William Morris Decor and Design

by Elizabeth Wilhide

This practical guide by Elizabeth Wilhide sh ows the reader a variety of simple and cost-effective ways o f creating a ''Morris'' style that will complement their own m odern living space. '

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, History, Crafts

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Elizabeth Wilhide is the author of many books on design and interiors and two novels. Born in the United States, she now resides in London.

Reviews

[Christina Baehr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful coffee-table format book on everything Morris. Not a biography. The images are well chosen to illustrate what the author is explaining in the text. I love so many things about Morris's wholistic vision for art/life/family/community. Oh, except that socialism part. At some point I hope to grapple more deeply with how it all fit together for him. I like that he wanted to have open-plan spaces where families could be more connected with each other and home-based industry. I love that he trained his daughter May as a designer and that she ended up running whole areas of his company and becoming deeply influential in the theory and craft of needlework.

[Am Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea who William Morris was before picking this book up. I chanced upon his name mentioned somewhere (forgot where), looked it up, found him interesting, and decided to check out this ebook from my public library. Turns out he was a pretty important figure in the Arts & Crafts Movement of late 19th century in the UK. This book details his personal life, family affairs, the evolution of his design philosophy and more.

Aside from being primarily a designer best known for his wallpapers, William Morris was also an artist and writer. The book showcases a few of his poems, and many of his wallpaper designs, as well as photographs of how they were used in various rooms of the house. It was interesting to see how interior design has morphed from his time to present day.

Morris' wallpaper designs were mostly a counter to the rise of industrialisation and mass production at the time, which he felt had led to poor-quality goods and a loss of traditional craftsmanship. His nature-inspired motifs featuring flowers, leaves, birds, and other organic forms were meant to remind people of and reconnect them with the natural world, as well as bring some beauty back into their lives.

All in all, this was a pretty interesting and educational read which could have been more concise.

[Hugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing info, great book design. Happy to have purchased it and to sit it on my shelf or table. Not only is it informative, it's a piece of art to look at.

Many helpful pointers about William Morris' attitude toward interior decoration.

[ElCee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I am not a really big Morris fan because as much as I am an Anglophile, I only really liked the authentic period design photos and his carpet designs.

[Kristien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Morris' style and loved this book! Well written, informative and beautifully illustrated.

[Lorenzo Diaz campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

En plena revolución industrial Morris supo recuperar el valor de las artes decorativas medievales y renacentistas, luchando así contra el dominio insensato de las máquinas.
La Inglaterra Victoriana apostó por un dominio colonial y creció implacablemente como resultado de la revolución industrial, aunque la calidad de vida en promedio mejoró, la aparición de las grandes corporaciones y las pobres jornadas laborales de los obreros, crearon nuevos contrastes sociales que cambiaron drásticamente el entorno. Surgen con la revolución industrial productos y servicios nunca antes imaginados y los artesanos pierden rápidamente su lugar en la creación de los objetos que llenan los espacios del día a día.
William Morris retoma los usos y costumbres del medio evo y del renacimiento y crea un contra movimiento a todo lo que lo rodeaba, podemos considerarlo el fundador del movimiento Arts & Crafts. Con sus estudios minuciosos e implementación de los viejos oficios, y la particular visión que sobre los objetos tenía, logra una propuesta que es válida hasta nuestros días. Sus diseños, en especial los patrones de tapetes, telas y papeles tapices, siguen comercializándose hoy en día.
Este volumen presenta una semblanza muy completa de Morris. Además de sus datos biográficos, que no han de soslayarse, la autora analiza a profundidad su legado. Es así como Elizabeth Wilhide recupera a uno de los pilares del diseño como hoy lo conocemos, Morris y su entendimiento del interior habitable resultan claves para comprender el nacimiento de muchos conceptos domésticos occidentales que trascienden hasta la fecha.
Entender el diseño y en especial el interiorismo moderno sin estudiar a Morris resulta imposible, este sabroso libro es entonces una guía indispensable.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Already a fan of William Morris prints and fabrics, finding out more about his life and how he worked was fascinating. This book explained just how cluttered the typical Victorian house was, and how mass made consumption affected style and taste, illustrating just how radical Morris was in his sense of design and how his point of view has proven visionary. The book is full of photographs of contemporary rooms using Morris designed wall paper, fabrics, and carpets - it's beautiful just to look through.