Biedermeier refers to the period between the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815 and the beginning of the European revolutions of 1848 when the fine arts became more appealing to the sensibilities of an increased 'Haute Bourgeois' or upper middle class population. In the decorative arts and interior design, Biedermeier refers specifically to the transitional period between Neoclassicism and Romanticism, particularly in Austria, Germany, and northern Italy.

Karl Kemp: Biedermeier Book

After 1848, Biedermeier continued to be an influential style of furniture design in Germany. The Biedermeier movement extended into Scandinavia and eastern Europe amid the political instability that afflicted the thirty nine states of the German Confederation until 1871 when they were unified as the German Empire. This post-Biedermeier period led to more innovation, but continued to be routed in utilitarian principles inspired by Empire and Directoire styles with an emphasis on clean lines and minimal ornamentation. Biedermeier's innate classicism, its often lyrical, yet elegant forms, have made it an influential inspiration that is truly timeless.

Art Deco, also known as style moderne, was the dominant decorative arts and architecture movement in Western Europe and the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. The term Art Deco first appeared in 1966 as the title of a London Times article by Hilary Gelson about a retrospective exhibition of objects reunited from the Exposition internationale des Arts décoratifs et industries moderne held in Paris in 1925.

Born from a rejection of Victorian styles, Art Deco was a reaction to Art Nouveau and found inspiration from Bauhaus, Cubism, and even Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russes. The discovery of King Tutankhamun's Tomb in 1922 brought ancient Egyptian geometric forms like the pyramids into vogue along with a renewed interest in the architectural symmetry of Classical Greece and Rome. An increased fascination with Native American cultures inspired bold colors, symbols, and motifs such as nude female figures, animals, foliage, and sun rays. Fine polish, lacquer work, and gilding are found in abundance throughout Art Deco design and its unusual combination of the ancient and the modern make it one of the most popular styles today.

Inspired by the archaeological discovery of the Herculaneum and Pompeii in Italy, the European Neoclassical movement began in the mid 18th century as an attempt to return from the frivolity and excesses of the Baroque and Rococo periods to the perceived purity of classical Rome. Neoclassical style became the dominant force in countries across Europe and the Americas. As a result, Neoclassical has a variety of different names: in France it is called Louis XVI, in England it is named Late Georgian, and in the United States it is often referred to as Federal or Empire.

Neoclassical design is based on the principles of Euclidean geometry and is characterized by straight lines and rectilinear symmetry. Doric inspired columns, capitals, and bronze ornamentation are combined with fine stones and marquetry to achieve dramatic beauty within a simplicity of form. Neoclassical furniture endures today as the paragon of restrained luxury, sophistication, and elegance.