It is not often that an opportunity to study six fireplaces in one home is presented to us. To explore and understand what the combination of personal taste and availability of construction materials was – at one particular period in time – is a rare occurrence.

“Jolimont” is an architect-designed home in Victoria, B.C., Canada. William H. Bainbridge, a mining engineer and businessman, built the house in 1892 for his family. He asked Samuel C. Burris, an architect and business associate, to design the house. Situated on a hill and overlooking the ocean five streets away, the house was described in 1894 as “commanding one of the best and most extensive views in British Columbia”

The large house was slated for demolition 25 years ago, but was saved and has been carefully restored since then. The six fireplaces have received particular attention, as they are such features in the main rooms, and they have retained almost all of their original tiles from 1892.

Fireplace 1:

 

The main fireplace of “Jolimont” was the focal point of the 1892 Drawing Room. With a mantel and overmantel made of western red cedar, this massive piece of woodwork dominates the room. The rare feature of this fireplace is the stained glass window that penetrates the chimney over the firebox. A bit of architectural whimsy and Victorian cleverness, it poses the question: “Where does the smoke go?”. The chimney flue actually goes up to the right on an angle, and then straight to the top of the very high chimney, one of four chimneys of the house.

The Fleur de Lis design in the stained glass window – with a green jewel in the centre – harkens to the French name of the house given to it by the Bainbridge family – “Jolimont”.

The wallpaper surrounding the fireplace is William Morris’ “Vine” wallpaper, which he designed in 1873. It is available in four colourways, including this one with a rich gold background from www.HistoricStyle.com.

The tiles of the fireplace were made by Minton Hollins and Co. in England. This company was huge, with a workforce of over 1,000 in the 1890’s, and they exported tiles all over the world, including to western Canada. A rich design of green and brown majolica tiles surrounds the cast-iron fireplace insert, providing extra non-flammable fire separation between the firebox and the wooden mantelpiece.

Majolica tiles are distinguished by their molded surfaces and colorful clear lead glazes. Minton’s introduced Majolica ware, including dishes, jugs and ornaments, at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 and it gained great popularity and commercial success with the public. By 1900, the fashion for Majolica had faded, and majolica tiles are now rare and collectable. Victorian majolica tiles in fireplaces are worth preserving intact.

Cast iron fireboxes were clever, prefabricated units that slid into an existing opening in a chimney. They were already supplied with a fire chamber, two rear dampers opening into the chimney, and two front grills that could be opened to control the amount of air getting to the fire itself. The inserts were designed to burn coal, but they also can burn wood or, more effectively, pressed sawdust logs, providing good heat from a small opening.

The cast iron fireboxes came in several widths. 24” and 30” were two common sizes, and it appears that the three main floor mantelpieces of “Jolimont” were each designed to take a 30” wide fireplace insert, but only a 24” wide insert was installed in each opening, as there are two non-matching, but original, strips of 3” wide tiles down each side of the inserts, filling in the space that would be the difference between the two sizes of inserts.

 

The filler tile strips of Fireplace 1 feature a Fleur de Lis design, complementing the design of the stained glass window above.

Questions are posed. Were there no 30” wide inserts when the house was under construction? Or were the larger grates more expensive, and it was cheaper to add tiles, rather than a wider insert? Or were the 24” inserts a more pleasing design? We will never know.

The hearth of Fireplace 1 – seen below – was made of 3” x 3” tiles set on a 45 degree angle, combining three different tiles: green mottled; olive textured, and amber plain tiles. All have shiny glazes. All of the three main floor fireplaces have a black ceramic fender surrounding the hearth.

 

This illustration from 1859 shows a glass case for “window gardening” but also shows heavy curtains tied back with cord and tassels

Curtains in the early Victorian period were just becoming household items that regular people could pay attention to in their homes. Wealthy people had always had curtains made out of rich fabrics, and their curtains had been made with the suggestion of visual importance.

But with the onset of the industrial revolution, and the new availability of attractive, inexpensive fabrics that were attainable by middle-class and lower class households, then a great variety of curtains became available.

