William Morris wallpaper and fabric design ideas from the House & Garden archive
“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all details of daily life.” So said William Morris, who under his company Morris & Co has created some of the most iconic patterns in British interiors history and as pioneer of the late-Victorian Arts & Crafts movement (which he headed along with art critic John Ruskin and historian Thomas Carlyle) advocated for handmade design. From 'Strawberry Thief’ and ‘Acanthus’ to ‘St James’ and ‘Bough,’ his patterns generally depict natural life – foliage, fruit, flowers and fauna – and are bucolic but graphically-rendered (Morris was wary of wallpaper that wanted to look hand-painted). Testament to the strength of Morris & Co's designs are their extraordinary staying power and continued use in houses both new and old; their ability to be mixed in with more contemporary pieces, or with antiques without becoming a pastiche. We look back through the House & Garden archive for some of the best William Morris fabrics and wallpapers, which if copied, will certainly add intrigue into the detail of daily life.
Paul Whitbread1/17In this classic Victorian villa in north Oxford, designer Charlotte Boundy has made judicious use of several Morris patterns to suggest the house's period. Here in the spare room, she has created an enveloping atmosphere with the use of wallpaper in the ‘Seaweed’ pattern.
Mikey Reed Photography2/17Morris patterns, despite their intricate nature, can have a place in a quieter, more minimalist interior. In this light and calm Victorian flat in Belsize Park, designer Alice Davies has introduced a touch of pattern with a vintage William Morris fabric on the ottoman.
Anne Nyblaeus3/17In Cathy Nordstrom's Swedish summerhouse, the bedroom wallpaper is William Morris's large scale ‘Meadow Sweet’ design. “I pinned a picture with a bedroom from, I think, Soho House Barcelona and knew I wanted to use that wallpaper one day.” The headboard is her own ‘Gingham’ in Lemon. “It complements it so well, and I just love spending time here.”
Owen Gale4/17The classical architect George Saumarez Smith has taken a slow, considered approach to the decoration of his terraced house in Winchester, gradually building up the interiors with collections of books, linocuts, pottery and patterned textiles. In the dining room, the wallpaper is Morris & Co's 'Indian' pattern. English Delftware plates are arranged over the mantelpiece.
James McDonald5/17In his Cotswold cottage, James Mackie transformed this former junk room into a spare room using Morris & Co’s ‘Willow Bough’ wallpaper on the walls and ceiling. A paisley cotton bedcover picks up on the warm tones of panelling on either side of a fireplace, designed by James and painted ‘Deep Reddish Brown’ by Farrow & Ball.
Paul Massey6/17At Sophie Ashby's redesign of JM Barrie's ‘Peter Pan’ house, armchairs from Atelier Ellis are covered in ‘Strawberry Thief ’ by Morris & Co.
Alicia Taylor7/17This Victorian house in west London was formerly owned by Howard Hodgkin and is currently home to Linda and David Heathcoat-Amory.
Its basement dining room has William Morris soft green 'Willow' wallpaper that plays engagingly with the semi-abstract seashore by Scottish artist Joan Eardley, from her Catterline period, which is above the chimneypiece.
Paul Massey8/17At a Victorian villa by Tom Morris, Morris & Co’s ‘Blackthorn’ wallpaper counteracts the contemporary architectural elements of the extension, while a bath from Aston Matthews adds further colour.
Paul Massey9/17Also by Tom Morris, a bathroom leads off a corridor with walls in Morris & Co’s ‘Marigold’.
Paul Massey10/17At this Arts & Crafts house, Ben Pentreath has used the William Morris wallpaper ‘Fruit’ (lime green/tan).
11/17Ben Pentreath has launched two collections with William Morris, in which he has recoloured the classic patterns in brighter, more saturated hues. In the kitchen of his Dorset parsonage, redecorated for one of the launches, Ben has used 'Willow Bough' wallpaper in 'Tomato/Olive' on the walls. Chair seat fabrics (left to right) are in 'Bachelor’s Button' in 'Olive/Turquoise', 'Marigold', 'Navy/ Burnt Orange' and 'Honeysuckle' in 'Autumn'.
12/17The wallpaper in this bedroom is 'Willow' in Ben Pentreath's new colour 'Sky/Leaf'. The sofa is in the fabric 'Vine' in the colour 'Dark Olive'. The curtains are in the fabric 'Daffodil' in the colourway 'Archive'.
13/17In the bathroom Ben has used 'Bird and Anemone' wallpaper in the colour 'Olive/ Turquoise'.
14/17In the sitting room Ben has used the ‘Willow’ wallpaper in 'Yellow'. Cushions (left to right) are in 'Kennett' fabric in the colourways 'Olive/Turquoise, 'Daffodil' and 'Dark Olive'.
Paul Massey15/17At this Georgian house in London by Ben Pentreath, panelling painted in ‘Asian Blue’ by Emente offsets walls papered in Morris & Co’s ‘Marigold’ from Style Library in this bedroom. The bedcover is in ‘Therese’ paisley cotton by Les Indiennes.
Paul Massey16/17In the same house, Ben has selected Morris & Co’s ‘Fruit’ from Style Library for the spare-room wallpaper. 'It’s perfect for only spending one night in,’ he says. A quilt from Toast softens the look of a Victorian iron bed frame from Wessex Beds, painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Railings’
Boz Gagovski17/17The bedroom curtains at Fonthill Arch are Willow Bough by Morris & Co. The walls are Templeton Pink by Farrow & Ball. The bed is from Sofa.com. The curtains The lamp base is from eBay and the shade is Pooky. The Welsh blanket is vintage. The cushions are Laberinto fabric in Emerald by GP & J Baker.
