William Morris and The Art of Living Beautifully
THE BEAUTY OF WILLIAM MORRIS
William Morris is best remembered as the visionary behind the Arts & Crafts movement — someone who believed that beauty should be a daily companion, not a rare indulgence. A designer, poet, and social thinker, Morris championed the idea that the objects we live with should nourish the spirit as much as they serve a purpose. His patterns — lush with birds, blossoms, and intricate vines — remain as timeless and alive today as they were in the late 19th century.
AN AFTERNOON AT THE WILLIAM MORRIS GALLERY
This past January, I spent an afternoon at the William Morris Gallery in Lloyd Park, London — a place Morris once called home. Set within a Georgian villa, the gallery is a treasure trove of his work and world. There are original textiles and wallpapers, hand-drawn pattern books, and rare examples of his printing and binding from the Kelmscott Press.
Walking through those rooms felt like stepping directly into his mind — each corner an expression of his belief that craftsmanship and artistry should be woven into the fabric of everyday life. The air itself seemed to hum with the textures, colors, and philosophies that shaped his legacy.
MORRIS, LETTERING, AND THE CALLIGRAPHER’S HAND
While Morris is celebrated for his botanical designs, he was equally passionate about the beauty of the written word. At the Kelmscott Press, which he founded in 1891, he designed typefaces inspired by medieval manuscripts and often incorporated illuminated initials into his printed works.
For me, as a calligrapher, this is where our worlds intersect. Morris understood that letters are more than carriers of meaning — they are shapes with rhythm, proportion, and life. His love of lettering mirrors my own fascination with the way a single curve of ink can elevate a page into something worth keeping forever. I also see echoes of round, calligraphic swells in the stylized vines and curved, sweeping lines.
BRINGING MORRIS HOME: THE SCRIBE NEW YORK NOTEBOOK COLLECTION
It’s this shared devotion to beauty and function that inspired the launch of the William Morris Notebook Collection, now available at ScribeNewYork.com. Sold as a 2-pack of larger notebooks or a 3-pack of A5 sizes, each flex-cover notebook is adorned with one of Morris’ iconic patterns — Kennet, Apple, Strawberry Thief, Fruit, and Wild Tulip — so that even your most practical notes rest inside something beautiful.
As Morris famously said, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” I like to think these notebooks offer both in equal measure — a place for your words, sketches, and ideas, wrapped in a design that’s been inspiring creative work for over a century.