Magazines such as “Godey’s Lady’s Book” in the United States, and “The Family Friend” in England carried tips on home improvement. They told people how to fit out their homes on very little money, and how taste and appropriate décor was more important than ostentatious displays that were out of keeping to the greater surroundings. Suggestions on how to make chairs out of barrels with a bit of padding and some inexpensive chintz were examples of the thrifty tips promulgated by these popular magazines.

The knowledge that sunlight can damage furnishings is nothing new. In Victorian households, with the greater use of more fugitive vegetable dyes during that time period, damage by fading was a greater threat than it is today with more light-fast colours.

In 1859, one magazine was reminding its readers that “too much light is injurious to the objects on which it falls. Every one knows that curtains and carpets are faded by the sun; it is desirable, therefore, to have the means of shutting out the light, and this we can do satisfactorily by means of different kinds of blinds and curtains.”

A window letting out to a “balcony garden” from 1853. Two layers of curtains are used here – a sheer curtain with a pattern, and heavier main curtains which are ‘puddled’ on the floor.

An 1859 book recommended that curtains be 18” to 24” longer than the height from the rod to the floor, because if this is not done “when they are looped up during the day their lower edges will be so far above the floor as to give them a very mean appearance”.

Sometimes trailing plants or vines were also used indoors as a further method of controlling light.

So, in our present day and age of colour fast materials, we have to remember that Victorian interiors looked the way that they did for a technological reason: they were trying to prevent damage to their possessions, and they, being human beings, were trying to do that in as tasteful a way that they could.

Most Victorian windows had three layers of light protection. First were blinds. Early roller blinds were not spring loaded, but instead were controlled by “rack pulleys” – a small piece of hardware attached to the side of the window frame – which stopped the tape or cord from unrolling.

The second layer were lace or sheer curtains, to block light but let some of the view and light to be seen and enjoyed.

The third layer were the curtains themselves. Changed in summer and winter, these curtains would be the fashionable, more expensive fabrics that were meant to complement the interior design of the room that they were in.

On the exterior of a house, the irregular panes of glass in a leaded window twinkle and reflect both sunlight and the building’s surroundings, adding a sparkle that contrasts wonderfully with the other materials used in the house.

A stained glass heraldic shield, surrounded by clear leaded squares of glass, and corner jewels create a rich texture on the outside of this 1897 architect-designed home.

But it is on the inside of the house that stained glass windows reign supreme. Adding colour, mystery, sparkle and surprise, stained glass windows can be simple or extravagant. They can be – for all intents and purposes – paintings set into the wall of a house, or they can be simpler decorative elements that reflect the design of the rest of the house.

Sunlight coming through stained glass can send brilliantly coloured little searchlights of colour across a room, highlighting objects with a halo of colour, and adding an unexpected and surprising dimension to your home.

Living with stained glass windows in your rooms can be an enriching experience.

This large, horizontal window was set above a dining room sideboard in a 1912 Pattern Book house in Victoria, Canada, which was built from plans from the Los Angeles-based ‘Bungalow Craft’ company.

The same house features this intricate window in the front hall. Garlands of leaves are set into squares of beveled clear glass and surrounded by strips of caramel and green glass.

Encaustic tiles were often used to replicate or reinterpret medieval tiles that were found in early churches. Those early tiles were the first to incorporate a thin layer of extra clay in another colour to impart the design in either geometric shapes or the designs showed stylized animals or plants.

The Victorians took the designs and applied mass production techniques to the manufacturing process. With encaustic tiles, they improved on the medieval tiles substantially. Medieval tiles were painted or had thinly laid on designs and the designs could wear off with heavy foot traffic. Victorian encaustic tiles were manufactured with the design running through the depth of the tile, so that if the tile wore down, so did the design contained within the tile.

The Victorian encaustic tiles were made in a moulded process, leaving carefully shaped holes in the tile that would later be filled with differently coloured wet – almost liquid – clay. The clay would be poured into the remaining voids in the tile. It would set, and then be scraped off level with the surface of the original tile, and then sent for firing.

Encaustic tiles were then used as decorative highlights – usually in a field of geometric tiles. Due to the hardwearing traits of encaustic tiles, they could be used in a variety of heavy foot traffic situations, either outdoors, or in public buildings and churches.

Encaustic tiles were sometimes used in residential buildings, but due to the cost involved, they were generally used as focal point tiles in grander homes of wealthy industrialists. However, in Scotland, you can frequently still see them as colourful walkways leading to the front door of a stone terrace house.

