Celebrate Spring With Some Amazing Art Nouveau Decor Tips

10 Ways To Bring This Style Into Your Home

Art Nouveau looks at the natural world and makes it something magical. It's the sweeping curves of a river or a branch bending in the breeze. It's the way light shines through the wings of a dragonfly or softly diffuses through flower petals.

This is all well and good, but the question comes in how do you bring that concept into your home? Fortunately, we're looking to do just that.

If you're looking to start by learning about art nouveau and you're still trying to decide if you're interested, look to the classics. These four artists worked in several fields and are prominent names in art nouveau. So they're a good starting point to learn more about what you like and what you don't.

Louis Majorelle 

Emile Galle

Hector Guimard 

Alphonse Mucha 

Use Asymmetrical Shapes

Although symmetry is often found in the natural world, asymmetry is also. Asymmetrical shapes reflect the motion in the natural world.

When we say asymmetrical shapes, we're talking about things that aren't balanced perfectly. That might be a couch that's higher on one side than the other, that might be having something that follows the shape of a leaf or a river. 

Arches and Curves

If you want a more delicate touch when bringing art nouveau into your home, consider where you can bring in curves and arches. Unlike some of the other options on this list, they don't have to be the central focus of your home. You can bring them in as quietly as you want. Whether that is having arches in your furniture or having them in the architectural details of a room, they are very subtle. 

You can bring in curves in the shapes of your rugs, headboards, mirrors, chairs, and even couches. Or you can get in touch with the DIY side and fake and arched doorway or ceiling.

Japanese Motifs

Japanese motifs were very much in style when art nouveau was being created. As the trade partnership with Japan first began to prosper in the early 1900s, people in Europe and America were fascinated. So art nouveau draws heavily on Japanese motifs. Whether you look at their fabrics, architecture, or art, Japan has historically been moved by details in the natural world. You should consider bringing in anything from artwork to fabrics to furniture to include as part of your home.

Stained Glass

Courtesy ofPatrice Soudier

Stained glass can be incorporated almost anywhere in the home today. You're no longer restricted by having to pay for giant pieces or even having them be just for windows. You can use them as decor around your home; you can use them as panels, they're even different ways that you can create faux stained glass yourself. Look to artists like Ernesto Basile and Alphonse Mucha for ideas and color palettes.

Ornamentation

Courtesy of Steve R

In many ways, art nouveau is a style devoted to excess. Art nouveau is not an austere style, unlike some of the others we've covered in the past. Furniture, decor and even just the walls within your home were all up for ornamentation. They can all be detailed with exotic woods, semi-precious stones, silver, and iridescent glass. When it comes to adding flair and your personality, there is no limit.

Parquet 

Parquet has long been seen as a mark of wealth and luxury. It's a type of wooden flooring that was made by arranging small slots of wood into distinct and repeated patterns. You used to have to lay down one piece at a time, very carefully fitting one to another. Modern parquet can come in tile form, where the wood slots are bonded to a backing. While some patterns were drawn from nature and done as repeating patterns similar to what you might find in textiles or tiles, others were more focused on shape and the natural flow of movement.

Wallpapers

Coming out of the Victorian age, wallpaper was still very popular in art nouveau design. Fortunately, modern wallpaper is much easier to create and apply and far less poisonous to your health. As we've mentioned in other posts late last year and early this year, peel-and-stick wallpaper is available in a wide variety of options, including the highly stylized flowers that are so prevalent in art nouveau. You can get them in a wide range of colors, from bold purples to soft sages. You don't even have to do the wall-to-wall look. Instead, you could make a feature wall or use wallpaper as the matting behind artwork in a gallery. You could even get creative and use it as a chair rail.

Carved Wood

Courtesy of Wolfgang Eckert

Using real wood in the home was seen differently than it is today. Instead, it was a way of bringing in the natural world as surely as using stone or clay. It was something to be carved and sculpted, and it blurred the line between what was a necessary part of the architecture of a home and what was decoration. Everything was fit to be carved, shaped, ornamented, or detailed, and very often, pieces would flow between the two distinctions of decor and architecture. You might find the mantle for a fireplace that would sweep down and be shaped into an alcove or nook for seating.

Metalwork

Courtesy of Alexandria

The undulating and organic forms of nature found love as part of the home and as decor ornamentation or furniture within the garden. You can bring the same to your home by looking for pieces that mimic your favorite aspects of nature or by finding an artist willing to create them for you. 

