Perhaps most obvious was the addition of Chinese motifs to the mix of decorative elements in architects' design repertoires of zigzags, curves and chevrons.

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When four of her coasters are placed next to one another they form a picture or design and serve as a decorative, functional piece.

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Farther uptown, an exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, "Finnish Modern Design, 1930-1997" (up through June 14), is a perfect complement to the Aalto retrospective.

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This is why Apple is in the perverse position of arguing that design elements which make good smartphones so useful are not functional at all, and merely decorative ornamentation: if it admitted these features were actually useful, it would forfeit its design protection.

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Her outfits emphasize fashion and function, reflecting her broader platform of healthy and active living, said decorative arts historian Carmela Spinelli, chair of the Savannah College of Art and Design's fashion department.

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One hundred years ago, decorative styles like Victorian and Art Deco prevailed as architecture emerged as "art, " much like early web design.

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