An entry path to a stone terrace house in Edinburgh made of a combination of geometric and encaustic tiles. The encaustic tiles have been used as the decorative tiles in the centres of the large diamond shapes in the centre of the walkway.

A wonderfully preserved Hardware and Ironmonger shop in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, although the blue paint job is not original. This shop still retains its geometric and encaustic tile entryways from when the shop was built in Victorian times.

One of the tile entryways to the Hardware store. The encaustic tiles are the small floral designs around the border.

Another entry area to the Hardware store with a tile floor using a combination of geometric and encaustic tiles, with a marble threshold which probably was a step up from the sidewalk pavement before rules about handicapped access were implemented.

Another shop front entry using both geometric and encaustic tiles. The small floral tiles around the border are encaustic tile as are the small brown tiles in the centre of the design.

Palace of Westminster – Home of the Houses of Parliament, London. The Central Lobby with a richly-detailed Encaustic and Geometric tile floor

The State Capitol Building in Des Moines, Iowa, which retains splendid examples of both Geometric and Encaustic floor tiles in its lavish interior.

Iowa State Capitol: The Grand Staircase pre 1904 with encaustic tile at right on the landing of the stairs.

The Grand Staircase today with the encaustic tile on the landing

A detail of the tiles on the landing – a combination of both Geometric and Encaustic tiles

A further detail

Victorian tile floors can be a major decorative feature in any building. The design and colours add a delightful richness to a splendid building.

Seen here in an 1885 view, the North-South First Floor corridor of the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines shows the vast expanse of Geometric tiles installed during construction c.1884-1885

Keep your eyes down in older public buildings and in grand residential historic house museums! You may encounter more splendid examples of Victorian floor tiling.

The skill of the tile layer allowed a wide range of patterns to be produced.

Two views of a geometric tile floor in the front hall of an 1896 brick house in Lincoln, England. With all of the decorative appeal of a carpet, the wearability of tiles for the front entrance of this home gave a practical aspect to this installation.

Each color is a separate tile. Square, triangles and rectangles of different coloured tiles are carefully fitted together in a modular fashion to make this design.

Geometric tiles were usually laid tightly together, so there were no grout joins between the tiles, giving a seamless appearance to the finished floor.

Black and White geometric tiles give an impressive entry porch to a house in Russell Square in London. Several different shapes and sizes of tile were placed to make this overall design.

A floor in a sculpture alcove on the terrace at Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s residence on the Isle of Wight in England. The floor has been made up of geometric tiles, some cut to carefully match the curve of the alcove.

They are Mosaic tile flooring, Geometric tiling, and Encaustic tiling. Each has its own appearance and they were sometimes combined together for wonderful decorative effects.

These tiles were used for a wide variety of purposes for both interior and exterior applications. They were used for front walks – especially in Scotland – and front hallways. They were used for the outside entrances for shops, and the interiors of churches. They were also used for opulent flooring for grand public buildings like City Halls, Houses of Parliament or State Capital buildings as well as for very grand private homes.

Mosaic Tile Floors

Mosaic Floors were made of small pieces of multi-coloured tiles that were planned carefully to provide a detailed design. The small pieces of tile were then imbedded into a solid bed of mortar and grouted for a fine final appearance.

Known since Roman times, mosaic tiles enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in late Victorian times, due to a combination of industrialization for manufacturing tiles, as well as an increased interest and knowledge of antique architecture. England, with its Roman history, was a particularly popular area for the revival of mosaic tiling.

Two splendid examples of Victorian mosaic flooring in shop entrances in Bowness in the Lake District in England.

An example of c1930’s mosaic flooring in a shopfront in Chichester, England. The mosaic tiles are laid in a classic ‘fan’ shape, with a contrasting border. The entry tiles are set off with marble cladding below the shop windows and a marble threshold between the sidewalk and the entry.

In this article we present – from archival photographs – two specialized structures for whiling away hot days: A large airy Pennsylvania porch from 1910 and a wonderful “Inexpensive Tent Cabin for the Summer Season” from Pasadena in 1913.

Enjoy dreaming of a simpler, quieter, more peaceful summer!

A Classically-inspired
Pennsylvania Porch

An airy front porch on a grand scale promises restful relaxation to the lucky folks who take their ease in these wicker chairs.

This porch is on a residence in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and was built in 1910 by Knickerbacker Boyd, architect.

The house itself was designed with stone walls and Classical features such as the Ionic porch columns, and Palladian windows in the stairway of the house (not visible in this photo).

The tongue and groove porch ceiling, painted in a gloss oil base paint, adds a shimmery coolness to the feeling on the porch, while the floor appears to be covered in a sisal matting, which gives a furnished, ‘outdoor room’ level of comfort to the porch, making it an ideal extension of the living space on a hot summer day.

An Inexpensive Tent-House for the Summer Season

Tent houses were popular summer places to live during the 1880 to 1920 period. They were attractive, affordable, and often used for holiday homes or for temporary ‘on-site’ accommodation while a permanent house was being built.

Construction suggestions for building a tent-cabin from 1913 included:

“A good type of tent-house consists of a wooden floor set on foundation posts, with a frame of 2” x 4” studding.

There are two variations of construction that can follow: an all-canvas option, or a combination wood/canvas method.

If the roof is of canvas, a fly is necessary for use in the summer, otherwise the heat could be oppressive. Additionally, a single layer non-waterproofed canvas cover could leak in heavy downpours.

A partial wooden alternative could be made with a partial wooden wall below and canvas above, and a shingle roof. Interior partitions were made of canvas or “art-burlap” nailed on to wooden frames.”

In 1913, in Pasadena, this summer shelter cost $ 300. to build: Lumber was
$ 100.; Labour was $ 75.; Plumbing $ 100., and Canvas was $ 25.

The exterior of the Tent-House was covered in striped canvas – probably in green and white stripes – with real windows and a screen door.

The interior of the Tent-House was furnished with cozy divans for sleeping and kerosene lamps for light. The partitions are also covered with striped canvas

Left: The porch of the Tent-House had a canvas cover and potted plants.
Right: A more complicated arrangement than first imagined is shown by the floor plan of the Tent-House.

Tent cabins, by the very nature were temporary, and ephemeral. Sometimes photographs or occasional water-colour paintings are all that is left to remind us of this delightful form of housing.

Hanging pictures from a picture moulding in a c1910 house

Homeowners were always wary about damaging plaster, with the attendant cost and mess of effecting repairs to walls that may also have wallpaper applied on them. So, methods of hanging pictures were used to prevent wall damage.

Picture spikes were sold through mail order catalogues such as the Russell and Irwin catalogue of 1865

Homes of the 1860′s and 1870’s used picture spikes to hang their paintings. These were rather clever bits of hardware. Made like a large nail – sometimes round and sometimes square-cut – the tops of the spike had a threaded top. The spike was pounded into place with a hammer, and after it was safely positioned, a decorative, and usually fragile, ‘head’ was screwed on to the threaded top of the spike.

A porcelain-headed picture spike. This spike is small. Picture spikes varied in size from 2 1/2” to 4” in length, depending on the weight of the item being supported. The brass-collared porcelain head unscrews from the spike itself, and is put back on after the spike is hammered into position.

These heads could vary widely in design. They could be a brass button, or made of silver, or glass. White porcelain – like many doorknobs in period houses – was another popular choice for a decorative ‘head’ of a picture spike.

Decorative heads of picture spikes. The ‘heads’ on the spikes range from plain white porcelain to fancy glass and brass concoctions. Available from specialist antique dealers online.

The position on a wall for a picture spike was usually unvarying. They were almost always placed at the top of a wall, so the spike would go into the solid wood top plate of the wall framing behind the plaster, to ensure a solid support for a painting. As well, the spikes were almost always positioned in the centre of short walls – on either side of, or over a mantelpiece – for example. On long walls, there could be three or more picture spikes hung along the length of a wall, but evenly spaced.

The pictures were then hung on wires from the painting to the spike in an inverted “V” shape.

Fairfield Tulip wallpaper c1908. From Historic Style.

Wallpaper is synonymous with heritage homes. Old photographs show a wealth of pattern peeking out from behind paintings, showing a rich background for stiff family portraits, and generally giving another-world atmosphere redolent of an earlier age.

