William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Home

by Pamela Todd, Chris Tubbs (Photographer)

Light, airy, rooms...clean-lined wooden furnishings...richly patterned rugs and fabrics in colors inspired by nature. William Morris was the first to champion the styles that remain quintessentially modern today. William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Home is both a profile of this innovative tastemaker and a lavishly illustrated guide to decorating with these ever-popular elements. Over 200 photographs capture the Arts and Crafts look, both in Morris's own residences as well as in contemporary homes where the classic Morris aesthetic of simple beauty prevails. Organized by element, chapters on the legendary patterned fabrics and wallpapers he designed, his artisan wooden furniture, curtains and carpets, ceramics and metalwork all serve to illustrate Morris's unique vision. Informative, engaging, and delightful to peruse, William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Home captures the beauty and simplicity of these influential designs.

Genres: Art, Design, Nonfiction, Interior Design, Reference, Architecture

192 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2005

Reviews

[Isabel Rebelo da Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book about William Morris and the Arts and crafts movement. I learned a lot about his life and also about his work.

[Anna Theurer (Anna's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My family and I recently moved into a home built in 1853 in Seguin, Texas. We discovered an old attic room that had a few small square sheets of fabric wallpaper haphazardly thrown on the floor. Thinking they might be the original, I came across this book. The book itself has very colorful imagery, and the historical aspect is rather interesting. While I did not find the exact sheet of wallpaper in this book, the design on the wallpaper that I found in the attic is very similar to William Morris’s work.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always liked the style and designs of William Morris.
This lovely book tells much about his life and design philosophy with many examples of his designs.
Chapters are: The outside view; Designs for living; Decorative patterns; Comfort and craft; The softer elements; Finishing touches: Case studies. There's a list of Where to see Arts & Crafts, help & advice, specialist suppliers, and a bibliography. The book was published in 2005 so some of these may need updating, either to add or delete some entries.
I would love to own many of the items shown, or even just visit some of the places in the Case studies.
Recommended, for those who like the Arts and Crafts style and/or the history of decorative design.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

[Christine McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good introduction to William Morris. Lots of beautiful photographs to illustrate and complement the well-written text.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource book for Morris design motifs. Also has a good set of resources and vendors at the end, although with time some are no longer in business.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning pictures of the actual original rooms designed by William Morris. I'm new to the whole term "Arts and Crafts Design" for interior decorating, and I feel like I've come home! Literally, since without even realizing it, I've been decorating my own home in the arts and crafts style.

Each photo in this book has so many stunning details. It's definitely a coffee table book I wouldn't mind owning.