Wallpaper Inn presents William Morris

Putting the Co in Morris & Co, the English fabric house’s latest collection, Morris & Friends celebrates the friends, collaborators and fellow makers who have contributed to the brand’s rich offering of luxury fabrics and wallpapers over the years. Explore more with Wallpaper Inn.

“Morris & Co., or Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. as it was first known in 1861, has always been a home for the brightest creative talents of the age,” says the company. “Synonymous with pioneering figure William Morris, the brand has seen scores of inventive craftswomen and men who have each left an indelible mark on British design.”

Paying homage to 160 years of creative endeavours, the Morris & Friends collection features 23 fabric and 21 wallpaper designs, including embroideries, tapestries and velvets, drawn from a portfolio of work by icons such as J.H. Dearle (1859-1932) and Edward Godwin (1833-1886).

“Morris & Friends also celebrates the under-recognised work of 19th-century women artists such as Kate Faulkner (1841-1898), May Morris (1862-1938), and Kathleen Kersey (active in the early 20th century). These women designers were just as skilled as the men but, sadly, sat in the background at the time. Morris & Friends celebrates these talented artists and their beautiful works alongside well-recognised best-selling designs. There is familiarity, paired with new additions, such as J. H Dearle’s Helena, a seamlessly intricate design. This is a story of celebration, where we can uplift and recognise the ‘Co’ in Morris & Co., a brand of many talented makers,” adds the company.

Highlights of the collection include Pimpernel – William Morris’s 1876 design characterised by tendrils bowed in the wind beloved today for its potent energy and tender floral form, available in five colourways – and Bamboo, a new reimagining of a design by E.W. Godwin in 1872, available in two contrastingly warm and cool colourways.