Since the times of ancient Egypt, humans have had a passion for style, decor, and architecture. Amazingly, styles from many of these bygone eras are still enjoyed and are often implemented into our modern decor and architecture. Past + Present is a collection of 24 pairs of essays and craft projects that explore this connection between decorative arts history and present day design trends. The projects have been contributed by some of the best known modern designers of today, such as Todd Oldham, Jonathan Adler, Erica Domesek, Grace Bonney, and David Stark, adding extra allure to an already fascinating topic. The book, which is based on Azzarito's successful Past + Present column for Design*Sponge, takes the academic subject of decorative arts history and makes it accessible, approachable, and engaging to the average design and craft enthusiast. Included here are not just dates and events, but also the stories, passions, and quirky facts behind many great decorative arts movements. Each essay is accompanied by whimsical illustrations by beloved illustrator Julia Rothman, as well as a few representative historical photos when relevant. Each project has been beautifully photographed in a modern home setting, and the instructions are clear and accessible, even to novice DIYers.

The Elements of a Home reveals the fascinating stories behind more than 60 everyday household objects and furnishings.

Brimming with amusing anecdotes and absorbing trivia, this captivating collection is a treasure trove of curiosities.

With tales from the kitchen, the bedroom, and every room in between, these pages expose how napkins got their start as lumps of dough in ancient Greece, why forks were once seen as immoral tools of the devil, and how Plato devised one of the earliest alarm clocks using rocks and water—plus so much more.

• A charming book for anyone who loves history, design, or décor
• Readers discover tales from every nook and cranny of a home.
• Entries feature historical details from locations all over the world, including Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa.

As a design historian and former managing editor of Design*Sponge, author Amy Azzarito has crafted an engaging, whimsical history of the household objects you've never thought twice about.

The result is a fascinating book filled with tidbits from a wide range of cultures and places about the history of domestic luxury.

• Filled with lovely illustrations by Alice Pattullo
• Perfect for anyone who adores interior design, trivia, history, and unique facts
• Great for those who enjoyed The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy by Rick Beyer, An Uncommon History of Common Things by Bethanne Patrick and John Thompson, Encyclopedia of the Exquisite: An Anecdotal History of Elegant Delights by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins