Morris' House

William Morris appears to be the theme for our outings of recent. On Good Friday we headed as a family down to Standen, an Arts and Crafts house near East Grinstead, designed by Philip Webb, a friend of Morris. The interiors are a wealth of fabrics and wallpapers by Morris & Co. and had a real warmth and a feeling of being lived in. I’m starting to get an idea of what my favourites are, and seeing materials that have so many memories for me, such as Nanna’s sofas.; I didn’t realise they were a Morris creation. The architectural design of the house seemed to me like a collection of parts, and perhaps one day I can emulated the greenhouse and seating alcove in designs of my own.

Mr Morris

Last week Ma and I travelled up to the very opposite end of the Victoria line to Walthamstow and the William Morris Gallery. A grand townhouse set in Lloyd Park, the gallery is in the building Morris lived in as a teenager and today hosts a wealth of his Arts and Crafts work from early drawings, to furniture, to fabrics, to ceramic tiles. Mum has seen more of his work in situ at Red House and Standen, but this free-of-charge gallery is a gem in London. Walthamstow itself was full of surprises for me: historic churches and cottages nestled into the north London suburb. All well worth a visit!