1930s
Get the look
Floors - lino is practical and hardwearing. A mottled effect will suit nearly all colour schemes.
Seating - the three-piece suite is a 1930s invention. Choose a two or three-seat settee with two armchairs. Make sure they are all covered in the same material, such as a moquette (a woollen velvet, furry to the touch) with geometric designs.
Armchairs - brown leather armchairs in boxy shapes are both in keeping and timeless classics. Leather only looks better with age.
Lighting - lighting was mass-produced from industrial materials such as chrome, glass, opaque and frosted glass. For a modernist look, look for simple globe forms or simple tubes that can be arranged in groups like sculptures.
Colour schemes - choose subtle colour schemes such as eau de nil (a pale green), pale blue and pink, buff, beige and coffee.
Fireplaces - fireplaces should be tiled in plain tiles - often brown or green with a speckled effect - with a stepped profile typical of art deco.
Ceiling - in an art deco-inspired room you could paint the ceiling silver for a stunning effect.
Veneer - often used with a layer of a more expensive wood such as oak or an exotic fruitwood stuck or sandwiched onto a cheaper plywood.
Display - find a glass-fronted cabinet to display the best china, such as Clarice Cliff or Susie Cooper.
Windows - position stained glass in the top panel of front windows, and panels in French windows and doors. Typical designs are galleon ships and sunbursts. Moderne houses don't have the stained glass panels.
Bed - choose silky satin eiderdowns to cover the entire bed.