Petals and Prints with Speronella Marsh
There’s something distinctly storybook about Speronella Marsh’s world. It’s a place where vegetables become muses, antique linens whisper forgotten tales, and wallpaper blooms with an air of nostalgic delight. This May, as the Chelsea Flower Show transforms London into a carnival of colour, we consider Marsh's own horticultural magic as inspiration sown neatly into Chelsea’s fragrant heart.
Speronella at work in her studio. Photo Credit: Rachael Smith
Marsh’s path to printmaking began in a practical (and rather charming) way: in 2016, faced with a move to a tumble-down cottage in rural Shropshire and the need for affordable curtains, she turned to her collection of antique linens and began block printing. Her floral experiments, steeped in tradition but brimming with whimsy, quickly attracted the attention of friends and admirers, and in 2018, Hare’s Tail was born.
Lucy’s Light wallpaper in Ocean Blue, as a backdrop to the art of Emma Sergeant and Phoebe Dickinson
Fast forward to 2024, and Marsh has relaunched under her own name, deepening her commitment to hand-block printing and the beauty of the natural world. Working from her garden-side studio, she carves lino blocks with painterly precision, often drawing inspiration from art exhibitions and the overlooked elegance of her vegetable patch. It’s not the petals that call to her, but the curious silhouettes - the bend of a beetroot, the frilly fringe of a cabbage leaf - and their unexpected transformation once transposed onto cloth and paper.
Small scale wallpapers by Speronella Marsh. L-R: Frond, Lucy's Light, and Flotta
This year sees the launch of a new suite of small-scale wallpaper designs - Frond, Lucy’s Light, and Flotta, the latter in a trio of evocative new shades: Affogato, Oxblood, and Sage Green. Printed with a light touch and a loving eye, the patterns are subtle, lyrical, and designed to complement Marsh’s antique linen fabrics. They offer an intimate garden of possibility for smaller spaces - a sprig here, a frond there - that sings gently rather than shouts.
Bedroom featuring Eastern Leaves wallpaper and Woods bedspread, by Speronella Marsh. Photo Credit: James McDonald
Each of Marsh’s creations, whether a lampshade or a linen bedspread, is rooted in reverence for traditional craft and a delight in the eccentric. Visitors to the Felt London pop-up can expect a charming bouquet of handcrafted treasures: monogrammed tablecloths, botanical lampshades, and block-printed throws, each imbued with the spirit of the English garden and the romance of Rome.
Much like Chelsea in bloom, Marsh’s work is a reminder that florals don’t have to be grand to be glorious. Sometimes, it’s the quiet forms - the humbler leaves and the half-hidden buds - that speak loudest to the soul.
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Further Information:
Speronella Marsh
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Image Credits:
Lead Image: Portrait of Speronella Marsh. Photo Credit: Rachael Smith
All other images as credited in photo captions.