Great pains were taken by William Morris
personally in the preparation of pure and lasting colors, nothing
being spared to that end; some of his vats requiring years to bring
their dyes to perfection. William Morris design, bearing the stamp of his
strong color sense and sobriety of taste, notwithstanding many
imitations are inimitable. Morris was not slow to recognize the immense
benefit to the arts in England of the Kensington collections, being
particularly interested in the Persian textiles; and he edited a
little hand-book of the Industrial Arts, illustrated by examples in
the South Kensington Museum. William Morris Victorian wallpaper of the 1870s
were peculiarly unique both in coloring and design, the latter from
Morris's own hand, the former under his special supervision. The
most distinctive were the following designs:
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William Morris Wallpaper: "Golden Lily Minor" |
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William Morris Acanthus wallpaper |
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William Morris Apple Wallpaper |
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William Morris "Pomegranate" wallpaper design features oranges, lemons, peaches and pomegranates. |
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William Morris "Trellis" wallpaper was one of his first designs. He was inspired by the rose trellis in the garden of his house in Kent. |
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William Morris "Willow" wallpaper design was crafted in 1874 and was available in several colors. |
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William Morris "Pomegranate" wallpaper design features oranges, lemons, peaches and pomegranates. |
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1.
William Morris Wallpaper - The Ferns: Groundwork, the tint known as réséda,
or olive; the spray of fern thrown
carelessly upon it with that perfectly artistic grouping that can
only come from the closest study of nature. The ferns were in a
lighter shade than the background, but the tracing and fine lines
were dark. A lovely paper for a room where one wished to hang
pictures, the neutral tint, so soft yet so cool, forming an
admirable background. For a finish above and below a picture moulding a shade darker with black lines either side,
was charming;
with a gilt edge.
2. William Morris Wallpaper - The Daisies: There were two styles of this William Morris wallpaper pattern, securing
entirely different effects by the use of different tints for the
groundwork. The light daisy had a creamy ground, with the faintest
suggestion of green— paler than Nile water, unless it were covered
with foam. The daisies were in clusters, as might gathered;
pale pink, buff, or white, with real daisy leaves, not some
nondescript growing from a stalk that could bear cabbages or roses.
Each flower was distinctively and truthfully treated in the smallest
detail. Among the daisies were a few bluebells and scarlet
columbines, as carefully finished as the daisies. The dark daisy had
an olive ground, rather deep in tone, heightening the hue of the
flowers by contrast, permitting also warmer coloring: at all events,
a selection of the brightest daisies the field afforded. 3. William Morris Wallpaper - Pomegranate or Fruit Pattern: The foliage was peculiar,
suggesting foreign flavors in the fruit hanging so temptingly within
reach— half grown, wholly grown, ripe, and unripe; here and
there one with the rind divided, showing the crimson seeds. This
also was repeated on dark and light grounds. 4.
William Morris Wallpaper - Rose and Trellis: Narrow bars in tints of brown, four to six
inches apart, suggest old-time cottage casements; veritable roses,
not woven arbitrarily, one in, one out, ad infinitum, but
climbing freely, luxuriantly, as nature might dictate, throwing out
sprays and leaves where sprays and leaves made themselves necessary;
bright, warm June roses, hanging heavy and sweet, tempting the
bluebirds and thrushes that stoop over them for their morning
draught. A stray hummingbird or two were among the flutterers. Count
the petals of the roses, trace the leaves; they, too,
are studies from nature, not offsprings of the artist's fancy.
5.
William Morris Wallpaper - Birds and Arabesque: These were in white on a ground of blue,
like the heavens in June, not the glittering blue of a frosty
winter's day, but the soft, hazy blue that makes all things fresh
and fair. This was repeated in gold tracery oil a black or extremely
dark ground.
6. William Morris Wallpaper - The
Jasmine: Groundwork no tint that can be named, yet
it could be seen at times after sunset lying low above the horizon;
neither gray nor blue nor green, still less yellow, but with a hint
of each, the key-note, after all, being a sea tint.
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William Morris led the Arts and Crafts movement of the late nineteenth century. William Morris designs for the home include exquisite patterns of wallpaper, many which are still reproduced today to decorate homes. The Arts and Crafts movement was made up of English designers and writers who started a return to well-made, handcrafted goods as a competition to poor quality machine-made items. 
Walter Crane was an ornamental designer and decorator and is noted for his Arts and Crafts wallpaper designs. Crane designed many exquisite patterns of wallpaper, some which are still reproduced today to decorate homes. 