Tiles

Courtesy of Mabel Amber

Much like every other aspect of art nouveau, using tiles in the home was not seen as purely an architectural choice. Pieces would blend into decor and ornamentation and back again. You can achieve this look by using tiles as panels or ornamenting different furniture pieces.

You can also mix molded tiles, iridescent pieces, and metal tiles to create unique pieces around your home. 

Art Nouveau can be summed up by saying take the natural world and have your home reflect it without bringing the natural world into your home. 

What do you think? Is art nouveau for you? Whether you're looking to redo the whole of your home or bring in one or two pieces, let us know over on our Facebook.

If you wound up here not because you're looking to represent the elements in your home but instead because you want the elements of your stove to function, that's where our technicians come in. And Appliance rescue service, we're here for you. When you call us, we will work with you to find a time and date that works within your schedule to send out one of our technicians. Our dedication is to get your home running smoothly again. You can reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). 

Keys To Mid-Century Modern Design

Whether You're Just Looking Or You're All In, These Are The Keys To Design For Your Home

Do you miss the simplicity of the 50s? Or maybe you're just tired of the cluttered look of modern decor? If you said yes to either of these questions, Mid-Century Modern decor might be for you. Don't fret if it's not something you're familiar with, though, as we're going to explain where Mid-Century Modern came from, what Mid-Century Modern focuses on, and ten tips for how you can implement Mid-Century Modern in your home. 

Mid Century Modern was a concept that, unsurprisingly, rose to popularity in the middle of the 20th century. The world was changing at such a pace, and people were trying to carve out something that was new.  It was heavily influenced by the German school of design and architecture, Bauhaus. At this time, the school emphasized clean lines, functionality, and a futuristic look. 

These three components came to shape the core concepts of  Mid Century Modern design, along with a few others. These included the fusion of the organic and manmade, muted tones and seamlessly combining the indoors and outdoors. 

If you're looking to learn a bit more about Mid Century Modern, check out some of the designers who were famous for it. 

Eero Saarinen

Charles & Ray Eames

Isamu Noguchi 

George Nelson

Cara Greenberg

Arne Jacobsen

Herman Miller

Let's take a look at ten tips that you can use in your home today to start putting together the Mid Century Modern look of your dreams. 

1) Fusion of Indoor and Outdoor

Bring plants into your home, not just on the edges or the porch. They should be incorporated throughout the decor, as MCM is all about breaking down the separation between inside and outside. Another way to bring that in is having window treatments that leave as little separation between you and the outside world as possible. 

2)  Use Size To Your Advantage

When it comes to space, having more space typically makes us more comfortable. So to bring that feeling to a room, use furniture that's smaller. Using smaller pieces in neutral tones not only highlights your statement piece but also allows the furniture to fade into the room, providing a more spacious feeling. 

3) Vary The Height Of Things Within The Room

When you look into a room, you don't want everything to be at one equal height. Whether it's decor on the walls, furniture, or decorations,  mix things up. 

4) Natural Colors With Pops Of Color 

It doesn't have to be all black, white, and wooden in order to be Mid Century Modern. Bring in some color! Use natural tones (again focusing on the incorporation of nature) and then add a splash of color. 

5) Minimalism 

Courtesy of StuBailey

This sounds like a very simple concept. 'Just chuck everything out and only buy what you need." Except... how many of us are good at living like that? 

The thing is, minimalism doesn't have to be getting rid of everything. It's about reducing the clutter and having open, functional spaces. Furniture is simple with sleek lines, without much in the way of ornamentation. 

6) Keep It Functional

Unlike some other styles, Mid-Century Modern wants everything to be functional. If it doesn't have a purpose, it doesn't belong. The flip side of that is that every functional item in your home is also uniquely beautiful because of that. It's a difficult balance to maintain in our fast fashion world, but when you're committed to the design, it's worth it to hunt down pieces that fit the concept. 

7) Mixing Materials 

Just like we want to bring in the outdoors, we want to bring in a balance of man-made vs. natural. Woods and metals, leather and velvets, the consistent interplay between the two is part of the fun. 

8) Velvets

Courtesy of yaoyaoyao5yaoyaoyao

Picking right up from that last point is a material your Blogger loves, velvet. While texture can be said to be an important part of any decorating scheme, velvet holds a special place for Mid Century Modern. This is a lovely way to escape and relax while still holding to the minimal feeling of the design. 

