What Is Decorative Arts?

What Is Decorative Arts?
By Patti Friday

If you’ve ever admired a beautifully crafted chair, an intricately glazed vase, or a hand-stitched tapestry and thought, “That’s more than just practical—it’s art,” then you’ve had a brush with the decorative arts.

So, what exactly are the decorative arts?

Decorative arts refer to artistic disciplines that focus on the design and aesthetics of functional objects. Unlike fine arts—think painting or sculpture, which are often purely expressive—decorative arts blend beauty with everyday use. They live in the in-between space where art meets life, where function flirts with flair.

This umbrella term includes furniture, ceramics, glassware, textiles, wallpaper, metalwork, jewelry, and more. Whether it’s a 17th-century French mirror with gilded curves or a hand-thrown mug with speckled glaze from your local potter, it belongs to the decorative arts family.

Historically, these arts were often dismissed as “craft” or “applied arts,” especially when created by women or anonymous makers. But in recent decades, there’s been a collective reawakening to their value—both cultural and artistic. Museums around the world are giving decorative arts their rightful spotlight, and collectors, designers, and creatives are embracing their tactile charm.

What makes the decorative arts so special is that they are deeply entwined with our daily rituals—sitting, sipping, writing, dressing, dining, gathering. They are not just to be looked at in a gallery but to be touched, lived with, passed down, and loved.

So next time you set the table with a vintage plate, admire the carved leg of an old cabinet, or wrap yourself in a woven throw, remember: you’re surrounded by decorative art.

And isn’t that a lovely way to live?

Here is a comprehensive list of the major categories and types of decorative arts—arts concerned with both form and function, where aesthetics enhance everyday objects. This list spans materials, techniques, and traditions from around the world and across history:

Furniture & Woodwork

• Cabinetmaking

• Carving (wood, bone, ivory)

• Inlay (marquetry, intarsia)

• Upholstery

• Turnery (lathe work)

• Gilded furniture

• Veneering

• Lacquerware

• Parquetry (decorative flooring)

Ceramics & Pottery

• Earthenware

• Stoneware

• Porcelain

• Majolica / Faience

• Raku

• Delftware

• Terra-cotta

• Glazing and decorative finishes

• Hand-painted ceramics

• Molded ceramics

• Studio pottery

Glass Arts

• Stained glass

• Cut glass / Crystal

• Blown glass

• Pressed glass

• Etched glass

• Fused glass

• Mosaic glass

• Lampworked glass

• Glass beads

Textiles & Fiber Arts

• Weaving

• Embroidery

• Tapestry

• Quilting

• Lace-making

• Knitting / Crocheting

• Macramé

• Felting

• Rug and carpet weaving

• Batik

• Ikat

• Tie-dye / Shibori

• Appliqué

• Spinning

• Dyes and textile printing (block printing, screen printing)

Jewelry & Personal Adornment

• Goldsmithing

• Silversmithing

• Enameling (e.g., cloisonné, champlevé)

• Beading

• Gem cutting (lapidary)

• Cameos

• Costume jewelry design

• Hair jewelry (Victorian mourning jewelry)

• Filigree

• Niello

• Chain making

Metalwork

• Ironwork (wrought, cast)

• Brass and bronze casting

• Pewterwork

• Tinware

• Silverware / flatware

• Gilding

• Engraving

• Repoussé and chasing

• Damascening

• Tool ornamentation

• Armor and weapons (ornamental)

Lighting & Fixtures

• Chandeliers

• Lanterns

• Candelabras

• Sconces

• Lamps (including oil and electric)

• Lamp finials and bases (often ceramic, metal, glass)

Interior Decoration Elements

• Wallpaper design

• Textile wall hangings

• Decorative plasterwork

• Ceiling medallions

• Molding / cornices

• Decorative tile (e.g., Moroccan zellige, Dutch tiles)

• Mirrors and frames

• Room dividers / screens

• Curtains and drapery

• Fireplaces and mantels

Tableware & Domestic Decorative Arts

• Porcelain / china

• Crystal glassware

• Cutlery and silverware

• Serving trays

• Tea sets / coffee services

• Pitchers / ewers

• Vases and urns

• Table linens (decorated cloths, napkins)

• Napkin rings

• Centerpieces and compotes

• Salt cellars

Paper & Book Arts

• Calligraphy

• Bookbinding

• Illuminated manuscripts

• Marbled paper

• Origami

• Papercutting

• Decorative stationery

• Scrapbooking / albums

• Paper quilling

Surface Decoration & Mixed Techniques

• Gilding (gold leaf on wood, paper, metal)

