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c. 1890–1910

Art Nouveau

Organic line and carved nature: whiplash curves, plant and flower forms, sculptural doors and inlaid case furniture.

Art Nouveau, from about 1890 to 1910, rejected historical revivals in favor of organic line: the whiplash curve, plant and flower forms, and woodwork that seems to grow. Its centers were Brussels, Paris and Nancy, with architects and makers such as Victor Horta, Hector Guimard, Émile Gallé and Louis Majorelle.

Art Nouveau is demanding to make well, because curves must flow through rails, panels and glazing bars as one line. Today's CNC carving makes that more achievable, from a carved door panel to a curved glazed partition.

Art Nouveau cabinet with flowing abstract wood marquetry on curved doors and metal mounts

How to recognize Art Nouveau

  • Whiplash curves and flowing, asymmetrical lines
  • Carved plants and flowers such as irises, lilies and cow parsley
  • Marquetry pictures in contrasting woods
  • Glazing bars and frames that curve into the structure
  • Metalwork shaped like stems and tendrils

Art Nouveau cabinet doors & fronts

All cabinet doors & fronts
Art Nouveau cabinet with flowing abstract wood marquetry on curved doors and metal mounts

Louis Majorelle Marquetry Cabinet (c. 1910)

Heirloom

Small Art Nouveau hanging cabinet with a carved cow parsley crest and inlaid door

Émile Gallé "Ombellifères" (Cow Parsley) Hanging Cabinet (c. 1900)

Heirloom

Art Nouveau built-ins & bookcases

All built-ins & bookcases
Art Nouveau room with carved wooden built-in seating, screen and a stair

Carved Interior Woodwork, Musée de l'École de Nancy

Heirloom

Art Nouveau mudroom & entry storage

All mudroom & entry storage
Gilded wood bench with gently curving legs and brocade upholstery

Louis Majorelle Gilt-Wood Bench (c. 1900)

Heirloom

Art Nouveau wall paneling & wainscoting

All wall paneling & wainscoting
Art Nouveau dining room with carved wood paneling, built-in sideboard and painted ceiling

Art Nouveau Dining Room, Musée de l'École de Nancy

Heirloom

Art Nouveau interior doors

See all 3
Color plate of Art Nouveau carved wood designs with parrots, an eagle, swans and irises

Carved Door Designs with Swans and Irises, from Verneuil's L'Animal dans la Décoration (1897)

Heirloom

Carved wooden double door by Hector Guimard with flowing curves around glazed panels

Hector Guimard Double Door from the Coutolleau Shop, Angers (1897)

Heirloom

Art Nouveau salon with mahogany-framed glazed doors and partitions

Central Salon with Glazed Partitions, Hôtel Solvay, Brussels

Heirloom

Art Nouveau trim & moulding

All trim & moulding
Art Nouveau stair hall with curving metal details, lamps and a glass roof

Stair and Interior of the Horta Museum, Brussels

Heirloom

Art Nouveau corbels, brackets & ornament

All corbels, brackets & ornament
Painted blue and gold wooden beam bracket with stylized plant forms

Painted Beam Bracket, Musée de l'École de Nancy

Signature

Art Nouveau exterior doors

All exterior doors
Carved wooden main door with flowing Art Nouveau decoration at a museum in Oslo

Carved Main Door, Museum of Cultural History, Oslo (1902)

Heirloom

Art Nouveau metal hardware

All metal hardware
Art Nouveau metal door fitting with flowing curves on a stone wall

Door Hardware Detail, Hôtel Solvay, Brussels (Victor Horta)

Heirloom

Signature motifs

WhiplashFloral carvingMarquetry

Typical woods and materials

WalnutMahoganyFruitwood

Have a Art Nouveau detail made for your home

Choose any example above as a starting point. We adapt it to your measurements and make it on our CNC, with published price ranges for every element.

How custom work works

Other styles