Interiors can challenge you with confronting imagery even while you sit comfortably in an armchair. They can make you feel balanced and cozy, even to the point of transporting you to a dreamlike state. For example, the French Provincial style offers a trip to the South of France, while mid-century modern turns back the clock to a Mad Man’s world of warm woods and modernistic forms. However, surrealist interior design goes a step further to launch you into an entirely different world!

 

On this blog, I’ve reviewed classic All-American interiors and jumped across the pond to examine “not so” American styles, too. However, surrealist designs don’t feel like they belong in reality at all. Design elements where materials behave differently than they should, such as a Dali’s melting clock or lip-shaped sofas, mix and combine to turn traditionalism on its head. 

 

At our Austin interior design firm, we love drama (in interiors). We take a playful approach to some of the spaces we design. I am fascinated with Gaudi and his Art Nouveau style, which takes forms of nature and completely reimagines them into surrealist spaces that feel like the homes of very chic caterpillars. Surrealism embraces the absurd, the comical, and the dramatic—which makes interior design all the more fun. 

 

Are you ready to step into the dreamy void of surrealism with us? 

What is Surrealism? 

Surrealism is an arts and cultural movement that formed in Europe during the aftermath of WWI. Artists and tastemakers deviated from the harsh realities around them, instead embracing the unconscious mind and allowing the bizarre and illogical to take over. The result was artistic works mimicking dreamlike states. 

Surrealism’s goals were to challenge traditional norms, express the power of the unconscious state, and revoke the rationalism of modern society. To do this, many works relied on elements of juxtaposition, taking a traditional form and treating it in an unexpected way. Surrealism also used nonsequitur or nonsensical elements to capture attention and provide comedic relief.  

 

Guillaume Apollinaire coined the word “surrealist” in 1917, but André Breton is considered the leader of the Surrealist movement. Other famous surrealist figures include René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and Antoni Gaudí. Surrealist works included paintings, poems, theater, and film, and the movement even made its way into interiors. 

The Surrealist Movement Makes Its Way into Interiors 

The goal of surrealism was to transport people into dreamlike worlds where they could explore new ideas or simply retreat from reality. Artists eventually expanded beyond the two-dimensional canvas to create fully immersive environments, leading to surrealist interior design. 

The Dreamiest Surrealist Homes

In surrealist interiors, designers sought to blur the lines between art and daily life. After all, why does a home interior have to be boring and conventional? By combining the new, the old, and the bizarre, surrealists designed the homes from your wildest dreams.  

Designers like Antoni Gaudí embraced the elements of surrealism and transcribed them into homes, creating whimsical free-form spaces void of right angles and traditionalism. For example, Casa Batlló feels as if it grew from the ground, embracing tree-like organic elements on the exterior and a multicolor shingled roof that resembles the scales and arch of a dragon’s back.

Monkton House is one of the best examples of surrealist interior design. It was the country home of Edward James, a poet and friend of Dalí. In the ‘30s, he completely reimagined his family’s Sussex estate, combining elements of Victorian, Edwardian, and surrealist design. He worked alongside Dalí on a design plan that included surreal elements like a purple courtyard, sofas emulating Mae West’s lips, footprint-tracked carpets on the stairwell, and even a lobster telephone. 

 

Elements of a Surrealist Interior Design Scheme

I haven’t ordered a lobster phone for a project yet. (How fun would that be?) But, we have included many surrealist elements throughout our interior design projects. Here are some elements that add dreamily and comedic surrealist flair to a space. 

New Takes on Traditional Classics 

Surrealism reimagines traditional forms into something unexpected, creating design elements that are fresh, interesting, and thought-provoking. This could be something simple, like an antique armoire painted in a neon lacquer, or something even more unconventional, like a rug pattern projected onto the floor. We know these forms, but we haven’t seen them like this in the typical home. 

Juxtaposition of Styles and Materials

Surrealism challenges a sense of balance and plays with forms in unique ways to capture attention. Designers can create immediate contrast by pairing items in groups of threes rather than a symmetrical and balanced grouping of twos. Another way to add drama to the home is by combining style elements from two seemingly opposing design aesthetics. Why not hang a ‘30s surrealist painting above an opulent ‘80s sideboard that could have been pulled from Carrington Manor?

Organic Forms and Motifs 

Gaudi embraced organic forms in his designs, so much so that there was hardly a right angle to be found! Take a motif from nature and try something unexpected. That could be hanging giant paper mache flowers from the ceiling or painting spiders on the patio like we did in our South Austin project. 

Playful Colors and Unexpected Accents 

Don’t take any of it too seriously. Surrealism relies on that nonsensical punchline that makes you stop and ultimately laugh at the absurdity. Embrace playful colors and unexpected accents. This could be a lip-shaped sofa, a lobster phone, or really anything that catches your eye and resonates! 

Otherworldly Feel 

Overall, surrealist interiors should feel otherworldly and transport you to a space and time far away from the outside world. While over the top and playful, surrealism offers a safe and peaceful retreat from the chaos that lies on the other side of the threshold. It’s a dream world you can actually live in. 

Surrealism Offers a Thought-Provoking Escape 

Today, surrealist design is more relevant than ever, and many designers like myself are adopting surrealist elements into their interiors. So far in this decade, we’ve experienced pandemics, natural disasters, ideological shifts, and turbulent election seasons—and we are not even halfway through the 2020s. Interior design affects our mood, and folks are taking the time to invest in spaces that reflect all their quirks and allow them to fully enjoy life in the safe haven of home. Surrealist spaces aren’t just an escape into a dream. They provide thought-provoking atmospheres to inspire, create, and grow. 

 

It’s time we enjoyed home and made it everything we dream about.