Natural Inspirations

From the most primitive of times, mankind has decorated the objects around him – his walls, drinking vessels, food containers – with patterns inspired by what he could see: the natural world. A bird's plumage, a branch of blossoms, a snail shell, a honeycomb, the ripples created by dropping a pebble into a pond, fish scales, the grain of wood – all are examples of wonderful natural patterns that need no enhancement.

We are surrounded by pattern and it is no wonder that patterns derived from nature are at the heart of our urge to decorate our homes. Trees, foliage and flowers, in all forms from extremely representational to highly stylized, are by far the most commonly occurring of all patterns, and have been so for centuries, especially in the Western world.

Appearing time and time again, from ancient Egypt to classical Rome, Renaissance Europe to modern times, the most popular motifs for pattern have always been the lotus, palmette, acanthus, ‘bent-leaf’ or paisley, and pomegranate. The ‘tree of life’ has been another enduring pattern since ancient times, while ‘mille-feuilles’ patterns of dense, all-over foliage and flowers have been used from 18th century Ottoman embroidery to 20th-century Scandinavia. From time to time, Europe has developed a craze for Oriental designs, and Chinoiserie-style patterns – from hand-painted walls with scenes of Eastern landscapes, trees, flowers and birds, to Willow Pattern china, with its typical composition of willow tree, bridge, tea house, birds and fenced garden – have now become very familiar. Today, natural patterns are derived from flora and fauna, just as they have always been, though the emphasis may be more on, say, petals, seed heads or ferns rather than more traditional imagery.

Although natural inspirations could be said to apply to all types of pattern, what we mean is a specific, modern type of natural pattern, with a look that is delicate and detailed, often romantic and ethereal, even other-worldly. What these patterns have in common is a very open, fresh feel. Backgrounds are nearly always pale and the proportion of pattern to field is low – there may be a much greater area of plain background than there is of pattern itself. Colours are, if not monochromatic, generally quite limited, and are usually quite soft and subtle.