Other Design Themes

Interior decoration is the art of decorating a room so it looks good, is easy to use, and functions well with the existing architecture. more...

The goal of interior decoration is to provide a certain "feel" for the room; it encompasses applying wallpaper, painting walls and other surfaces, choosing furniture and fittings, such as light fixtures, and providing other decorations for the area such as paintings and sculptures.

Interior decorating is done professionally by interior decorators. It is considered a design field.

There is a distinct difference between interior decorating and interior design. Interior decorating is generally focused on finishes, such as wallpaper, paint, window coverings, and furnishings. Interior design involves manipulating the architectural integrity of the interior space as well as the creation of a lifestyle experience through the study of human behavior.

History

The role of the interior decorator evolved in the 18th century from the Parisian marchand-mercier and the upholder in London. In Paris, the guild system that had evolved since the late Middle Ages prohibited a craftsman from working with a material with which they had not undergone a formal apprenticeship. Only a marchand-mercier (a "merchant of goods") could fit Chinese porcelains with gilt-bronze handles and mounts, combine Japanese lacquer or Sevres porcelain plaques with marquetry and gilt-bronze mounts on furniture. An early marchand-mercier Gersaint, had his shop-sign painted by Watteau. The Rococo interior was taken out of the hands of the architect and the painter and put in charge of the marchand-mercier.

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