William Morris

William Morris was one of the most influential voices in Victorian art and architecture. His influence spread into the 20th century in the form of the Arts and Crafts Movement. In 1859 Morris commissioned a friend, Philip Webb, to design him a new home, Red House in Bexley Heath. The house was to be built using traditional materials. Morris was annoyed that he could not find any good textiles and furniture to decorate his new home, so he decided to design them himself. With his friends, Burne-Jones, Rosetti and Webb he formed a small firm, later called Morris and company to sell the products they designed.
Morris did not like the increasing mechanization and mass-production in the arts and he dreamed of re-establishing the values of traditional craftsmenship and simplicity of design. His slogan was that art should be "by the people, for the people".
The company produced high quality items such as stained glass, wallpaper, textiles and furniture, often with a floral motif.