Decoration, like every other form of art, exists not for its own sake, but for the purpose of expression of the individual, one of the most fundamental needs of human nature. In fact, every product of human workmanship expresses something about the person and conditions that created it, even though the degree of expression may vary greatly. For example, a train expresses a power that would be immediately apparent to someone seeing it for the first time.
While some expression is to be found in every work created by human effort, the degree of expression varies, and as the expression increases, and the qualities expressed rise in value, the product becomes more truly a work of art. A crude and inharmonious interior expresses a lack of taste and appreciation. If the owner did not lack these qualities he would not be satisfied to let it remain as it is. Even with taste, we cannot ignore the value of training, in order to know the best ways of expressing the qualities we want to display.
Interior Decoration, like every other art, has a language of its own. The words and sentences combine to tell a story and are the details of furnishings and enrichment that we use to decorate our rooms. The individual who understands this language can read between the lines so cleverly that the thoughts and character of a person may be fully told by a single glance at the room which this person calls his own.
Wealth has little to do with this art of expression. Gentility and charm of character may be expressed in the simplest of surroundings, while grossness and lack of culture may be seen in an expensive interior. This is not to discredit expensive furnishings and decorations. They must be used with proper discretion and in their proper place. The qualities we may express can be quite varied. Not only is the personality of the artist expressed in his work, but the nature of the materials at his command, the spirit of his times, the atmosphere of thought and tradition in which he lives, and the purpose of the particular object he has created.
Some aesthetic errors are so great that little knowledge is necessary in order to avoid them. Nobody would dream of putting a Greek statue, however beautiful, in a prominent place in a Christian church because the clash of styles would be too apparent, just like no one would put a colossal bust of some departed hero in their bedroom next to their gas fireplace (http://www.ferche.com/). However, smaller errors are constantly committed by those who are not trained enough to obtain true expression and harmony.
In addition to the general conditions of period and place, decoration should express the purpose of an object or a room. In a dining room, for example, everything should be devoted to making it possible to eat comfortably and with enjoyment. Some conditions are usually fixed, such as the size and shape of the room, the location of doors and windows, the material of the floor, and so on. Other conditions can usually be varied, such as the color and material of the wall coverings, the design of the furniture, the use of pictures, etc.
In some cases the design may be determined by objects that are crucial to the scheme of the room. In other cases the decorator may have a blank canvas, making it all the more necessary to determine the most suitable treatment for the occasion. Even though the general function of the room is the same, a change in who