Embellishment or Clutter?

I don’t aspire to minimalism, but I do like clean surfaces and white space. I appreciate art, décor, and fashion but prefer it with the minimum clutter or embellishments, keeping decoration to a minimum. One statement piece of jewellery; simple patterns; no extra frills or layers. Sophistication, I tell myself.

But this philosophy is being challenged and I am reconsidering decoration, embellishments and surface patterns. My visits to Morocco and Turkey have opened the world of mosaics, zellige, Islamic patterning and other forms of surface decoration to me. In these countries, you would be hard-pressed to find an undecorated surface. Floors, walls, ceilings, soft furnishings and clothing are all covered in pattern. Mostly handmade and always intricate, these patterns are an integral part of the landscape and an essential part of the cultural narrative.