Kitsch Deluxe

Recently kitsch has come to have an association with objects of affection linked with particular eras (such as the Lava Lamp, Barbie dolls, or animal prints), giving rise to a proliferation of specilist kitsch retailers and the growing popularity of mass-produced collectables. It has become the heart of a kind of subculture, providing an antidote to the controlled, minimalist environments of the serious design world. And yet even the serious design world is rejecting bare minimalism and moving into decoration bordering on the kitsch - recent London hotels designed by Starck feature exuberant foyers frunished with theatrical purple velvet, ornate Venetian glass, fish tanks, and garden gnome stools. Kitsch Deluxe takes the reader through a brief history of the style, a directory of kitsch idioms and icons, and examples of inspirational ideas for kitsch interiors from international locations. It is a book about taste that celebrates the vibrant colour, humour, fun, frivolity, and, above all, the irony of "good taste".