Mostly, people were content to decorate a building with Art Nouveau ornaments instead of implementing the new style in the entire building. Art Nouveau had a sublime effect, especially because it was mainly wealthy citizens who had their villas enriched with it. Art Nouveau was not meant to be art for the masses, but for wealthy people with taste and style. 

One of the most important architects of this era was the Catalan Antonio Gaudi in Barcelona. Gaudi's buildings reflected the new style down to the last detail, so that a new dynamic formed the ground plans, façades and roofs of his buildings. Important architectural works of his are the Sagrada Familia, Casa Battló and Park Güell. 

There were also many followers of Art Nouveau in Paris. People felt a new attitude towards life, which the new style was supposed to express. The Parisian city centre was applied to railway stations, theatres, ballrooms and homes. The entrances to the newly built underground railway, the Metro, were decorated with artistically decorated cast-iron canopies. Due to the preceding Impressionism, people's minds were already attuned to paying attention to surfaces and momentary and changing impressions, so they were open to the new art. To realise the new style, people preferred the combination of cast iron or steel and glass. 

In addition to architecture, the new attitude to life could be expressed in the field of interior design and interior decoration. Schools of arts and crafts experienced a boom throughout Europe. 

The characteristics of Jugendstil in architecture are stylish festivity and light cheerfulness. While some architects decorated the buildings with ornaments to express these characteristics, others, such as the master builder Otto Wagner, let the construction and material speak for themselves. Art Nouveau does not strive for naturalistic imitation and abhors the commonplace. It prefers stylish frames and crowning ornaments. Art Nouveau works of art are characterised by an unworldly artificiality and fairytale-like quality that was particularly suitable for noble villas. 

Another concern of the Art Nouveau artists was to give everyday and familiar things a new dignity and beauty. This was in line with the general reform of life, which was very important in the Art Nouveau era.