Decorating with wallpaper has a long history, back to the Renaissance or earlier, but that form of decoration was rare and expensive. That early wallpaper was not printed on the rolls that we know today, but was hand-painted or block-printed onto small squares of paper that were then applied to the walls with overlapped edges, giving an overall pattern.

The first imports of wallpaper in North America generally came from England or France as early as 1700, and would have been relatively expensive, coming first in sheets and rolls soon after. This paper was only seen in more expensive homes, leaving pioneer and early farm dwellings unadorned. American wallpaper was manufactured by block printing from around 1790. Around 1840 machine-made wallpaper made its debut in the United States. Advances in new machinery made it possible for continuous rolls of paper to be printed at inexpensive pricing.

Once established, the new wallpaper industry in both Europe and North America grew relatively quickly, and adapted to changing tastes and fashions through the following decades. Well-known English designers such as William Morris and C.F.A. Voysey were prolific in their output of distinctive wallpaper patterns. North American designers were generally more anonymous, but manufacturers wrote, “the best of our artists were employed” for their designs.

Poppy Field wallpaper – Canadian 1890′s – Historic Style Wallpaper

A ceiling paper from the 1890′s – A non-directional design with gilt and silver

By the 1890’s, wallpaper manufacturing was a major industry, primarily centred in the eastern manufacturing areas of both Canada and the United States. Mail order wallpaper suppliers ensured a wide distribution of their designs across North America through small wallpaper sample catalogues . In the United States mail order suppliers included Sears Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, and Larkin Wallpapers. Eaton’s and David Spencer were two of the suppliers in Canada. Small original wallpaper sample books from these distributor/manufacturers can still be found at garage sales and junk stores, and give glimpses to the bright colours and intricate designs popular in earlier time periods.

Wallpaper was thought to be a good class of decoration, and was produced at all price levels. Even the very cheapest papers were considered a civilized improvement on original pioneer construction of rough logs or plank walls, where it was hung on a layer of muslin, which was tacked up and then shrunk with water to provide a tight, smooth base to hang the wallpaper. The wallpaper applied a gilded and colourful veneer of gentility to the humblest homes.

William Morris

It is almost presumptuous to try to write a short article about William Morris (1834 – 1896). His many talents defy easy summary. He is generally acknowledged as the father of the Arts & Crafts movement in both Britain and America, and his work still influences people today.

Born into a well-off family, William Morris was a designer of carpets, wallpapers, and fabrics. He taught himself to weave tapestries. He was a poet, and was asked by Queen Victoria to be the Poet Laureate, an honour he declined. He was both a businessman and a socialist, speaking at meetings and rallies. And he also was the founder of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, an organization that continues in England today. All in all, he was an astounding personality. If this short article intrigues you at all, I would encourage you to read one of the many, many superb books on his life and work.

I will try to contain myself to some observations about his wallpapers and fabrics, and where in England you can see them.

When Morris started designing wallpapers, in the early 1860’s, most wallpapers at that period were generally formal in design, in a repeating pattern.

Morris introduced naturalistic patterns to wallpaper and fabric. Some of his designs were inspired – or copied – from historic designs he found in the Victoria and Albert Museum. But mostly, Morris designed from nature, using as a basis the plants and flowers found in his own gardens or in the woods and fields close to his homes.

A typical formal American wallpaper from 1865 – designer unknown

Fruit by William Morris designed in 1864

The design names speak to these designs: Pink & Rose; Marigold; Rose; Wild Tulip; Daisy; Fruit; Michaelmas Daisy; and others. Other designs were named after nearby rivers: the Wandle; Medway. Evenlode and Cray – all with meandering, diagonal designs.

Pink & Rose – designed by Morris in 1891. Available from Historic Style.

An American paper typical of the 1890’s – A contrast to Morris’ flatter designs

The main distinction of his designs was the flat, stylized nature of his patterns. Other wallpaper and fabric of the Victorian period would have tried to imitate the full-blown roundness of a rose for example, with careful shading and colouring. Morris dispensed with all that, and drew patterns that were more like Japanese wood-block designs, with a certain formality in structure, but with an informal subject matter. Morris’ designs were also carefully worked out to make a visually pleasing repeat when covering a wall.

