decorator

A decorator is a person who adds decorative elements to spaces, objects, or events, or a term used in technical contexts to describe a mechanism for extending functionality. In interior work, an interior decorator designs color schemes, furnishings, textiles, lighting, and accessories to achieve a desired aesthetic. Decorators often work with clients to establish style, budget, and space planning, select materials, and coordinate furniture and window treatments. The role is typically distinct from that of an interior designer, which may involve structural changes and compliance with building codes; the exact definitions vary by country and region.

In computing, the decorator pattern is a structural design pattern that allows behavior to be added to individual objects, dynamically, without modifying the object's class. A decorator creates a wrapper that delegates requests to the original object while optionally adding new behavior. This enables stacking multiple decorators to compose features. Frequently used in languages with first-class functions, such as Python and JavaScript, the technique is also realized as the decorator design pattern in many object-oriented languages. In Python, the syntax @decorator denotes applying a function to subsequent definitions; in other languages, decorators may be implemented as wrapper classes or higher-order functions. Common uses include logging, access control, or performance measurement applied transparently to existing components.

Other uses of the term include cake decorating, event styling, and related crafts, where individuals or services apply decorative finishes to cakes or venues.