The Golden Rule, according to William Morris

By Nancy February 22nd, 2010

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
– William Morris

I love this quote! It’s a great sentiment to keep in mind when organizing and de-cluttering. We often advise our kitchen remodeling clients along those lines when it comes to settling into their new kitchen. If it wasn’t useful or beautiful before the remodel, don’t put it back in the kitchen.

William Morris did many things, but in the design world he is very much associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement. The movement was a reaction against the various historic revival styles and ornamentation of the Victorian era and the “soulless” machine-production of the Industrial Revolution. Handcrafting, simplicity of form, and emphasizing the nature of the materials used were all hallmarks of this movement which flourished between 1880 and 1910.