Paperblanks 2025 Diary - Morris Windrush (Flexi) - Week-at-a-Time

MORRIS WINDRUSH

William Morris

William Morris (1834–1896) is one of the most renowned figures in the decorative arts. As a textile designer, he developed an original style that charmed his contemporaries and has since become a point of reference for all those interested in design and decoration. His creative approach was characterized by his pronounced views on what constitutes beauty and a firm belief in the essential value of art and handicraft. The Arts and Crafts movement, inspired by the ideals of Morris and the social theorist John Ruskin, had as much of an anti-industrial ideological component as it did an aesthetic teaching.

Studying Classics at Oxford University, Morris developed an interest in the history, social values and art of the Middle Ages. His appreciation of the medieval theme found its way into his designs, with patterns often replicating the “millefleurs” style of the 15th and 16th centuries. Characterized by an abundance of small decorative flowers and plants used to fill the background space, this style is most closely associated with the tapestry-making traditions of France and Belgium.

Morris was also an influential writer and a staunch social activist and was aghast at the effect that industrialization was having on human productivity. New methods of production eroded the value of individual skill and a sense of accomplishment that came with the process of handiwork. He perceived medieval crafts guilds to be an ideal arrangement, where everyone contributed according to their own skill, and art and creation were a lived experience for both craftsmen and consumers. When he founded an interior design business together with a few like-minded associates, it followed the guild model and relied on traditional labour-intensive methods of production.

Ultimately, Morris believed that traditional crafts ensured higher-quality products, and so he made his furnishings using traditional weaving and the old technique of hand woodblock printing. For motifs, he looked to nature as his primary source of inspiration, which for him had an added element of defiance to the corrosive Industrial Revolution.

The rich pattern of this Morris Windrush design reflects his abiding interest in naturalism. This is a reproduction of a textile crafted in 1881, the time when Morris’ work was celebrated internationally, and it remains a popular pattern to this day.

ABOUT PAPERBLANKS

Paperblanks journals are the ultimate keepsake, a time capsule documenting a period in life, to be read and re-read through current and future generations. Known for their exceptional craftsmanship, high quality, and long-lasting durability, our journals will preserve your contents for years to come.

In Paperblanks journals the laid paper, detailed embossing and texture on each Paperblanks® cover offers a tactile experience - a real-life, "touchable" interlude in an often-untouchable world of television and other digital information.

Paperblanks journals come in a tremendous variety of beautiful cover designs from almost every era, ensuring that there is truly a journal to fit every taste. Choose your own style and create a personalized brainstorming device, a portable stress-reliever, and a unique reflection of existence.