Art Deco Inspired Lulu and Georgia’s Spring Collection—and Nearly All of California’s Favorite Landmarks

You may have noticed round furniture popping up everywhere you look. Spherical upholstered ottomans, crescent-shaped sofas, bent wood and rattan, tables with circular bases and curvilinear shapes of all kinds have nudged some of the harder angles of furniture design out of the spotlight. The origins of the look can be traced back to two design moments that are back with a vengeance: The 1920s and ’30s when Art Deco defined high design—especially in California, during the state’s first major building boom—and the 1980’s when the first Deco revival brought pink paint and lacquer and geometric shapes back into the picture. Today’s interpretation of Deco is a little mellower, with softer textures. But evidence of its influence is everywhere. L.A.-based home decor company Lulu and Georgia created an entire spring collection, Soft Deco, that’s inspired by this vintage style, which has an enduring presence in its hometown.

“Our headquarters is in a true, beautifully preserved Deco building on Wilshire near La Brea,” says Anat Aharoni, director of product for Lulu and Georgia. “All of the details, from the brass work in the elevator, the inlay flooring and the exterior, are intact.”

Aharoni drew inspiration from her time-capsule office, and architecture tours through downtown Los Angeles, led by the L.A. Conservancy, that highlight the Deco buildings that still stand out in the skyline. Some of the more famous Deco landmarks include Union Station, the Griffith Observatory, the Sunset Tower Hotel, and the Southwestern Law School, located in the former Bullocks department store, pictured below.

“We wanted to bring this re-imagined Deco in to the home, the fun and playful color combination and the details with heavy geometric influences, like trapezoids, zig-zag patterns, and unique combinations of straight and smooth lines, and pare it down a bit to make it more comfortable.”

If you’re interested in learning more, there are plenty of resources available, like the Art Deco Society of California, which gives annual preservation awards, or the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles. Here are five of the most famous Deco landmarks in California.

1 of 5Getty Images

Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Baker, Dawn

With chevron patterns and graceful arches, the Golden Gate Bridge designed by Irving Morrow and built by the Straus Engineering Corp from 1933-1937, is one of the world’s largest examples of Art Deco design. 

2 of 5Getty Images

Sunset Tower Hotel

The meticulously restored exterior of the Sunset Tower Hotel on the Sunset Strip is an elegant example of Art Deco design, by architect Leland Bryant.

3 of 5Getty Images

Union Station Los Angeles

Los Angeles’ Union Station is a mash-up of Spanish and Deco, and a living architecture museum, with tile inlay, dramatic arches, and ornate bronze chandeliers, all refurbished from 2011 to 2014.

4 of 5Getty Images

San Diego Administration Building

The San Diego Administration Building, completed in 1939, is a mix of Beaux Arts and Art Deco style, with details like zig-zag patterns and ornately tiled arched entryways throughout.

5 of 5Getty Images

Eastern Columbia Lofts

The Eastern Columbia Lofts, in the Broadway Theater District in downtown Los Angeles, is a 13-story Art Deco tower (and former home of the Eastern Columbia Outfitters) that epitomized opulence when it opened in 1930.