"Style Secret: Small-Scale Furnishings
With an eye toward cocktail parties and conversation, Hollywood Regency interiors put people squarely in the spotlight. The classic school of thought is to keep chairs, chaises and sofas low slung and modest in scale so they don't overshadow the guests perched on them, and to arrange them in a way that invites tête-à-têtes. Avoid scattering furniture against the perimeter of a room, or, worse, grouping it around the TV.
Behind the scenes: In such a dramatic style, you might imagine that furnishings would be outlandish. But Hollywood Regency furniture actually hews to the neoclassical-inspired lines of traditional English Regency antiques, albeit with a more modern and stylized air. Art deco, with its symmetry, ornamentation and streamlined profile, also informs the look."
