William Morris got his friends involved in painting patterns on the ceilings-following the tiny holes poked in the plaster. They are amazingly regular!
I like this one best. It is on the ceiling of the oriel window-a large window with window seat which juts out over the garden-the bowling lawn in fact. The ladies used to sit in the window with their embroidery and watch the gentlemen playing on the lawn below. What a life!
There is a hatch at the top of this section of the roof-which can be opened to let the bad air out and the good air in. This is an ancient middle eastern idea and design-on the outside is a little roofed turret.
The front door.
Plaster with the holes but unpainted.
The side door.
I like this one best. It is on the ceiling of the oriel window-a large window with window seat which juts out over the garden-the bowling lawn in fact. The ladies used to sit in the window with their embroidery and watch the gentlemen playing on the lawn below. What a life!
There is a hatch at the top of this section of the roof-which can be opened to let the bad air out and the good air in. This is an ancient middle eastern idea and design-on the outside is a little roofed turret.
The front door.
Plaster with the holes but unpainted.
The side door. 
12 comments:
Amazing work. I really like the designs around the hatch in the ceiling. Mr. Morris must have had some very talented and persistent friends. I can't imagine how time consuming and, probably, tedious creating those patterns must have been. The end result is very remarkable.
Hmmm...I don't think I could get my friends to do that.
Did you know that William Morris lived at Kelmscott after George MacDonald, the fairy tale writer, lived there? I think they were friends. And I'm actually not completely sure which lived there first. But they did both live there.
I was starting to feel dizzy, looking at all the patterns - especially the view up to the hatch!
No I didn't know that about Kelmscott-I am wondering if I can visit there at some point-not sure where it is!
How neat!
How lovely! Off to check out the other post about one of my heros!
I'm sure you have been to Kelmscott Sarah. We went to see Alison W. at Oxford and took a trip out there - it was closed! It's a lovely village though. On the Kelmscott website there is some great interviews with various Morris experts illustrated with lots of Morris-abilia you don't get to see elsewhere - worth a look. There is even a Leicester connection - the beautifully simple village hall was designed by Gimson. You must go - and when you do tell me and I'll meet you there!
Very limited opening hours I notice...
http://www.kelmscottmanor.co.uk/visiting
Sorry - I'm getting confused with my Kelmscotts! George MacDonald lived at Kelmscott House (in Hammersmith) and sold it to Morris (useless fact - it now belongs to the playwright Christopher Hampton - so still in the hands of a writer). Above I am talking about Kelmscott Manor, after which Kelmscott House (and Press) were named. Morris could have (if he had wanted to) sailed down the Thames from one to the other - lovely.
WOW...such bold, happy patterns! I love those crescent & dot designs. :o) This was very fun, Sarah! Happy Day ((HUGS))
That's extraordinarily interesting. What a clever man he was.
oooo great patterns - did they let you take pics or were you just covert??!
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