Glossary

Whether you’re shopping for interior design inspiration on Pinterest, or trying to find a great piece of antique furniture, it helps to use design lingo that other people will understand. The antique styles described below all have aesthetics that can be beautifully incorporated into contemporary interiors.

Contemporary styles

There are three styles you should know from the 20th century that were highly influential in many of the residences and hotels that remain standing today in Southern California and Florida.

  • Hollywood Regency – High-glamour design that characterized the Hollywood den of the 1920s to 50s.

  • Art Deco – Short for Arts Décoratifs, the design world of the fictional Jay Gatsby started in Paris in the 1910s and made its way across the ocean in the 1920s and 30s. Compared to Hollywood Regency, Art Deco has a heavier emphasis on design details (shapes and colours) rather than luxury for the sake of luxury (brass and velvet).

  • Mid-century modern – The minimalist designs of the post-World War II era produced exceptional furniture styles that improve the flow of light in a room and integrate well with the more opulent styles of other eras.

Antique styles

There are a few styles popularized by Marie Antoinette that remain central to luxury design today.

  • Louis XV – From 1715 to 1774, furniture makers first introduced the elegant, lightness of form that remains the definition of luxury in the 21st century. They removed functionally unnecessary details from the frames of the furniture they built.

  • Louis XVI – The end of the 18th century saw cabriole legs replaced with the more modern demi-lune style and nostalgic details influenced by Ancient Greek and Rome. Today, styles such as French country cottage are derivative of Louis XVI, reflecting a centuries-long continuation of the era’s popularity in design.

  • Swedish Gustavian – The Swedish take on Louis XVI style has a more rustic feel and coatings of pale shades of paint, a predecessor to the contemporary use of glass to brighten up a space. Like French country cottage, Gustavian style is still sought after today.

  • Italian Neoclassical – The Italian take on Louis XVI style is more lavish and stately, bringing gravitas to a home, with liberal use of gilding and marble.