Ornament Is Not a Crime

The distinctive visual language, bright colors, and unexpected materials of the ’80s postmodernists are making a comeback. After decades of minimalism, midcentury modern, and Scandinavian design, a new wave of architects and designers are experimenting with shape, scale, and symbolic references to add expression and meaning to interior and furniture design.

Playing with the themes of postmodernism, sometimes knowingly, sometimes incidentally, creatives are once again demonstrating that form doesn’t have to follow function, less is not more, and ornament is not a crime. These twenty-one houses from around the world transform the everyday with joyful colors and patterns, the juxtaposition of materials, and the celebration of surfaces. Daring and delightful with a healthy dose of wit and whimsy, Ornament Is Not a Crime is for anyone seeking bold inspiration for their home.

Author Biography

Rebecca L. Gross is a design historian who studies the past and present through the lens of architecture and visual culture. With a master of arts in the history of decorative arts and design from the Parsons School of Design in New York, Gross’s folio is academic as well as topical and culturally engaged, documenting popular design spaces and concepts from the past decade. She regularly writes for Australian Architecture Media’s publications, such as Houses, Artichoke, Sanctuary, Green, and Design Anthology, and works closely with designers and architects within the industry.