First appearing in France after World War I, Art Deco is an eclectic style combining traditional motifs with mechanized materials. The style, which is experiencing a revival today, is characterized by bold geometric shapes with long sinuous lines, sharp edges, and bold colors. Unlike the nature inspired themes of the Art Nouveau style, Art Deco embraces technology and industrialization. During the height of its popularity, Art Deco represented glamour, luxury, and high style.

Materials in Art Deco include stucco, concrete, smooth-faced stone, Mosaic tile, and terracotta, along with steel, aluminum, neon, and glass. Metals include highly polished brass, chrome and nickel. Expensive materials including marble, ebony, and rare woods are sometimes used. Colors are bold with lots of contrast and include deep yellows, reds, greens, blues, and pinks mixed with silver, black and chrome. Furniture is large scale and made of exotic woods. Sideboards, armoires, and over-sized chairs are typical of the period. Fabrics are solid or geometric patterns – no florals or plaids. Animal prints are also popular in Art Deco.

Famous American buildings in this style include the Chrysler Building, Empire State Building, and Rockefeller Center, and Radio City Music Hall in New York; the Cincinnati Union Terminal; numerous buildings in Miami’s South Beach; and many buildings across the country.

The Arts and Crafts movement began in England in the late 1800’s as an alternative to the ornate Victorian style and factory produced furniture. The movement featured simple designs emphasizing traditional craftsmanship. By 1910, the style had reached America.

The style is inspired by nature with earthy elements like wood, botanicals, stone, copper, water symbols being prominent design elements. In Arts and Crafts style, the focus is on the wood. It is quite rare to see painted wood in an Arts and Crafts design, but rather showcasing the natural beauty of the grain. Oak is a favorite wood of this style.

Color choices are organic including browns, yellows, and greens with lighter hues and neutral wall colors. Accent colors include colors found in nature such as golds, blues, and forest green. Fabrics also lean toward the botanical and natural themes with strong textures and geometric shapes.

Lighting is one of the few places where you can add some pop with Tiffany-inspired lamps and fixtures. Stained glass windows are often a part of the Arts and Crafts home. Metals are warm and include bronze, copper, oil rubbed bronze, or antique brass and are often hammered or distressed. Chrome and steel are definitely out of place in this style.

The Craftsman home is recognized by its low-pitched gabled roofs with wide overhangs and squared porch posts. Names synonymous with Arts and Crafts include Gustav Stickley, William Morris, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

With metals scarce during World War II, designers and manufacturers turned to glass for cabinet and door hardware. Glass was readily available and could be offered in many colors. Depression Era glass, as it has become known, came in colors that included cobalt blue, depression green, pink, amber, milk white, black, and clear. Depression glass was mass-produced generally of low quality, but it was affordable. Many glass items were free inside boxes of products or offered free with purchase of goods and services.

Door knobs also moved away from basic round knobs to include fluted and octagonal-shaped, with hexagonal knobs with bridge handle used on cabinets. Other popular materials used were aluminum and bakelite.

Architecture during this period featured a horizontal orientation with rounded edges and corners. Flat roofs were also popular. Interior colors were typically light earth tones of off-white and beige with trim colors being darker.

Traditional style has been described as calm, orderly, and predictable. It features basic designs that are clean and will blend seamlessly with virtually any other time period. It is a style that is warm and inviting and emphasizes comfort and ease of living.

Traditional home furnishing come from anything from Victorian to Oriental. Popular styles in the traditional style include Colonial revival, Neo-classical, and French Country. Furniture is typically grouped in formal arrangements and positioned along the axis of the room. One of the great things about traditional is furniture pieces do not have to match. Tables, small rugs, and wall art are to break up the angles so the room doesn’t look static.

Color schemes are generally subtle and laid back with neutral colors such as tan, beige, and cream along with deeper browns, greens, and blues. Accent with bright shades of yellow and turquoise. Dark woods are predominate in traditional style including cherry, oak, cedar, and mahogany. Hardwood floors are the choice for flooring along with Oriental or Persian rugs as accents. Wall accents include wood touches and millwork including crown molding with egg and dart motifs. Large mantels are used as a focal point in the room. Room accessories can be mix and match to include florals, stripes, and plaids as long as they are in the same color palette.

Modern or Mid-Century Modern style is all about form and function. No clutter here. Rooms are open with simple shapes and designs. Furniture is minimal with the focus on the function of each piece used in the design. Furniture is off the floor to add to the airy, open feel. In this style less is more.

The predominant colors in Modern style are white and black with reds, yellows, and blues used sparingly to add some pop. Chrome and stainless steel are commonly used especially along with glass table tops.

Contemporary, like Modern, features clean lines, open floor plans, and minimal clutter, but is different in that it reflects current trends. What is considered Contemporary now will not be Contemporary 20 years from now. Colors are neutral with brighter colors used as accents. Wall colors are white or neutral with tone-on-tone patterns. Floors are bare and done in wood, stone, or laminate. Carpeting is neutral colors. In both Contemporary and Modern, window treatments are minimal.