Grounded in the landscape by Drift Journal
We were recently lucky enough to sit down for a conversation with Jamie Crocker at Drift Journal.
We spoke about European traditions, artistic heritage and what what it means to be small business in rural Cornwall.
It was in moving to just outside Wadebridge that we really found our rhythm. It's one thing to relocate your family, but relocating your business as well takes things to a whole different level. We were originally established in Oxfordshire and relocated to north Cornwall six years ago, trading scale for soul - what began as a bit more of a tile distribution company naturally evolved into a creative studio rooted in the artistic possibilities of ceramics.
At the heart of our process is a deep respect for tradition.
As a studio, we work only work with select suppliers in Spain and Italy, places where small factories continue to use slower, older methods such as double-firing. These base tiles arrive as blank canvases, ready to be reimagined by our artists. Everything is done by hand.
In our purpose-built studio filled with natural light, our team of local artists applies each design individually, using techniques that take months, sometimes years, to master.
What we work on is both wide-ranging and precise. Some clients commission statement murals for restaurants, others request gentle, repeating motifs that reference seaweed, sand, and the lines of the tide. Collections such as Harbour and Seaweed speak clearly of place, echoes of the coast captured in glazes of pink, blue and moss green.
The creative team is central to every success. Each artist brings a distinct skill: fine brushwork, colour sensitivity, mural composition. What we think unites them is a shared fluency in ceramic language and the patience required for work that cannot be rushed. As Jess explained to Jamie, "it’s not just decorative - there’s thought behind every line. Each tile goes through multiple firings, each one setting a layer of detail.”
As Drift put it so beautifully, Decorum is certainly not a business built on volume. Instead, we focus on creating something unrepeatable, tiles that carry the mark of the individual, infused with the influence of the Cornish land and the sea that holds it. From the materials to the method, Decorum is a celebration of European heritage, of human creativity and of a landscape that continues to inspire.
