La Florida Chic: Florida DECO-rations

Thursday

Florida DECO-rations

Florida boasts all types of architectural styles - from bungalows and shotgun houses to Mediterranean-inspired McMansions - there's a little bit of everything in the Sunshine State - yes, even Victorian and American Colonial (looks a bit out of place here, don't you think?).
But, in Miami - deco rules. Praise the lord. To me, art deco - the prevailing style of the 1920s and 30s (punctuated by the abundant use of dramatic curves, sunbursts, chevrons, stainless-steel aerodynamics and other "futuristic" motifs) is the perfect transmitter (translator?) of Florida culture, weather, nature and temperament.

Florida nature is curvy and fluid, bright and vivid: the long sinuous palms, rolling ocean waves, colorful flora of hot pinks, deep purples and lush greens, tie-dyed skies that glow orange and pink and gold and violet. Deco reflects Florida's lines brilliantly - both sensuous and strong, there is no better love affair in Florida's architectural history than with deco.

Deco is Florida at its best - never mind all the rundown trailer parks, polluted beaches and fluorescent-sign lined highways (this is where Florida goes wrong, pandering to fast cash and no style)- and I'm not talking about Miami-Vice imitations either. I mean the real thing, the old gorgeous hotels you can still see on Collins Ave. in Miami. The real deco is like like Elizabeth Taylor in a A Place in the Sun or Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire, Florida style operating at the height of its potential.

After looking at some of mine and your photos of genius Florida deco styles, I got inspired to showcase some dazzling goodies that reflect this Jazz-age panache. Let me know what you think!

Neiman Marcus, Art Deco Gold Mirror, $995