• Mosaic

• Decoupage

• Encaustic decoration

• Faux finishes (e.g., trompe-l'œil)

• Painted furniture

• Stenciling

Other Cultural & Traditional Decorative Arts

• Icon painting (religious objects)

• Totem carving

• Kintsugi (Japanese art of repairing pottery with gold)

• Bone, horn, and shell carving

• Aboriginal dot painting (on objects)

• Native American beadwork

• Eastern European pysanky (egg decoration)

• Inuit soapstone carving

• African textile dyeing (e.g., adire, kente)

• Mexican Talavera pottery

• Scandinavian rosemaling (decorative painting)

Note: Many decorative arts overlap with crafts, folk art, and design, and the line between decorative and fine arts is increasingly blurred in contemporary practice.

COPYRIGHT 2007-2025 Patti Friday b.1959.

The Rise of the Trad Wife: Empowerment or Step Back?

What is a Trad Wife?

The term “Trad Wife” — short for “Traditional Wife” — has been making the rounds online, often stirring up strong opinions on all sides. At its core, a Trad Wife embraces a more traditional, often 1950s-inspired role in marriage and home life. Think homemaking, baking from scratch, raising children full-time, and supporting a husband who is typically the main breadwinner. Some choose to dress in vintage styles, reject hustle culture, and opt for slower, home-centered living. For many women, this lifestyle feels deeply empowering and intentional — a choice to prioritize family, domesticity, and values they feel modern society has cast aside.

That said, the term isn’t without controversy. Critics argue that the Trad Wife aesthetic can romanticize a time when women had fewer rights and less autonomy. Others question whether this lifestyle is truly a free choice in all cases, or if it sometimes veils pressure to conform to rigid gender roles. There's also a fair bit of online backlash, with some associating the movement with far-right politics, though not all Trad Wives subscribe to that worldview.

On the upside, many women in the movement report a sense of peace, purpose, and fulfillment in focusing on their homes and families. They often find joy in homemaking, cooking, gardening, and creating a nurturing space. On the downside, some may feel isolated, judged, or dismissed — either by modern feminism or by those who see this path as regressive.

As with any lifestyle, nuance is everything. Some Trad Wives are religious, others secular. Some sew their own clothes; others just enjoy a tidy home and shared values. The key takeaway? For many, it's not about oppression or going backward — it's about choosing a life that feels meaningful to them.

In a world of constant reinvention, maybe there’s room for all of us to define what fulfillment looks like — even if it involves a rolling pin, a garden apron, and a fresh loaf of bread.

COPYRIGHT 2007-2025 Patti Friday b.1959.

Serenity by the Water: The Magic of a Buddha by Your Garden Pond

There's something ancient and comforting about water—a still pond reflecting the sky, dragonflies hovering, and the occasional ripple breaking the silence. Now imagine placing a Buddha statue near that pond. Instantly, the scene transforms. It’s no longer just a pretty garden; it becomes a sanctuary.

A Buddha near your garden pond does more than decorate—it emanates a calming presence. Whether seated in meditation, standing in graceful welcome, or reclining in gentle rest, the figure offers a quiet reminder to pause, breathe, and be. Water represents clarity and flow in many spiritual traditions, and pairing it with the Buddha—a symbol of inner peace and enlightenment—enhances the tranquil energy tenfold.

This pairing invites mindfulness. The soft gurgle of the water, the play of sunlight through leaves, and the steady gaze of the Buddha draw you in. You begin to slow down. You notice the breeze. You listen to the birds. You feel present.

The Buddha doesn't need to be grand. A small, weathered statue tucked between ferns or perched on a stone ledge can feel just as powerful as a larger one. Some choose a laughing Buddha to invite joy, while others prefer the meditative posture for deeper reflection.

Over time, you may find that your garden pond becomes more than a place to enjoy coffee or tend lilies. It becomes a quiet retreat—a space to center yourself before the day or wind down at dusk.

In a fast-paced world, creating even a small corner of stillness can feel revolutionary. Placing a Buddha by your pond isn’t just aesthetic—it’s an invitation to live more consciously, to sit in peace, and to let nature do what it does best: heal.

Have you read 'Wonder Tender' yet?

COPYRIGHT 2007-2025 Patti Friday b.1959.

