Red House occupies an extraordinary place in British architectural
history. It was the first and only house that William Morris ever built.
It was the first independent architectural commission from his friend,
Philip Webb. The challenge of furnishing the house inspired Morris to
found the design firm of Morris & Co. It had a great influence on the
Arts & Crafts Movement. But it is also a house that captured William
Morris's heart. He was only twenty-five when, in 1858 he decided to buy
the site at Bexleyheath, just outside London, but in a rural Kentish
setting. He had recently married Jane Burden, daughter of an Oxford
ostler, whose particular beauty became inspiration for so much
pre-Raphaelite art. With his young wife and his wealth he planned to
produce a vision of earthly paradise at Red House. Rosetti described it
as 'more a poem than a house', Morris called it 'our place of art', and
when he was obliged to give it up for financial reasons in 1865, he
resolved never to return. His biographer recorded that he could 'never
set eyes on it again, confessing that the sight of it would be more than
he could bear'. Red House was saved from an uncertain future in January
2003 by the National Trust, and has already opened its doors. Visitors
will be able to see some of the original furnishings but many are now at
Kelmscott Manor, the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, the Victoria
& Albert Museum and other locations. This book, however, will provide
both the story of Red House and a 'virtual tour' to enable the reader to
see how the house looked and functioned when William Morris, his family
and friends lived there.
