William Morris didn’t believe in decorating for trends.
He believed in decorating for life.
More than a century later, his designs still feel alive - climbing across walls, unfurling over cushions, blooming on curtains and quietly insisting that beauty and usefulness should never be separated.
But here’s the interesting question:
If William Morris walked into a modern home today, what design choices would make him smile . . . and which ones would make him quietly despair?*
Because while Morris patterns are everywhere now, they’re not always being used in ways he’d recognise - or approve of.
This guide from Willy Morris Home Emporium I will explore the design rules William Morris & Co would stand behind, the ones he would reject outright, and how you can use his ideas to create a home that feels layered, soulful, and timeless rather than themed or trend-led.
Along the way, we’ll look at:
- How to decorate with William Morris patterns properly
- Common mistakes people make with Morris-style interiors
- How to use William Morris wallpaper, cushions, textiles and accessories in a modern home
- Practical, human-scale rules you can actually live with
Let’s begin where Morris himself always did.
William Morris’s Core Design Philosophy (In Plain English)
Before we talk rules, we need to talk values.
William Morris wasn’t just a designer - he was a poet, socialist, craftsman, environmentalist (before that word even existed) and fierce critic of industrial excess. His interiors weren’t about 'looks'; they were about how a home feels to live in.
At the heart of Morris’s thinking were a few unshakeable beliefs:
- Beauty is not optional - it’s a human need
- Craft matters more than speed
- Nature is the greatest designer of all
- Objects should be useful and beautiful
- Homes should nourish the spirit, not overwhelm it
"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
That quote alone could be the guiding principle for every room in your home.
Design Rules William Morris Would Absolutely Approve Of
Let’s start with the good stuff - the choices that align perfectly with Morris’s worldview and design instincts.
Rule #1: Put Nature at the Centre of Everything
William Morris & Co patterns are unmistakable because they are rooted in nature - not as decoration, but as structure.
Leaves twist with purpose. Flowers grow in believable rhythms. Birds perch where birds might actually perch.
This is not surface-level floral decoration. This is 'botanical storytelling'.
How this shows up in modern Morris-style interiors
- Botanical wallpaper with dense, repeating patterns
- Cushions and textiles inspired by vines, fruit, foliage, and birds
- Colour palettes drawn from forests, gardens, hedgerows and meadows
- William Morris botanical decor
- Nature inspired home decor
- Botanical wallpaper ideas
- Heritage floral interiors
Morris didn’t want nature copied - he wanted it understood.
Practical takeaway
If your Morris-inspired room doesn’t feel like it could quietly exist beside a garden, something is off.
Rule #2: Choose Pattern Over Plain (But With Intention)
Minimalism, in its modern form, would likely baffle Morris. Vast white walls, blank spaces, and rooms stripped of ornament would feel unfinished to him - even slightly hostile.
That doesn’t mean chaos. Morris loved order, but it was a decorated order.
What Morris-approved pattern use looks like
- Layered patterns that share colour families
- Repeating motifs that create rhythm rather than noise
- Surfaces that reward closer looking
Pattern was not a feature. It was the 'foundation'.
“If you cannot learn to love real art, at least learn to hate sham art.”
Modern application ideas
-
William Morris wallpaper paired with subtly patterned cushions
- Floral prints balanced with small-scale geometrics
- Pattern on walls and soft furnishings, grounded by wood or stone
- How to mix William Morris patterns
- Layering patterns in traditional interiors
- Decorating with patterned wallpaper
Rule #3: Let Craft and Texture Do the Heavy Lifting
Morris despised anything that looked cheap, false or rushed.
Plastic pretending to be wood? Absolutely not.
Printed textures mimicking craftsmanship? Also no.
What he did love was texture you could feel - woven fabrics, embroidered details, carved wood, weighty ceramics.
Materials Morris would approve of
- Linen, cotton, wool, silk
- Wood with visible grain
- Ceramics with irregularity
- Textiles that crease, age and soften over time
This is where Morris interiors feel deeply comforting - they aren’t glossy. They’re honest.
“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”
Practical decorating tip
If everything in a room feels smooth, shiny, and flat, add texture before adding more pattern.
Rule #4: Use Colour Like Nature Does - Deep, Grounded, Layered
Morris colours are never accidental.
