I was rummaging around in my bookcase at home this morning and stumbled across one of my favourite books, one I'd like to share with you. It's called The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones. My version is a reprint of the first release from 1856.
Owen Jones was an architect and designer in the Victorian era and was esteemed enough to be appointed Director of Decorations for the awe-inspiring Crystal Palace exhibition in London. Over his lifetime he travelled extensively through Europe and the Near East, cataloguing the amazing array of decoration and architecture in an attempt to improve the standard of British design. It's an incredibly interesting read as he details his finds from each country and touches on the history he unfolds and it includes over 2000 patterns - makes my head spin!
I find this book is a constant source of inspiration for me - something that inspires design, colourways, ornamentation, decoration - all of the elements that go into wedding styling. It's a question we hear over and over here at Wedding Style Guide - 'how do I determine a theme for my wedding'. The answer is simple - find something that inspires you. It may be an interesting pattern like the ones in my book, or it may be something completely unique to you. Whatever it is, it can be a platform from which all other ideas will spring.
Posted by Jane Cameron
