Red House
William Morris’s home at Bexleyheath, built in 1859–1860 – the friends’ shared furnishing marked the beginning of Arts and Crafts.
When William Morris married he had the architect Philip Webb design a house in red brick. No furniture suited it, so Morris and his friends, among them Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, made it themselves.
The work led Morris to found his firm for furniture, glass and textiles in 1861. Red House became a symbol of the idea of a home in which everything is made with care.
Materials: Red brick, oak, painted panels, embroideries
Manufacture: The house was designed by Philip Webb; furniture, murals and textiles were made by Morris, his wife Jane and friends.
Built-in furniture with painted panels.
Exposed brick and wood without decorative disguise.
Embroidered hangings and patterns from nature.