The Bible of British Taste

Based on the hugely popular blog, magazine, and Instagram account of the same name, The Bible of British Taste explores the meaning of traditional British style. Rejecting the pristine and predictable in favour of the lived-in and characterful, this is an aesthetic created from art, antiques, the reused, found and hand-made and the layers of history laid down by generations of home makers.   As author Ruth Guilding puts it: ‘My personal mantra for the descriptions of people and their houses in this book roughly seems to be that old stuff is good, and perfection is boring.' Taking her contexts from William Morris, the Bloomsbury set and today’s leading artistic makers and innovators, Guilding explores the meaning of ‘home’ and our everlasting preoccupation with domestic taste, self-presentation and decorating styles,        With hundreds of images of remarkable gardens and interiors, domestic icons and folk art narratives, and featuring renowned tastemakers– from Sir Roy Strong and Jasper Conran to Luke Edward Hall, Bridget Elworthy of the Land Gardeners and Ben Pentreath – The Bible of British Taste shines a new light on the quirky charms of unconventional British style. With unrivalled access to some of Britain’s most extraordinary homes, this is the definitive guide to the nation’s most distinctive interiors – a book that belongs on every design lover’s shelf. 

Ruth Guilding is a long-time contributor to World of Interiors and since 2012 has run the website and then IG account, the Bible of British Taste. 

Foreword By Luke Edward Hall  Part I England Made Me   Chapter 1 At Home With Mr Morris   Chapter 2 Bloomsbury: Character Is Everything   Chapter 3 Spitalfields Fogeys, New Georgians And  The Invention Of Plain English Part II Making Home  Chapter 4 Beauty, Utility, Salvage   Chapter 5 Artistry And Reinventions   Chapter 6 Full Up And Classy   Chapter 7 Patinated Antique   Chapter 8 Gardens Of Eden  Part III The Past And English Pastorals  Chapter 9 Good Old Brands   Chapter 10 Folklore And Mythologies   Chapter 11 Duncan Harvey, Flower Farmer   Chapter 12 Why The Pub Is My Home From Home