Trellis Detail wallpaper from 1864. Available from Historic Style

Previously, “Trellis” had only been available as a hand blocked design – using 11 hand-carved pearwood blocks – at great expense. Now available printed on Surface Print machines, this design is a triumph of the art of surface printing. (For more information on this subject, please see our article on the art of Surface Printing.)

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

Red House, Bexleyheath, near London, England. Built 1859 for William Morris, designed by Philip Webb, architect 1831-1915

“Red House” where Morris lived from 1859 to 1865, was actually known for its white walls, which were regarded as remarkably bare by the tastes of the 1860’s.

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 and Morris & Co. was formed. 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.

The interiors that were designed by Morris’ firm were simpler than most interiors of the period. Where most Victorian houses were full of swagged fabrics, and gilt and ruffles, Morris’s interiors were simpler. The curtains were plainly sewn, although the fabrics were patterned with Morris’ distinctive designs. In fact, if you stand in one of Morris’ interiors, you can often count as many as seven different Morris wallpaper and fabric designs in one room. Yet, there is a similarity of style that binds them all together, and unifies the design of the room. The result is a restful, cozy room, that still looks fresh to today’s eyes.

Two other houses owned by the National Trust in England are available today to visit that have extensive William Morris interiors. Regrettably, The National Trust does not allow photography in its properties now, after some security issues, so we can only show exterior views.

Standen – built 1894 –East Grinstead, Sussex, England. Owned by The National Trust

Daffodil fabric. Used in the Morning Room at “Standen”. Available from Historic Style

“Standen” in East Grinstead, Sussex, was also designed by Philip Webb in 1894, in the English Queen Anne style of brick, tile-hanging and wood. It is a delightful place to visit, set on a light-filled hillside, with wonderful gardens, a fern grotto and a conservatory. (and a tea room and gift shop!) “Trellis” wallpaper can be seen in a hallway, and the Dining Room, with its green-painted wainscot and blue and white china on oak shelves, is a distinctive Webb design. Other rooms have Morris wallpapers, fabrics and wallpapers as well, and it is good to see them in the setting that they were originally chosen for. Designs to be seen at Standen include: Trellis wallpaper; Daffodil fabric; Tulip chintz and Willow Bough wallpaper, among others.

Wightwick Manor, near Wolverhampton. Built in 1887 and 1893. Now owned by The National Trust. One of the best Morris interiors available to visit, with Pre-Raphaelite paintings and Victorian gardens and woodlands.

Pimpernel – Handprint. Designed in 1876. Used in the Dining Room at Wightwick. Available from Historic Style

“Wightwick Manor” (pronounced “Wittick”) now owned by The National Trust, is a vast Tudor-revival house near Wolverhampton. Set in a garden of clipped topiary bushes, Wightwick gives a darker, richer version of Morris interiors. Filled with dark wood, nooks, beamed ceilings and stained glass windows, Wightwick is a medieval-revival house.

Morris designs to be seen at Wightwick Manor include: Pimpernel Handprint wallpaper in the Billiard Room; Cray cotton; Honeysuckle I (new from Historic Style for October 2005) in linen used as a wallcovering; and Wild Tulip wallpaper in the Dining Room.

Wild Tulip Wallpaper in the Dining Room at Wightwick. Designed in 1884. Based on an Italian cut velvet acquired by the Victoria & Albert museum in 1883. Now available in five colourways from Historic Style

William Morris, speaking at a lecture in 1882, said:
“ Whatever you have in your rooms, think first of the walls; for they are that which makes your house and home; and if you don’t make some sacrifice in their favour, you will find that your chambers have a kind of makeshift lodging appearance about them, however rich and handsome your movables may be.”

Morris wallpapers, though designed in England, were historically exported, and used around the world. There are extensive collections in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Today, one of the largest markets for Morris designs is in Japan.

After seeing real Morris interiors – or even photographs of them – one can understand why Morris’ designs have been in continuous production for over 130 years, which speaks to their enduring appeal. His designs were at the forefront of the development of the Arts & Crafts movement in England, and are just as appropriate for today’s restoration or construction of Arts & Crafts style homes in North America.

Historic Style is pleased to be able to present the widest range of Morris designs available in one place. Please look at our On-line catalogue at the full range of Morris’ designs available today.

Click here to see Morris’ Wallpaper and Fabric designs.