Art Deco Delights
Riding a wave of popularity, Art Deco style emerges as a hot trend. From streamlined silhouettes to bold geometric forms, Art Deco furniture and sculptural pieces are reclaiming the spotlight in modern interiors.
A 100-year-old design aesthetic that many collectors know and love is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. According to diverse authorities such as MarthaStewart.com and the Asheford Institute of Antiques, Art Deco has been named one of the biggest trends of 2025, especially for interior design.
Gen Z’s discovery and appreciation of Art Deco’s glamorous roots is driving demand for antique and vintage furniture, lighting, and decorative objects. While Art Deco is trending in the everyday world, the collecting world has appreciated it for years.
Art Deco cold-painted bronze sculpture, Egyptian Dancer with Drapery, $475.
At Austin Auction Gallery’s three-day auction from Jan. 24-26, featuring antiques, fine art, jewelry, Mid-Century Modern pieces, and Native American items, winning bidders took home many stylish pieces of Deco furniture, including cabinets, chairs, clocks, mirrors, nightstands, and tables.
The top lot was a pair of French Art Deco period patinated brown leather club chairs, circa 1930s, with rolled backs and arms and rising on block feet, that sold for $3,500 against an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000.
French Art Deco patinated brown leather club chairs, 1930s, $3,500.
With their clean lines and sharp squareness typical of Art Deco design, French club chairs were initially made in the 1920s for gentlemen’s clubs and lounges in Paris. Today, interior designers and collectors prize these club chairs for their timeless design and stellar craftsmanship.
Art Deco officially debuted at the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. Known for its glamour and bold style, Art Deco embraced all things sleek and modern. Its hallmarks are polished geometric forms and patterns, elegant lines, and lush materials.
Brass console table and mirror, P.E. Guerin, New York, 1930s-1940s, $950.
Art Deco’s timeless sophistication is back in vogue this year as a major interior design trend because it appeals to people seeking to add some opulence to their homes. Whether it’s to jazz up an entire house or just a room, Art Deco’s classic design suits different-sized spaces. Deco pieces also appeal to collectors for their history and nostalgia.
Chinese Art Deco hand-tied rug, 141 in. l by 109 in. w, $1,200.
During the Art Deco era, velvet and other rich fabrics created a sense of opulence and luxury in interior design. Velvet, which created a lavish look, was a popular choice for upholstery on accent chairs, ottomans, sofas, and other pieces.
Art Deco velvet-upholstered armchairs with curvilinear frames, 33 in. h by 3 in. w by 3 in. d, $1,400.
Another top-selling lot was a pair of chairs upholstered in beige velvet with curvilinear arms and frames that sold for $1,400, while a third pair of armchairs with striking sculptural supports sold for $1,100.
Other distinguishing characteristics of Art Deco furniture include elaborate inlays, geometric parquetry designs, and rich exotic woods like ash, burlwood, ebony, mahogany, maple, rosewood, and walnut. These coveted exotic woods give pieces elegance and durability.
Art Deco inlaid cabinet with a parquetry design in various exotic veneers, 36 in. h by 63 in. w by 22 in. d, $1,800.
Other lots that exemplified these characteristics with eye-catching designs and geometric inlays included a cabinet with an attractive parquetry design in various exotic veneers that sold for $1,800; a pair of console tables with inlaid fan motifs and sculptural bases that fetched $1,100; a pair of burlwood side tables with parquetry and inlay around the tops that brought $800; a four-door rosewood sideboard with diamond form parquetry on two doors and sculptural scrolled supports that sold for $375; and a rosewood console table with a sculptural stepped base that sold for $225.
Art Deco inlaid console tables, rectangular tops with inlaid fan motifs, sculptural bases, 36 in. h by 47 in. w by 10 in. d, $1,100.
For more results, visit austinauction.com.
Photos courtesy of Austin Auction Gallery.
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