De Stijl

De Stijl (Dutch for "The Style") was founded in 1917 by Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian as both an art movement and a journal promoting a radical new aesthetic of pure abstraction. The movement sought universal harmony through the reduction of form to horizontal and vertical lines and the restriction of color to primary hues plus black and white. Gerrit Rietveld's Red and Blue Chair (1917) and Schroder House (1924) became iconic expressions of De Stijl principles in three dimensions, demonstrating that abstract art could be lived in and sat upon. De Stijl's influence on modern design is immeasurable—its principles underpin much of 20th and 21st-century graphic design, architecture, and product design. In interior design, De Stijl offers a bold graphic approach that creates visually striking spaces. Incorporate De Stijl through Mondrian-inspired color blocking on walls or furniture, Rietveld chair reproductions as statement pieces, and a strict palette of primary colors against white and gray. The style works best as a deliberate design statement in a single room or corner rather than throughout an entire home, where its strict aesthetic rules might become oppressive.