2 OBJECTIVES OF HOME PLANNING AND FURNISHING

Beauty is not the only objective in planning and furnishing a
home, however. In addition a home should be expressive of the
personality of the owners and, most important of all, should func-
tion effectively. The ultimate goal to be attained in a home is
the successful integration of the three objectives, beauty, expres-
siveness, and functionalism.

The home maker or interior decorator is concerned with the
meaning of the term beauty as applied to the home. In this book
the word beauty is freely used to describe all well-designed and
pleasing things, although some writers refer to beauty as a precious
quality rarely obtainable. One simple definition of beauty is "that
combination of qualities that is pleasing to the trained eye or ear,"
Philosophers do not agree on the meaning of beauty, however, and
neither do artists, especially those of different times and different
lands. According to an Oriental proverb, "One man's beauty is
another man's ugliness."

The philosophy of beauty is known as esthetics. Some of its
guiding premises, which apply to the appreciation of art in the
home, are presented here. They help to clarify vague ideas about
beauty. Furthermore, acquaintance with the standard terminology
of esthetics is necessary in order to understand others or to speak
or write effectively about esthetic experiences*

Estheticians have studied objects made by man and, by deter-
mining what qualities are common to all beautiful things, have
established certain principles that help us to recognize and appre-
ciate beauty. These principles of art or design, which are propor-
tion, balance, emphasis, rhythm, and repetition, are presented in
Chapter 4 of this book.

Another basic factor in esthetics is the elements or components
of art: line, form, color, texture, pattern, light, and space. Chap-
ter 2 of this book consists of a study of the elements of art, except
color, which is the subject of Chapter 3.

Study of the art elements and the art principles develops ability
to judge the appearance of all man-made objects- This knowl-
edge enables a consumer to distinguish, between beauty and mere
fashion, a valuable asset when new things appear and ideas change.
Selection of articles that ate fine in design is important
too, for others may be discarded before the budget i-