The Bold & The Beautiful: House of Hackney's Radical Spin on William Morris

Key Takeaways

• House of Hackney reimagined the Morris & Co. aesthetic for a new generation, amplifying colour and maximalist energy.
• Their approach proves that heritage patterns can be radical, irreverent, and thoroughly contemporary.
• The maximalist interior trend has made bold, all-over botanical prints more desirable than ever.
• Morris's original designs are the perfect foundation for those who want to push their interiors further.
• Pairing classic Morris patterns with bold colour choices and eclectic furniture creates a look that is both rooted and revolutionary.

When Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle founded House of Hackney in 2011, they did something that seemed almost audacious: they took the stately, museum-approved world of William Morris and turned the volume all the way up. The result was a brand that became a cultural phenomenon — and a reminder that the most radical thing you can do with a heritage pattern is refuse to be reverent about it.

House of Hackney's approach — saturated colours, maximalist layering, an unapologetic embrace of more — drew directly from the Morris tradition while exploding its conventions. As Wikipedia notes, the brand became synonymous with a new kind of British luxury: one that was joyful, eccentric, and deeply committed to craft.

The Maximalist Moment

The maximalist interior trend that House of Hackney helped to ignite has transformed the way we think about pattern in the home. Where once the rule was 'less is more', the new orthodoxy is 'more is more' — and Morris's endlessly complex, botanically rich designs are perfectly suited to this moment. The Bower Wallpaper in Indigo/Barbed Berry exemplifies this spirit: its dense, interlocking foliage and deep, saturated colour create an interior that feels genuinely immersive.

Going Bold with Colour

The House of Hackney lesson is simple: do not be afraid of colour. Morris's designs were always intended to be bold — it is only decades of cautious, neutral-obsessed decorating that made them seem safe. The Borage Wallpaper in Red House — named for Morris's own beloved home — is a masterclass in confident colour. Its rich, warm red grounds the botanical pattern in a way that feels both historic and urgently contemporary.

Layering Patterns Like a Pro

One of House of Hackney's signature moves is the layering of pattern upon pattern — wallpaper with printed textiles, botanical prints with geometric cushions, floral curtains with patterned rugs. The key is to maintain a consistent colour palette while varying the scale and density of the patterns. The Double Bough Wallpaper in Teal Rose is an ideal anchor for this kind of layered approach, its large-scale botanical forms providing a strong foundation for smaller, complementary patterns throughout the room.

The Radical Act of Beauty

What House of Hackney understood — and what Morris himself always knew — is that choosing beauty is a political act. In a world of fast furniture and disposable interiors, committing to a handcrafted, botanically rich wallpaper is a statement of values as much as a statement of style. As BBC Culture has explored, wallpaper has always been a medium through which people express who they are and what they believe in. In that sense, the boldest thing you can do is exactly what Morris — and House of Hackney after him — always did: fill your walls with life.