9) Build Each Room Around Statement Pieces 

Courtesy of Steven Miller

For each room, pick 1-2  pieces that really stand out and fit the concept of Mid Century Modern as you see it.  Work around those pieces for the rest of the room to mimic, contrast or highlight them. Bring in colors that complement or contrast them. Bring in other shapes that highlight that one. Bring in textures that are similar. It all ties back together to focus on the piece you’ve chosen. 

10) Choose Statement Lighting

For our last point, make sure to choose lighting with some oomph for your rooms. Light, and the lighting we choose, is just as much a part of a room as the furniture or walls. So, the light fixtures that you choose should stand out just as much. 

And that's a wrap! What do you think? Are you interested in learning even more about Mid Century Modern decor? Or have you decided it's not for you? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. 

While you definitely can fit your laundry room and kitchen into a Mid Century Modern design, we know that's not why everyone lands on our website. If you're having issues with your refrigerator or your oven, reach out! You can get hold of us on our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). No matter which of your major appliances is on the fritz, Appliance Rescue Service will work with you to figure out what the problem is and work with you to get it running smoothly again.

Painting New Spaces

Walls don’t need all the color!

Have you ever thought of painting all of your home? Not just the walls, but everything. The whole idea about a home is that it’s meant to reflect you. So why should you limit that to the walls? Who is to say that it has to be one solid color either? There are so many other areas that can be painted, even if it’s just adding small details that add to how your home looks and feels. Floors, ceilings, stairs, what’s stopping you from trying one of them? Here’s a few other places you could add a splash of color to to change the mood. 

Make Your Ceiling Stand Out

Surprisingly most people will paint their ceilings white and leave it at that. If they’re really daring, might continue the color of the room across the ceiling and that’s it. 

But… why? 

It used to be that you would paint your walls white and then paint the ceilings in different colors or designs, or even whole murals. This not only showed your wealth, but it meant that eyes were drawn upwards, and it gave a room a much brighter feel by leaving the walls painted white.

-You could paint patterns of stars, clouds or waves across your ceiling, using stencils or freehand, to bring either interest or peace to a room. 

-Consider using either a contrasting or complimentary color to bring attention to it, without making it overbearing. 

The Floor is Lava! 

Ok perhaps not, but depending on what you have as a floor material in a child’s room, it could be very entertaining  to paint their floor as a multitude of games and have an area rug that covers it 90% of the time. 

-Alternatively  no one said the paint in question had to be permanent. That opens up all sorts of possibilities  from encouraging messages to wild patterns that you’re testing out, workouts or game areas. The only limit here is what you’re willing to come up with. 

Paint the Walls Red! 

Or green, or purple or whatever the Pantone color of the year is. We didn’t say we were only talking about new places right? You’re right. We’ve been painting our walls for eons. What if we told you there’s a way to paint your home whatever color you wanted, even if you’re renting? More interested? There is now paintable, removable wallpaper. Yep, it takes more time than painting straight off, but the exchange is worth it. You can do so much more! 

• Test one color at a time in a room to find which one you like, without having ugly watches on the wall. Just paint a strip and hang it. 

• Change your walls every season! Are you the type to go all out, moving furniture and changing out slipcovers with every season? Why not give your walls the same amount of love? 

• What about for a party? You could easily put up some paper and paint it specifically for the party, or have the attendees write messages all over the wall, depending on what it is. 

• Paint your apartment that bold red you want, and don’t lose your security deposit over it! 

Step It Up

Yup. You knew this one was coming right? Whether you paint the tread or the riser,both are great spots to bring something new. 

-You can paint patterns going up the stairs, on the tread. 

-Paw prints, encouraging messages, family memories. They’ve all been done. 

-You can use the riser to paint a picture that only shows if you’re looking up the stair way.  If your walls are full of pictures already, this is a viable space! 

-Or you could reference things that matter to you or your family, like favorite books, sports, games, history etc. 

This is a seriously underutilized part of the home when it comes to painting! (Check out some of these great examples that we found though!) 

You could even get fancy and mix and match ideas, like putting the removable wallpaper on the stair risers so that you can change them out over time. 

So, are you looking at things in your home differently? Wondering how you could add color to your world? Let us know either in the comments below or on our Facebook.  We want to see where you’re adding color to your life. 

Don’t forget that if your appliances are acting up, or you’d like to schedule a maintenance check, you can do that by calling us or creating an appointment. We want to work with you and all of our customers in the Plano area to keep your home running smoothly.