The 1900's were a period of change. It was the period of America coming into Industrialism and there was lots of exploration going on. In design, everything started to become clean lined, super clean, back to the classical lines again. Frank Lloyd Wright came in around 1901-1902 and he started having a dramatic influence on the other artisans and craftsmen of the time. Around this time, they started referring to design as a craft versus industry and that's how the term "arts and crafts" came about. There were many different forms within the arts and crafts movement and it lasted till about World War I, when you start to see a division. We saw the beaux-arts movement come about and the art nouveau and the longer ranged art décor from the 1920s to the 1930s until the beginning of World War II. The beaux-art movement had more of a French influence. It had more delicacy to it, more translucence, more flair, and a touch of Japanese culture. The art nouveau again was very plain-lined but it had more curvature, more grace. Glass was a hallmark, hand blown glass with very intricate details. Art nouveau and the furnishings of the art nouveau period were again more for the gentry and landed class who could appreciate the subtle turnings and intricate details. Art décor was the same as art nouveau only it was more geometric and more streamlined and therefore you see the use of different materials like chrome for the first time as Industrialism expanded in the United States. You also begin to see the use of leather in furniture, dyed unusual colors like turquoise and hot greens and hot pinks, along with other materials like ebony, tortoise shells, lacquers, polished metals and glass. All that is art décor but it's very geometric and if you look back at the styles right before World War II in the 1930's you'll see very clean simple lines in the furniture, door handles, and cabinets - very classical.
