Arts Décoratifs, or Art Deco as it is better known, is an aesthetic that first appeared in France a short while before World War I and quickly went international. It combined fine craftsmanship, rare and expensive materials and modernist styles. The style petered out with the start of World War II but when it flourished it represented glamour, luxury and progress. Today, we’re lucky in that we still get to appreciate pieces from this era. Take this flat designed by Anna Smardz of Marmur Studio for instance, located in Wroclaw, Poland. The 55m2 interior has simple decor that revolves around original Polish art-deco furnishing, letting the exuberant pieces shine.
The people of Poland embraced the Art Deco style as it emerged, and joined the design movement with gusto. In order to allow beautiful original Polish art-deco furniture to be the stand-out feature in this modern home, the walls, doors, window frames and bookcases have been finished plainly in the same shade of white RAL9016. If you love the look of a lounge with a stacked home library like this, be sure to check out these other book lover's living rooms too.
Double doors lead out onto a balcony, the expanse of glass pours natural light into the reading room.
A scattering of indoor plants soak up the sunrays and bring life to the white and wood interior.
To one side of the sofa, a Polish art deco cupboard stands in stunning figured Walnut. The other side is flanked by a walnut deco side table. Decorating with antique furniture presents an opportunity to step away from the trends pushed by high street interior decoration stores and glossy magazines. Original pieces bring their own history, life story, personality, and create a talking point in the home.
Double doors with a wooden paneled bifold design give the entrance to the room a quiet sense of grandeur.
A deco plate and coffee mugs sit on a central wooden coffee table.
The tube light ceiling pendant breaks away from the classic style.
A contemporary countertop on metal framework creates a surface above an original Décoratifs sideboard. Simple planters occupy the counter, which runs the length of the living room TV wall.
Honey-toned wood herringbone floor runs throughout the white flat.
Blue chairs surround a rich wooden art deco dining table in the kitchen.
The kitchen is comprised of simplistic white units with stainless steel fixtures, fittings and appliances. A large window makes this a bright and welcoming space in which to cook a meal or to sit and eat.
Nestled into the corner of the kitchen by the window, two cuboid units are wall mounted one atop the other with a short gap in between. The gap is used as a shelf on which to store and display glass water carafes and a ceramic sauce boat.
A stylish dining room pendant light is suspended over the table. A large blue spot is painted on the wall behind to complement the blue seat cushions of the dining chairs.
The table has a living centrepiece to add to the thriving collection of indoor plants in the home.
An ice white kitchen extractor matches a white built-in oven. The cool combination helps the kitchen appear clean, crisp and cohesive. The white wall cabinets have been double banked up to the high ceiling to provide extra storage space in the flat.
A menagerie of kitchen equipment jostles for space in the corner of the kitchen counter.
On the wall adjacent to the double banked wall cabinets, a slimline cabinet occupies horizontal wall space. The white glass fronted cabinet also doubles as an open shelf on which to display kitchen utensils, attractive glass jars of dried foods and decorative salt and pepper dispensers.
Between the hob and the sink, a white indoor herb planter and a pestle and mortar neatly adorn the short worksurface.
A rattan laundry basket creates a stylish spot in which to store blankets.
Art deco exuberance continues in the bedroom.
The rattan shade of the bedroom pendant light is distinctly not Art Deco style but instead follows the simplicity of more contemporary pieces in the home. You can get a similar woven style pendant here. A natural burlap curtain follows suit with the downplayed light shade.
Two individual Polish art deco wardrobes span the width of the longest bedroom wall. In a break from the white decor found in the rest of the home, and indeed the rest of the bedroom, the closet wall is painted a startling shade of lime green. The surprising feature wall is doubled in the reflection of a large mirror.
A small gallery wall has been arranged by a deco bedside table.
On the opposite bedside, a copper desk lamp is on hand for reading at night. More wall art and a decorative wall mirror dress the space over the headboard.
A copper planter matches the lamp.
An industrial style ceiling light plays up to exposed pipework in the bathroom. The bathroom basin is individually wall mounted without a vanity. However, a shelf runs above it to hold all of the essential toiletries to hand. A chrome faucet extends from the wall tile, matching a chrome bottle trap and toilet flush plate.
A full length mirror hangs in the narrow hallway. Its large size increases the sense of space and reflects the light.
Gorgeous art deco crafting sings out from the very smallest detail, in the shape of a gloriously decorative door handle with a covered lock.
