décoration

Décoration is the act or process of adornment, the set of objects, materials, and techniques used to embellish a space, object, or person. In general usage, decoration refers to the aesthetic enhancement that adds beauty, meaning, or function, while also serving cultural or symbolic purposes. The term is used in multiple domains, sometimes with subtle distinctions.

In interior design and the decorative arts, decoration encompasses furniture, textiles, wallpaper, wall art, lighting, and surface treatments such as paint and finishes. Styles range from classical ornament to modern minimalism; practitioners balance color, proportion, texture, and period references to achieve a coherent look.

In architecture, decoration includes mouldings, frescoes, plasterwork, sculpture integrated into facades or interiors, as well as decorative landscapes. Throughout history ornamentation has varied with aesthetic ideals and technical possibilities, from Gothic tracery to Baroque profusion, to neoclassical restraint.

Decoration also covers temporary or symbolic embellishments for events, ceremonies, or displays, such as banners, garlands, stage settings, or parade floats. In a different sense, the word decoration designates a merit award or decoration (medal), especially in French usage, where 'décoration' names honours such as orders of merit.

Derived from Latin decoratio, decoration is a universal concept in art and design, with many languages sharing cognates (ornement, ornament). The study of decoration intersects with art history, cultural studies, and design practice, and it remains a dynamic field as new materials and technologies expand what can be decorated.