'Ikebana' :  Known as floral art, it is a thousand-year-old tradition with a whole philosophy of its own behind.  Ikebana (Japanese: ??, literally "living flowers") is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as kado (?? or ??)—the "way of flowers".

In contrast to the decorative form of flower arranging in western countries, the Japanese flower arrangement creates a harmony of linear construction, rhythm, and color. While westerners tend to emphasize the quantity and colors of the flowers, devoting their attention mainly to the beauty of the blossoms, the Japanese emphasize the linear aspects of the arrangement. They have developed the art to include the vase, stems, leaves, and branches, as well as the flowers. The entire structure of a Japanese flower arrangement is based on three main points that symbolize heaven, earth, and humankind.

This art is divided into different elements: the subject line is the highest branch of all the composition; the secondary line, not as long, highlights the value of the main one; the object, that are the flowers or leaves themselves; and the complements, that is to say, the small notes of decoration and backfill.

Art is a very important element in our lives, which gains great importance in the decoration of dwellings, offices and public places.  It can contribute an original note of good taste to rooms of all types, as well as give a touch of special personality to corners inside these. 

Though it is advisable to keep in mind certain factors when choosing works of art to decorate, such as harmony in range of colours and style with the other objects of the room, it is not necessary to be an expert to invest in art, and to carry out decorations of great quality with pieces like paintings, sculptures, photographies and graphic designs. 

In dwellings of reduced size, any effective use of the space available becomes especially important. In the following article, a number of keys to obtain the maximum performance of a reduced number of meters are offered.

A crucial aspect in this type of homes is the search of a tidy and not overloaded presence. In the case of studios, it is fundamental to achieve a visual continuity, where one same style governs the whole of the dwelling.

[ - Picture on the wall of the image by María Eugenia Espejo - ]