What is an 'Old Grove' Forest

An old grove forest (more accurately known as an old-growth forest) is a forest that has developed over a long period of time—often hundreds or even thousands of years—without significant disturbance such as logging, agriculture, or major fires. These forests are rare and ecologically rich, often considered the most biologically diverse and complex ecosystems on land.

Key Characteristics of an Old-Growth Forest:

• Very large, old trees: Often centuries old and of varying species.

• Multi-layered canopy: Including tall trees, understory trees, shrubs, and ground cover.

• Dead trees and fallen logs: Both standing (called snags) and fallen, providing habitat and nutrients.

• Rich biodiversity: Home to rare and endangered plants, fungi, insects, birds, and mammals.

• Undisturbed soil: With complex fungal networks and carbon-rich layers built up over time.

• Natural regeneration: Trees regenerate naturally through seed dispersal, rather than planting.

Why They Matter:

• Carbon storage: Vital for climate stability.

• Biodiversity havens: Refuge for species that can't survive in managed forests.

• Water filtration: They protect watersheds and purify water sources.

• Cultural and spiritual significance: Especially to Indigenous peoples and conservationists.

In short, an old-growth forest is nature's cathedral—ancient, wild, and deeply important to both the planet and the human spirit.

Here are 10 remarkable old-growth forests around the world, including several from Canada, known for its vast and ancient wilderness:

1. Great Bear Rainforest – British Columbia, Canada

• One of the largest coastal temperate rainforests in the world

• Home to the rare white "Spirit Bear" (Kermode bear)

• Protected through agreements with Indigenous Nations and conservation groups

2. Avatar Grove – Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

• Famous for massive Western Red Cedars and Douglas firs

• Nicknamed for its otherworldly beauty

• Easily accessible near Port Renfrew

3. Daanbantayan Old-Growth Forest – Palawan, Philippines

• A lesser-known but highly biodiverse tropical forest

• Threatened by mining and logging

• Home to endemic species and limestone karst ecosystems

4. Tane Mahuta Forest – Waipoua Forest, New Zealand

• Home to Tāne Mahuta, the largest living Kauri tree (estimated 2,000 years old)

• Sacred to the Māori people

• Rare example of ancient subtropical rainforest

5. Clayoquot Sound – British Columbia, Canada

• UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

• Rich in cedar, fir, and hemlock

• Site of famous 1990s logging protests that helped protect old growth

6. Białowieża Forest – Poland/Belarus

• Europe’s last primeval forest

• Home to European bison

• UNESCO World Heritage Site with sections untouched for over 8,000 years

7. Yakushima Forest – Japan

• Ancient cedar forest with trees over 7,000 years old

• Inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke

• Misty, mossy, and deeply spiritual

8. Temagami Forest – Ontario, Canada

• One of the last remaining stands of old-growth red and white pine

• Culturally significant to the Teme-Augama Anishnabai

• A battleground for Indigenous and environmental activism

9. Daintree Rainforest – Queensland, Australia

• One of the oldest tropical rainforests on Earth (estimated 180 million years)

• Coexists with the Great Barrier Reef

• Home to ancient plant lineages and endangered cassowaries

10. Tongass National Forest – Alaska, USA

• The largest national forest in the U.S.

• Temperate rainforest with giant Sitka spruce and hemlock

• Critical habitat for salmon, bears, and bald eagles

COPYRIGHT 2007-2025 Patti Friday b.1959.

Grok

I hadn't used Grok before so I asked it a question.

Who is Patti Friday? (X)

Patti Friday is a contemporary Canadian author, photographer, and artist based near Georgian Bay, Ontario. She is known for her work in capturing the essence of everyday life through a cinematic and emotional lens, producing photography, abstract art, and creative writing that blends poetic, quirky, and folkloric elements. Her art includes visual storytelling with a focus on sensuality, nature, and the cultural mosaic of Canada, often featuring minimalist, eclectic, or colorful graphic imagery. She runs a blog called Embassy of Ideas, where she delivers daily lifestyle posts on arts and culture, and authors The Friday Newsletter, a weekly publication. 'Let's Do Cake' is her Substack. Every month she sends out her Mail Club. Friday has written creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry, essays, and children's books, including a recent release titled Wonder Tender (2025), described as a soulful guide for those who feel deeply spiritual yet question traditional religion. She also sells her art through platforms like Fine Art America, offering products such as wall art, home decor, and apparel. Find her on X.

COPYRIGHT 2007-2025 Patti Friday b.1959.

