What Is the Difference Between Art Nouveau and Art Deco? Here's How to Distinguish the 20th-Century Design Movements

Image of a modern art nouveau living room. There are two large bay windows in the room with elegant, off-white curtains. There is a white curved sofa, a boucle white accent chair, a yellow accent chair, and two yellow stools. There is a round coffee table in the middle of the sitting area.

Let me set the scene. Natural light pours in through arched windows trimmed with stained glass, staircases are lined with intricately curved railing, and soft but bold colors come to life through floral patterns and natural motifs. This is a house at the height of the Art Nouveau design movement.

Before writing this story, I had some idea of the Art Nouveau movement, but would be pushed to pinpoint where exactly it deviated from what we know about Art Deco interior design. In terms of eras, Art Nouveau actually emerged first, originating in France towards the end of the 19th century and continuing until about 1920. While the design styles certainly overlap, Art Deco dominated a bit later, from around 1925 to 1945.