One hundred years ago this month visitors thronged the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris to visit an exposition that became famous for the new design style it featured: Art Deco. What goes around often comes
One hundred years ago this month visitors thronged the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris to visit an exposition that became famous for the new design style it featured: Art Deco. What goes around often comes around in design, and in 2025 Art Deco is back as “New Deco” – an echo of Art Deco with a relaxed 21st century vibe.
Art Deco is timeless, sophisticated, and elegant. New Deco reflects its classic influence with geometrics, curves, and luxurious materials, but plays down the style with neutral, earthy palettes. The opulent, but “quiet” aspirational interiors of streaming successes like Succession may have influenced New Deco, but credit is ultimately due to Jenni Kayne whose understated fashion and lifestyles company has subtly influenced interior design since 2002. Earthy neutrals and classic shapes are her starting point, but color makes appearances, such as the rust-red sofa she included in her Hudson Valley farmhouse project. Others may take the credit for New Deco, but Jenni Kayne created and curated home environments that inspired a slow shift to New Deco.
As interior design enthusiasts know, the most successful interior design schemes mix antique and vintage with new furnishings and decorative objects. 1stdibs’ 2025 design trend survey revealed that 80% of respondents plan to use both original Art Deco and New Deco furniture and objects in their upcoming interiors projects. One of the best kept secrets for fans of Art Deco and New Deco is that affordable, antique and vintage rugs from the original Art Deco era (1920-1939) are still available. And we have exemplary examples in stock!
Art Deco was a global style. Outstanding examples of Art Deco architecture are found in the US, Europe, Africa, and Asia. In the 1920s, Walter Nichols – a wool expert based in China – created Chinese rugs in the Art Deco style for export to the West. His company brochure from the 1930s describes their rug designs as woven from “the culture, beauty and heritage of China”. He re-arranged Chinese motifs to create a fresh, modern look, and carved the wool pile to create sculptural effects. The rugs were wildly popular and became known as “Nichols” rugs
Nichols rugs are an artistic fusion of East and West, which means they look fresh and modern in 2025. Take a cue from Jenni Kayne and choose a Nichols rug that combines her preferred earthy brown shades with a shot or two of color. Consider our hand knotted wool rug with its fawn brown field enhanced with subdued flowering tree branches and dusty pink frame border. Or our quietly elegant Nichols rug that features a tone-on-tone floral overlay on the earthy brown field. Its geometric border pops with elegant floral motifs. And finally, why not consider our royal purple Nichols hand knotted wool rug with floating floral bouquets and emerald green border? All of these rugs will enhance your New Deco look and will seamlessly fit in with any future style shifts.