Exploring The Bauhaus Interior Trend
Posted by East End Prints on 28th Nov 2022
For many decades designers and artists alike have been paying homage to the iconic and influential Bauhaus art movement. Many of these inspirations are extremely recognisable in our modern art prints and home fashions and it’s particularly clear to see flickers of its ambitions for combining practicality with beauty in lots of modern industrial style decor.
Today the trends in industrial furnishings and graphic artworks really underline how colour and shape in form and function are still the driving forces of interior design and how Bauhaus, with its focus on geometry and colour, continues to be so prominent in many homes. Explore Bauhaus art prints here.
What is Bauhaus Art?
The term Bauhaus derives from the German for “building house” and describes what was a world famous art school open between the end of World War One and the early 1930s. The school focused on a blend of arts and crafts across its three sites while it was open and the influences of these studies continue to be seen many decades later.
Bauhaus was noted mostly for its practical approach to architecture and love of industrial design. It became famous for its visionary desire to combine beauty and everyday functionality.
The Bauhaus movement was initiated by Walter Gropius in Weimar in 1919 who desired that all branches of art could be brought together as Gesamtkunstwerk (comprehensive art).
The movement eventually became one of the most influential trends in modern design, encompassing architecture, artwork, pottery and graphic and interior design as well as typography, advertising and industrial design.
Geometric Eyes Bahaus by Luxe Poster Co / Vintage by Hemingway
Bauhaus Style & Colours
Bauhaus is most often associated with the primary colours blue, red, and yellow, as well as basic shapes like triangles, circles, and squares. The teachers and students of the Bauhaus school explored the relationships between shape and colour and this is heavily reflected in the artwork produced at the time of the movement and the work that continues to draw inspiration from it. There are lots of modern art prints that pay homage to this strong visual identity, like this Bauhaus print by Rebecca Pymar.
Colour theory itself was developed by Bauhaus staff like Itten who developed a colour sphere or colour wheel (that many might recognise today in graphic and interior design.) This showed primary, secondary and tertiary colours, and displayed their relationship to one another. Importantly he was one of the first to study how colours impact mood and indeed how we associate different colours with different moods. This continues to be incredibly important when choosing art for our homes and offices and is something we consider carefully when it comes to creating beautiful spaces.
Bold colours typically fall in and out of fashion. As we also see in industrial design, these signature features of the Bauhaus art movement, when in homes, can be long lasting and cherished design features rather than aging a design. They add life amongst other minimalist features. This makes Bauhaus artwork an excellent addition to a home because of its longevity.
Bauhaus Decor & Flexibility
Bauhaus style encompasses both form and function (whether it’s artwork or furnishings). For this reason we see many minimalist and industrial artists and designers crediting Bauhaus and the teachings of the movement as inspiration for their creations. Designs will often be abstract and angular, making them similar in style and often the descriptions for art of this type can be interchangeable between these different styles. This makes them excellent choices for artwork in a home as the styles work very well together.
Minimalism, the idea of simple, industrial-inspired design was inspired by Bauhaus students and still looks and feels modern making it an excellent accompaniment to Bauhaus artwork.
Bauhaus design is alive and well in our homes and our workplaces. Geometric furnishings and graphic artwork adorn floors and ceilings and provide us with a link to the past which somehow always feels contemporary.
Orange Stripes Bahaus by Luxe Poster Co / Rosi Feist Wassily Chair