“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”*
by chuckofish
Today is the birthday of William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) who was an English textile designer, poet, novelist, translator, and social activist. Closely associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement, he was a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production.
Among many things, he is famous for his stained glass designs,
book illustration and calligraphy,
politics,
and his wallpaper and fabric designs. Of course, our favorite is the lovely “Compton” design:
“With the arrogance of youth, I determined to do no less than to transform the world with Beauty. If I have succeeded in some small way, if only in one small corner of the world, amongst the men and women I love, then I shall count myself blessed, and blessed, and blessed, and the work goes on.”
(William Morris, The Well at the World’s End, Vol. I)
*John Ruskin said this, although it is often attributed to William Morris. It is good advice.







That statement is very current as the new trend is to have nothing your house that does not bring you joy. See here
Yes, indeed, I have read about this book! “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” It kind of is my mantra as well.
Clearly, that’s a book I could use. I love William Morris fabrics and wallpapers, but they are hard to come by in this country.
And no doubt very expensive!