As the nineteenth century drew to a close, a new era of the Arts and Crafts movement was born: a so-called free-style design called Art Nouveau which was led by protagonists such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), Charles Annesley Voysey (1857-1941) and Edwin L. Lutyens (1869-1944).

Art Nouveau was immensely popular between 1892 and the early 1900s and developed in Paris and on the continent. The movement, which literally translates as “new art,” took its inspiration from the natural world and used curves from botanical studies, as well as illustrations of deep-sea creatures, like those by Ernst Heinrich Haeckel, a German biologist whose defining work – Art Forms in Nature – was published in 1899.

Metaphorically speaking, Art Nouveau was a movement away from the structure of tradition and towards a new freedom in design. The term was first coined in the 1880s in the Belgian publication L’Art Moderne to describe the work of an art collective called Les Vingt: 20 painters and sculptors who were deeply influenced by the work of William Morris, the Arts and Crafts movement, and Japanese art.

Art is the flower. Life is the green leaf. Let every artist strive to make his flower a beautiful living thing, something that will convince the world that there may be, there are, things more precious, more beautiful, more lasting than life itself.”

CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH

The style was famous for sinuous curves, the whiplash line, stylised flowers, leaves, roots and seed pods, and the female form. The materials used for production included exotic woods, iridescent glass, silver and precious stones. Colours were from a muted palette, often silvers, greens and purples. Names associated with the period include Alphonse Mucha, Aubrey Beardsley, Rene Lalique, Emile Galle, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Victor Horta and Louis Comfort Tiffany, all of whom had a huge impact on the era.

How to incorporate art nouveau into your home

There are a number of ways you can recreate Victorian Art Nouveau in your home.

Colours

Art Nouveau used a lighter palette than the paints that had been seen before during the Victorian period, and white was often used in order to provide a background to other shades. Pastel colours were popular: lilac, a muted salmon and leaf green contrasted with black and white. Charles Rennie Mackintosh-style furniture was often black, and walls were often plain – he was the first to use all-white interiors.

Wallpaper

If wallpaper was used, it was often highly-stylised designs which included natural motifs such as flowers (in particular roses, water lilies, wisteria and poppies), branches, leaves, thistles, peacock feathers, birds, dragonflies, and vines. Look at Go Wallpaper for a selection of modern Art Nouveau style wallpaper and Bradbury & Bradbury for a collection of papers designed from old patterns.

Lighting

Tiffany lamps are king when it comes to lighting in an Art Nouveau style, but originals cost a fortune. Thankfully, there are plenty of reproduction Tiffany lights available to get the look at a fraction of the price.

Fireplaces

A fireplace is a focal feature in a room. It’s possible to pick up original fireplaces from the period or replica designs, along with tiles, which will add an instant element of the era. Look on eBay for original fireplaces, fenders, tiles and grates in a range of styles and sizes. Fire baskets and fire kerbs are also available in cast iron or copper. Replicas can be bought easily: try The Antique Fireplace Company, Wisdom Fireplaces, or Twentieth Century Fireplaces. Look for cast iron hoods with typical Art Nouveau designs, such as curved flowers “growing” from the floor.

To find out more about interior design in the Victorian style, download the Adrian Flux Victorian Homes ebook for free. It is full of tips on how to create a Victorian style house — even if you live in a new-build home — and advice on where to source original Victorian and reproduction fixtures, fittings, furniture, accessories and art.

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