‘Love My Dress’' Blog Post

The wonderful ‘Love My Dress’ has featured ‘A Beautiful Shoreline Wedding’ by stylist Nancy Straughan using some of the vintage Stoneware vases from my shop!

From the blog… ‘I stumbled upon some of these images on Nancy’s gorgeous Instagram account and knew that I had to share with all of you. Inspired by the colours of the shoreline and with subtle and elegant hints of the coast, these styling ideas are completely relatable and achievable for your own wedding.

“After deciding that I wanted to launch my styling company back in December 2017, I took to Instagram stories to see if anyone would like to be involved in a shoreline inspired styled shoot. I was blown away by the generous responses as I never really believed that anyone would be so kind to donate their time and skills to my project.” to read the full blog post click here!

If you like this post check out my post on Spring Flower Living Wall: Kokedama Inspiration

Wild, Romantic Shoreline Wedding Styled by Nancy Staughan

When talented stylist Nancy Straughan puts her mind to a project you know it’s going to look stunning. With wedding season in full swing Nancy used her wealth of styling know how to create a beautiful otherworldly experience peppered with unexpected twists. Thinking outside the box stylist Nancy designed her take on the elegant romance of the Lady of the Lake combined with the raw passion of Wuthering Heights.

The first floor assembly room of The Drapers Arms a beautiful Georgian Islington pub is the ideal location for an intimate wedding venue. Here natural light streams in through the tall elegant sash windows, lighting up the duck egg blue room with its painted checkerboard floor, period fireplaces and dark bistro style chairs.

Elemental, the theme draws on a rich combination of bleached and watery tones combining them with a comprehensive collection of textures, from silks to twigs and coral, to fresh and dried flowers. To make her spell binding vision a reality she drew a group of skilled artisans around her, do check them out to see more beautiful work by them, details below.

Location

The Drapers Arms http://www.thedrapersarms.com

The People

Stylist, Nancy Straughan http://www.nancy-straughan.com

Stationery, Paper Knots http://www.paperknots.co.uk/

Photography, Caro Hutchins http://carohutchings.com/

Flowers, Hazel Gardiner https://www.hazelgardinerdesign.com/

Cake, My Little Cake Tin https://www.instagram.com/mylittlecaketin/

Props, Re-Found Objects https://www.re-foundobjects.com/

Extra crockery Limehouse

Ceramics http://www.limehouseceramics.com/

Stoneware bottles, Soulfoodstudio https://www.soulfoodstudio.com/shop/

Calligraphy and signage by Hannah Watt https://www.instagram.com/hannahlwatt/

Embroidery by very talented friend, Olivia

If you like this post check out my post on Constance Spry Vases for Everyone

Constance Spry Vases for Everyone

With her innovative approach society florist Constance Spry brought bohemian vision
to floristry from the 30s beyond the 50s into the 60s. A visionary, her books on flower
arranging and cooking influenced a generation of 50s housewives. Much copied,
mantle vases in her style became a must have for every 50s homemaker hungry for
her look.

Their cool and classic designs are perfect for making a bold statement, adding style
to any interior. The vases often come in a family of sizes, a different one to cater for
all your floral needs, short or long stemmed.

Follow the 30’s society florist example and add more than just flowers. Extend a
bunch of market or garden flowers and make them altogether more interesting by
mixing in gnarly twigs for height, vine trails for waft, infill with garden foliage then add
flowers.

Or generously plant up with a cushion of moss studded through with spring bulbs, or
fill to overflowing with fresh fruit, with bunches of grapes and summer stoned fruit.
Ring the changes by displaying it empty, as a stand alone sculptural piece. Your
imagination is the only limit to how you choose to style your vase.

When you’re looking for these vintage pieces expect signs of wear. More often than
not the surface of the glaze will have slight crazing and there will be scattered iron
spots on the interior, which add to the character of ceramics of this age.

If you are interested in seeing more, go have a look in my shop, where theres a big
selection.

Styling Interiors with Plants

Take your time and have fun styling with plants, here are a few tips to set you on your way.

• Move plants around and give them a new spot so they don't look samey and static. Move them around and style up with a variety of hero objects, you might have a collection of pots, a favourite beach find or a treasure picked up on an adventure

• Before you get cracking with the styling, first tidy up and clear your space. Remember beautiful styled images are about what's in front of the camera. You maybe very aware of the cluttered corner behind you, but so long as the view in the shot is clear, nobody else needs to be any the wiser. Tidying completed, gather together the pieces you have chosen to work with in one place.

• To construct the narrative, choose plants of different heights, leaf shape and colour. Start to layer up the plants along with the hero object. The rich texture of green on green gives the hero a backdrop shine out from. Alternitively choose just one plant or a frond or leaf and display alone in a vintage ceramic vessel with a couple of shapely pieces. With space around, you will be able to observe the design and beauty of the plant and leaf construction.

• Remember, be generous at all times. Try a variety of groupings, taking images as you go along a clear space where your hero sings in glorious isolation can have as much impact as a large curated collection.

• Be brave, remember rules are there for breaking. Try a variety of groupings taking images as you go along. When you look back over them note how very slight changes to the styled arrangement can make a world of difference.

If you like this post check out my post on How to style your home using Sylvac Urns