Edwardian walls tended to feature muted but lighter colours derived from nature such as yellows, greens and blues. Dado rails disappeared, leaving only the picture rail, and walls were decorated in uniform colours with contrasting woodwork painted in either a very dark or very light shade. Ceilings were painted in off-white and had relatively simple mouldings.

Art Deco retained some of this neutrality but also experimented with brighter shades such as pinks, turquoises, aquas and blues, many of the colours inspired by shades favoured in the fashionable grand hotels of the time. In sitting, dining and bedrooms, Edwardian floors were of stained and varnished parquet, covered with rugs. In other areas such as the kitchen, hall, bathroom and porch, heavily patterned tiles arranged in panels and interspersed with white tiles to accentuate the detail are more authentic.

Interior styling
The Art Nouveau period was the era of the Tiffany lamp, with its complex multi-coloured glass shade in the shape of an umbrella. Fireplaces had cast iron hoods decorated with abstract plant motifs. The furniture, fabrics and accessories were highly decorative and sophisticated. Metal, chrome and glass were prominently used and created a stylish contrast of colour and texture to the paint shades. Stained glass with flowers, petals and stalks featured everywhere in doors, cabinets and mirrors.

At the beginning of the period, furniture was either sinuous or almost oriental in concept, as in the high-backed, black lacquered style of Mackintosh. By the end of the era we can see the beginnings of the modern movement - simple forms in good quality materials without need for fussy details.