Art Deco Decorating Tips for Your Kitchen

Decorate your kitchen with art deco style by adding a few vintage touches, bursts of color and a dramatic statement piece or two. The art deco style is known for geometric shapes, clean lines and bold contrasts, such as a bright white with black or wood with shiny lacquer. Add a few art deco touches to your kitchen to start or completely redo the space in the art deco style if you have the time and budget.

Floors

If it's in your budget, redo the kitchen floors using either vinyl tile or linoleum. Look for a bright, boldly patterned linoleum flooring or choose the class, black and white checkerboard tile pattern. You can also use a smaller tiled pattern if you'd prefer. Look for a tile floor design that mimics what you'd seen in a bank or subway station built during the time art deco was in full swing. Add a large throw rug in the center of the kitchen. Look for a rug with a geometric pattern that contrasts with the rest of the floor.

Cabinets

Keep the line of your kitchen cabinets clean and straight. Use simple, cube or rectangular shaped cabinets with simple, sleek steel door pulls and handles. Anything with a lot of detail or flourishes won't fit in an art deco kitchen. If you like the look of wood grain, choose a veneer in a light shade. If you'd prefer a shiny, lacquer cabinet, go for a deep shade, such as red.

Furniture

If you have space for a dining table and chairs, choose a glass top table or a chrome and Formica table. You don't have to have a table and chairs that match perfectly. Feel free to choose chairs that slightly contrast with the table. For example, get a glass table with steel legs and wooden chairs painted black. If you have space for a baker's rack or shelf, look for one made of chrome.

Lights

Go bold with your lighting choice in an art deco kitchen. Look for an elaborate overhead fixture, such as one made of shiny chrome with several different lighting sockets attached to hand over the kitchen table or a kitchen island. The lampshades should be made of a colored or etched glass. If you have room for a lamp or two on the counter, look for decorative figures holding light bulbs and arrange the lamps as space allows.

Walls and Backsplash

Redo the backsplash in a vibrant, geometric tile design or a cracked glass mosaic pattern. Put molding on one wall in a square shape and fill in the square with a chevron-printed wallpaper. Choose posters or art prints with geometric patterns to hang on the wall or look for posters featuring advertisements or films from the art deco time.

Accessorize

Finish decorating your kitchen by adding a few vintage accessories to the mix. Place a vase from the art deco period on your kitchen table or counter and fill it with large flowers. Use kitchen textiles, such as napkins and towels with chevron stripes, zig-zags or other geometric patterns printed on them.