They are drawn from:
- Moss and lichen
- Indigo skies
- Ochre earth
- Pomegranate, rose and berry tones
These are complex colours - never flat, never harsh.
Morris-approved colour rules
- Favour depth over brightness
- Use warm undertones
- Repeat colours across different elements
- William Morris colour palette
- Heritage interior colours
- How to decorate with deep greens and blues
Morris colours don’t shout. They hum.
Rule #5: Make Rooms Feel Lived-In, Not Styled
William Morris interiors were not museum pieces. They were meant to be used - read in, rested in, gathered in.
Perfection was never the goal.
Signs of a Morris-approved room
- Books on tables
- Cushions slightly crushed
- Lamps creating pools of light
- Objects chosen for love, not symmetry
A home should look like it belongs to someone - not like it’s waiting to be photographed.
This philosophy aligns beautifully with modern searches like:
- Cosy traditional interiors
- English country style decor
- Timeless home decorating ideas
Design Rules William Morris Would Definitely Reject
Now for the uncomfortable part - the things that look 'right' on Pinterest but would make Morris quietly shake his head.
Rule He’d Reject #1: Using Morris Designs as a Theme
William Morris is not a theme park.
A room filled with 'only' Morris prints, all competing for attention, loses the very harmony he worked so hard to create.
Common mistakes
- Matching wallpaper, curtains, cushions, throws all in the same print
- Treating Morris patterns as novelty décor
- Creating rooms that feel like a catalogue page, not a home
Morris design is about 'conversation', not repetition.
Better approach
Choose one hero pattern and let everything else support it.
Rule He’d Reject #2: Disposable Decor and Fast Fashion Interiors
This one is non-negotiable.
Morris was famously anti–mass production when it sacrificed quality, ethics and longevity.
Fast décor - cheaply made, trend-led, quickly discarded - goes against everything he stood for.
- Sustainable home decor
- Slow decorating ideas
- Ethical interior design
"What business have we with art at all unless all can share it?”
Morris wanted beauty to last - and to be worth the labour behind it.
Rule He’d Reject #3: Ignoring Scale and Proportion
Morris patterns are dense. That’s part of their magic. But used incorrectly, they can overwhelm.
Where people go wrong
- Large-scale patterns in very small rooms with no balance
- Busy wallpaper on every surface
- No visual resting points
Morris-approved solution
- Balance pattern with plain-painted areas
- Use Morris prints strategically - feature walls, alcoves, soft furnishings
- Let the eye pause
- Using William Morris wallpaper in small rooms
- Traditional wallpaper decorating tips*
Rule He’d Reject #4: Trend-Driven Styling Over Meaning
William Morris didn’t chase fashion. He actively resisted it.
Decorating 'just' because something is trending - arches, beige-on-beige, hyper-minimalism - without emotional connection would feel hollow to him.
If your home doesn’t tell *your* story, whose is it telling?
How to Decorate with William Morris Patterns Today (The Balanced Way)
So how do we honour Morris without turning our homes into period dramas?
It’s about 'translation*' not replication.
Room-by-room guidance (modern but Morris-approved)
Living rooms
- Morris cushions on plain sofas
- Patterned curtains grounding the space
- Warm wood and layered lighting
Bedrooms
- Botanical prints for calm, cocooning energy
- Patterned cushions or throws rather than full wallpaper
- Deep, restful colour palettes
Dining spaces
- Morris-inspired table linens
- Artwork rather than full wall coverage
- Natural materials front and centre
Hallways
- Bold wallpaper used confidently
- Vintage-style lighting
- Practical beauty - hooks, benches, runners
Why William Morris Still Matters in Modern Homes
In a world of speed, noise and disposability, Morris offers something radical
Slowness. Care. Intention.
His designs remind us that:
- Homes shape how we feel
- Beauty is not frivolous
- Daily surroundings matter
William Morris didn’t design for trends - he designed for 'human beings'.
And that’s exactly why his work still feels so right.
Final Thoughts: Decorating Like Morris Isn’t About the Past
It’s about the future.
Choosing quality over quantity.
Meaning over minimalism.
Nature over noise.
If William Morris were here today, he wouldn’t tell you to recreate the 19th century. He’d tell you to 'pay attention', choose carefully and surround yourself with things that genuinely make life richer.
