REGAL ROOSTERS

To the Greeks, the rooster symbolized the victory of night over day. The Chinese believed it signified honesty, rectitude and good fortune. In Celtic myth, it was a messenger from the underworld. And to the early Christians, it stood for resurrection, repentance and guarding against evil. That's a lot of weight for a cocky barnyard fowl to carry, but it might help account for its ubiquitous appearance.

BEES, BUTTERFLIES & BUGS

While we spend billions of dollars a year getting them out of our homes, there's no denying the popularity of insects as decorative motifs. To be fair, this doesn't include all species of the Arthropoda phylum. You'll have to look pretty hard to find images of mosquitoes, flies or ticks in fabric patterns or dinner plates. But, boy do we love ladybugs and butterflies. This is your house on bugs.

FRUITS & VEGETABLES

Judging from the sheer volume of fruits and vegetables adorning everything from wallpaper and napkins to slipcovers and shower curtains, America knows its way around the food pyramid. In Colonial times, the pineapple was a common symbol of hospitality but today it's likely to share a room with bananas, apples, grapes and figs. When you factor in flowers and foliage, the American home is a garden of delights. 

WINE & GRAPES

In college, we frequently decorated with wine inadvertently. But we've heard through the grapevine lately that decorative furnishings evoking the joys of wine run the gamut from clocks to candles and wall tapestries to wreaths made from corks, just to name a few. Vineyard and vines are celebrated in prints, rugs and wallpaper borders. And that doesn't count all the wine racks and accessories fetishized by the true oenophile.

ANGELS & SPIRITUALITY

The angels and cherubim trend really started to take wing in the mid '80s and they've been flocking into American homes in record numbers ever since. Naturally the original angelic motif dates a bit further back, but it's safe to say that you'll find as many angels and cherubs in Philadelphia today as you will in Florence. Look for the winged ones on towels, valences, candlesticks, picture frames, collectibles & even shower curtains.