Decor & Accessories

Decor and accessories, used to enliven homes and other interior spaces, often reflect the owner’s taste and creativity. As embellished objects that serve a practical purpose, decorative pieces range from expensive, rare, and luxurious options to simple, affordable, and mass-produced designs.

Although décor and accessories have been used for millennia, their distinction as a specific category of art occurred during the post-Renaissance period in Europe. During this time, decorative art was defined as art that serves a functional yet ornamental purpose, whereas fine art was designated as art that exists for purely aesthetic reasons as an end in itself. However, this conception of decorative art is specific to European thought, and ancient, antique, and contemporary pieces found in China, Russia, India, Mexico, and countless other countries reveal alternative ideas about the role of décor and accessories, as well as the variety of this multifaceted art form.

The 18th century marked an important shift for the creation, collection, and use of the decorative arts. Mass production allowed factories such as Wedgwood in England to quickly and efficiently produce luxurious objects that could be enjoyed by the majority of the population. Today, the decoration of homes and interior spaces with ornamental objects continues to be an important expression of the owner’s style and aesthetic sensibility.