NEW Book 'Wonder Tender' about Creativity, Personal Discovery, Mind, Body & Spirit

Wonder Tender
by Patti Friday

(Order on Amazon)

Wonder Tender is not a faith-based book. It is a reverent one.

For the poets, the deep feelers, the moon-gazers and soul-listeners… this book is for you.

Born from one woman’s spiritual search through many traditions—Wonder Tender is a love letter to those who believe in beauty, mystery, and meaning… but don’t fit into a single box.

Author Patti Friday names a new kind of path: the Wonder Tender.
Someone who walks gently.
Who lives mythically.
Who sees what others rush past—and names it sacred.

This book is for those who tend to their lives like gardens, who feel the divine in art, in nature, in rest, in ritual. It is for the multi-faith soul, the spiritually curious, the creative seeker, and the quietly devoted.

Inside you’ll find:

• 18 soulful chapters on themes like presence, myth, creativity, ritual, and compassion
• Reflection prompts, journaling rituals, and creative exercises
• Poetic epigraphs, sonnets, and wisdom for the tender-hearted
• A soft, non-dogmatic space to explore your own spiritual rhythm

If you’ve ever felt too spiritual for the secular world and too questioning for religion—
If you long for a deeper connection to your soul, your senses, and the sacred in the everyday—
Then Wonder Tender is your gentle companion, your invitation home.

.

Order on Amazon

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Patti Friday is a Canadian Multidisciplinary Artist, Writer, and Photographer with a soulful lens on the everyday sacred. A lifelong seeker, she weaves creativity, nature, and wonder into all she creates. With a background in visual storytelling and a heart rooted in spiritual curiosity, Patti invites others to slow down and see beauty in the ordinary. Wonder Tender is her love letter to those who live gently, feel deeply, and walk through the world with reverence.

COPYRIGHT 2007-2025 Patti Friday b.1959.

Protein and Collagen Guide

ORDER HERE

Trent Severn Waterway Locks, Ontario, Shakespeare's Sonnets, Kensington Pottery and Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Last month I visited Lock 15 Healey Falls near Havelock/Campbellford Ontario. It was fascinating to learn about the history and how the locks work. Did you know that donkeys helped build the waterway!?!

After our educational time with the Lockmasters, we ventured onto gravel roads and came upon a yard sale at a house that backed right onto the Trent Severn. Sitting on one of the folding tables was a platter of a 'lock' !!! I had to have it! 

And this vintage platter (I paid $10) had further meaning.  I've been digging into my ancestors from the UK and this platter had a wonderful story. The pictorial was a famous place in England:  Anne Hathaway's Cottage. Writers, poets and potters, you will appreciate this.

The Trent–Severn Waterway is a 386-kilometre-long (240 mi) canal route connecting Lake Ontario at Trenton to Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, at Port Severn. Its major natural waterways include the Trent River, Otonabee River, Kawartha Lakes, Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and Severn River. Its scenic, meandering route has been called "one of the finest interconnected systems of navigation in the world".

The canal was surveyed as a military route, but the first lock was built in 1833 as a commercial venture. This connected a number of lakes and rivers near the centre of the waterway, opening a large area to navigation by steamship. The government had begun construction of three additional locks when the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 broke out. This led the government to re-examine the project, concluding that the route would have too many locks to allow rapid movement for military purposes. They decided that the locks under construction would be completed, but the rest could be turned into timber slides. This left the completed inland section with no outlet, which business interests addressed by connecting to the route with a number of new toll roads, plank roads, and later, railways.

John A. Macdonald's government restarted construction in the 1880s, adding a number of new locks and pushing the route westward before construction once again halted. For many years after this, the canal was used as a political tool to garner votes from areas along the route, with little construction being carried out. It was not until just before the turn of the century that a number of political changes built up incredible pressure on Wilfrid Laurier's Liberals and serious work started once again. The canal reached Peterborough and Lake Simcoe in 1904. The final sections were greatly delayed by World War I, with the link to Trenton opening in 1918, followed by the link to Georgian Bay in early 1920. The first complete transit of the waterway was made in July of that year.

By the time the route was completed, its usefulness as a commercial waterway was over; ships plying the Great Lakes had grown much larger than the canal could handle, and the railways that had connected to the canal now took most of its freight. But the introduction of motor boats found the Trent–Severn perfectly positioned as a pleasure boating route, and today it is one of Ontario's major tourist attractions. Its passage through cottage country, both Muskoka in the west and the Kawarthas in the east, draws thousands of visitors every year. It also forms a major portion of the Great Loop. Today it is officially organized as a National Historic Site of Canada linear park operated by Parks Canada. It is open for navigation from May until October, while its shore lands and bridges are open year-round.

