The hot new movie "The Great Gatsby" has caused alot of buzz about the style of the 1920s and '30s.  Art Deco has been largely neglected since it was stamped out during the Great Depression, but many expertss predict a return of the sleek, streamlined design form thanks to the oplunent sets of "Gatsby".  My Residential I class has decided to embrace Art Deco by using it as an influence on our project house, which is based on the actual residence of instructor Holly Barker.


I have not been a personal fan of Art Deco until now, and it has become a case of judging without full knowledge.  My experience with the form had been limited to peeling veneer "waterfall" beds and chunky,rounded dressers.  Following an afternoon of research in High Point's Furniture Design Library, I realized that Art Deco was the catalist for the Mid-Century and Modern furniture that I love and its visual lineage decends from the classic Beidermeire designs of the 1820s.  Like any furniture style, when it is seen in its highest form, it hits with tremendus impact and stirs my imagination.  I think that I may even rescue an old club chair that has been languishing in my grandmother's basement!