Design Styles Defined

Deciphering design terms can feel a bit like trying to translate mysterious dress codes on wedding invitations (what’s “beach formal,” again?). It should be as easy as knowing what you like and knowing how to make it work for you. Consider this your one-and-done field guide for the most popular design styles: we’ll walk you through each one and explain the moves that make it work. Come on in!

Le Corbusier gave Art Deco its name after the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925, when more than 16 million visitors thronged to Paris to feast their eyes on delicate, streamlined and geometric designs that celebrated all things urban and modern. The oh-so-sleek style’s characteristic look-at-me finishes and city-chic takes on classical and exotic themes were a worldwide phenomenon in the Jazz Age.

Kick things off by reaching for architectural, gleaming accents like candlesticks, sculptures or decanters. (Don’t fret over whether or not they’re actually precious metals — the gleam’s the thing.) If you’re feeling ambitious, frame a tabletop arrangement with a geometric mirror or chandelier-adjacent sconces. For truly advanced geometry, reach for a sneakily intricate wallpaper that features matte and reflective versions of the same color.

The Arts and Crafts movement (which enjoyed its first round of popularity here in America between 1910 and 1925) focused on the simplicity of form — no extraneous decoration to distract from the workmanship, thank you very much. “Truth in Materials" was all-important to Arts and Crafts designers, who often made use of local sources. (Architecturally speaking, “Arts and Crafts” can refer to Craftsman style, work by Frank Lloyd Wright and the bungalow style popularized in the early 20th century by Greene and Greene.)