Archive wallpaper collection Morris & Co

Morris & Co Archive wallpaper with dense botanical patterns

Archive wallpaper from Morris & Co brings together botanical patterns dated between 1871 and 1904, several drawn by William Morris himself and others by JH Dearle. Leaves, stems and flowers fill the wall edge to edge, with almost no plain ground showing. The drawing reads like an engraving, with clear outlines and fine shading. Some colorways keep to two quiet tones, while others layer olive, rust and blue. On a full wall the pattern carries the room, so you can keep the furniture plain.

Designs in the Archive wallpaper collection

Marigold wallpaper, William Morris's design from 1875, sets long serrated leaves and marigold heads on a dotted ground, here in pale beige over ochre. Pimpernel wallpaper (1876) is the pattern Morris hung in his dining room at Kelmscott House, with cream-pink flower heads mirrored across an olive and dark brown ground. Golden Lily wallpaper, drawn by JH Dearle in 1899, lets cream-yellow lilies, orange tulip buds and berry clusters wander along blue-gray stems on a cream ground. Dearle also drew Meadow Sweet wallpaper in 1904, a formal arrangement of symmetrical plant motifs that mostly comes in light, airy colors. Scroll wallpaper, a Morris design from 1871 inspired by medieval illuminated manuscripts, sends trailing leaves and marigolds over a ground of smaller leaves. Willow wallpaper (1874) fills the wall with flowing willow branches in eight colorways, from warm Russet to earthy Olive. Artichoke wallpaper turns stylized artichoke leaves into a rhythmic repeat that feels almost sculptural.

Styling Archive by Morris & Co in your home

Archive wallpaper works best next to natural textures and plain upholstery, as the room photos show. Marigold sits behind a wooden tabletop with stoneware and cut flowers, which keeps the ochre warm. Pimpernel lines a sitting room with sisal carpet, a striped sofa and a log basket, while Golden Lily holds its own against tartan cushions, a kilim and dark wood. Selected Wallpapers stocks all seven designs, so you can pair a dense Pimpernel living room with a lighter Meadow Sweet bedroom.