William Morris Wallpapers

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Trellis wallpaper’ designed by William Morris in 1864, with the birds by Phillip Webb. Morris’ daughter May remembered the birds as ‘scary’ when she was small.

Trellis wallpaper was one of the first wallpaper designs that Morris produced.

Designed by Morris, and drawn in collaboration with his good friend (and architect) Philip Webb in 1862 (who did the birds – Morris thought himself incapable of drawing birds). Trellis was inspired by the rose trellis that ran along the garden at Morris’ own Red House, which was designed by Philip Webb, and built in 1859.

The rose border at Red House

Privately owned for many years, Red House has been recently purchased by the National Trust in England to preserve it and open it to the public. They are actively researching how they will restore this iconic residence.

The well – designed by Philip Webb – in the garden of Red House.

Red House where Morris lived from 1859 to 1865, was decorated with murals and stenciling in a Medieval style, according to Morris’ and Webb’s interests and design preferences.

Those preferences became more evident as Morris and his colleagues developed their business and made their products commercially available.

Morris’s interiors, usually designed by his firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. – Fine Art Workmen, which was established in 1861 with six partners. The “Firm” was to produce high quality decorative work by hand on a commercial basis. Stained glass, furniture, frescoes and embroideries were produced during this period. In 1874, the firm was reorganized under the name Morris & Co. A prolific period of designing took place in the 1870’s and 1880’s with Morris’ designs appealing to enthusiasts of the Arts & Crafts movement. Simpler interior design was becoming fashionable, based on natural patterns and materials.