William Shakespeare (c. 23 April 1564– 23 April 1616)was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" or simply "the Bard". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI of Scotland to the English throne.

Stratford upon Avon

Stratford upon Avon is situated on the River Avon in the Heart of England and is the famous birthplace of England’s greatest poet and playwright, William Shakespeare. This market town is a perfect combination of old and new, and with its beautiful surroundings, is a fine place to visit for a relaxing holiday.

There are many places to visit and attractions including; The Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford Town Walk - taking you around the historical sites of Stratford, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage - home of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's sweet-heart and wife, Shakespeare’s Birthplace.

 The River Avon (locks) meanders much more than the Severn, it winds on amidst willow trees through small villages Stratford on Avon- Birthplace of William Shakespeare- visit the house where Shakespeare was born and grew up, and Anne Hathaway's Cottage- where the young Shakespeare courted his future wife. There are 5 houses associated with Shakespeare to visit. Royal Shakespeare Theatre- this major British Theatre produces around 20 productions a year , not only from Shakespeare's plays, but also new work from living artists. The Edstone aqueduct is the longest aqueduct in England at 475 feet (145 m), and it is unusual in that the towpath is at the level of the canal bottom

1. Shakespearean (or English) Sonnet:

   • Rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
   • Divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final rhymed couplet (two lines).
   • Example: Many of Shakespeare's sonnets, such as Sonnet 18 ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?").

Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

By William Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Kensington Pottery Ltd

c.1922–post-1965

Earthenware manufacturer at the Kensington Works, Hanley (1922-1937) and subsequently at Trubshaw Cross, Burslem. Mr. Gerald Wood, the managing director of the Arthur Wood Group acquired a controlling interest in the Kensington Pottery in about 1937, subsequently moving the pottery to the Longport site of Price Bros. (Burslem) Ltd. The two businesses were merged in January 1962 and subsequently operated as Price & Kensington Potteries. (Kensington Pottery Ltd, was still listed as an active member of the Arthur Wood Group in 1965, although not in 1967).

The Kensington Pottery was primarily a manufacturer of fancy earthenware (animal models, figurines, ornamental teapots and novelties), but also produced teapots and general domestic earthenware. The Kensington Pottery Ltd used the trade name ‘Kensington Ware’ and the mark was a Staffordshire knot enclosing the initials ‘KPB’. See the entries for Wood (Arthur Wood & Son (Longport) Ltd) and for the Price & Kensington Potteries Ltd.

About Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon is the childhood home of William Shakespeare‘s wife, and the site where they began their early courtship. Today it remains the same wattle-and-daub structure, transporting visitors back in time to Shakespearean England.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage history

Anne Hathaway is famous for being the wife of William Shakespeare, one of the most well-known playwrights in the history of the English language.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage was built as a farmhouse in 1463 and initially consisted of just 3 rooms, 2 of which still survive today in the form of the kitchen and parlour. Anne’s grandfather John Hathaway was the first to live there as a tenant sheep farmer, and Anne herself was born there in 1556.

Following her father Richard’s death in 1581, Anne’s brother Bartholomew inherited the farm, expanding it with an upper floor and new chimneys. It is almost certain that the Hathaways knew the Shakespeares and it is likely that the pair spent some time together at the cottage, before in November 1582 Anne and William were married while she was 26 and he 18.

This age difference, alongside the fact that Anne was already pregnant with their child, has caused many to suspect that they had a ‘shotgun wedding’ in order to maintain their honour, however there is little else to suggest this. The pair went on to have 3 children together and following Shakespeare’s retirement in 1613 he moved back to Stratford-upon-Avon to be with Anne.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage remained in the Hathaway family for 13 generations, until in 1846 financial troubles forced them to sell. In 1892 it was purchased by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, who run it as a museum today.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage today

Today Anne Hathaway’s Cottage hosts a range of fascinating items and stories to discover. Highlights include a 17th century chair gifted to the Hathaway family by Anne and Shakespeare’s granddaughter, and the ornate Hathaway Bed made between 1580 and 1650.

Outside, the sculpture garden features works inspired by Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, while the Cottage Gardens consist of acres of pleasant orchards and greenery.

The Cottage is also a 10-minute drive to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, where visitors may continue to explore the great playwright’s life.

COPYRIGHT 2007-2025 Patti Friday b.1959.