used materials are wood, adorned with brass, carved, gilded or ivory, stained glass and iron. The colors are varied as they range from some more subtle and muted, including pastels, olive, mustard, brown, lilac, sage, white, to the warmest and most attractive. In Art Nouveau aesthetic and decorative character prevails more than functionality, so that in any space and with simple backgrounds the object becomes the center of attention.

Art deco elements

Geometry plays an important role in the Art Deco style. Geometric patterns, rectangles, squares, circles appear frequently, so angles, straight lines and symmetry are their constant values.

Art Deco is more industrial and eliminates all that aesthetic centered on nature that was predominant in Art Nouveau.

Go to history without complexes by referring to objects from different periods and styles.

The materials are varied from mahogany and ebony, to plastic and chrome, with a predominance of metals that are well chromed, enameled, highly polished... much easier to combine with each other.

As for the colors, black and white are more frequent, but also the colorful explosion.

In the case of the Art Deco style, the pieces are characterized by mixing not only the decorative part but also the functional part, maintaining that simplicity of purer lines, leaving behind the opulence of Nouveau.

Geometry plays an important role in the Art Deco style. Geometric patterns, rectangles, squares, circles appear frequently, so angles, straight lines and symmetry are their constant values.

Art Deco is more industrial and eliminates all that aesthetic centered on nature that was predominant in Art Nouveau.

Well, now that you know what their main characteristics are... would you dare to differentiate them?