William Morris

William Morris

March 24, 1830-October 3, 1896

Today, as an Arts & Crafts bungalow dweller, I am remembering William Morris, the British writer, designer and artist, for his contributions to the English Arts & Crafts Movement. Morris was also a lover of rabbits, reading Brer Rabbit books with his children and selling the most adorable "Brother Rabbit" wallpaper and textiles.

Brother Rabbit Wallpaper/Fabric, a William Morris Design, is available in other colorways.

William Morris adapted his "Brother Rabbit" wallpaper and fabric design from a 17th Century Italian silk. His firm's designs are still sold today under licenses held by Sanderson and Sons ("Morris & Company" brand) and Liberty of London.

Outside Links: The William Morris Society

The Misfit

This little antique chandelier came with our Arts & Crafts bungalow. I know it is a misfit but that is precisely why I love it. I've had to fend off an uncle who decided that it must be replaced with lighting to match the style of the house. I've held out against other members of the family who complained about the lack of real light.

But one should never challenge an old woman who has survived the Age of Hysterectomy with her original plumbing intact; for she is skilled in the defense of dear old things.

Shine on little chandelier. I promise that another fixture shall never take your place and that fluorescence shall never touch your sockets.

Orchids and Zinc

The orchids are Phalaenopsis.

Tall Husband has a green thumb, which is greatly appreciated by our plants and by me. These orchids, for example, have been thriving for almost two months. If I had tended to them, they would not have survived their first week at the Bungalow. For me, gardening is a spectator sport; though, I did make a contribution to the orchids. I brought Tall Husband the zinc cache pot. I think that zinc takes them out of the realm of too chic and helps them blend with the Arts & Crafts style. Okay, so supplying a little zinc pot isn't as great as growing the orchids!

Register Covers

Andover Register Cover: $24.00-$25.50

20th Century Scroll, $24.00-$26.50

Grillwork, $34.00-$42.00

Modera Moderne, $28.00-$42.00

Are you weary of those flimsy big-box register covers that detract from the historic look of your house? Do you hate shelling out big bucks for reproduction house parts? Cannot find antique replacements? I have noticed recently that Restoration Hardware has a selection of well-made, reasonably-priced house parts. These register covers are a wonderful example and are available in various finishes and sizes. It's like buying jewelry for you home!

New Blog

Barcelona Chair (1929) Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; at DWR, Houston, Texas

My new blog, My Ranchburger, is named after my other home, a late fifties haunted (more about that later) ranchburger in Houston, Texas. I wanted a place in which to post about what I call modern minimalism.

In both of my homes many of the furnishings are from the early twentieth century (either original or reproductions of designs from that period.) In The Bunny Bungalow, most pieces are arts & crafts antiques or reproductions from Stickley; whereas, the pieces at My Ranchburger are modern, such as Le Corbusier or Marcel Breuer designs (reproductions from Cassina). These seemingly disparate styles surprisingly have in common the time period in which their designs were originally produced. With arts & crafts, the designers were looking backward, to a time when things were handcrafted. The designers of modern style, however, were looking to the future, so embraced industrial production. In spite of having been conceived in the same time period, the two styles seem to be in opposition to one another, yet they have in common a minimalist purity. Therein lies the reason a minimalist heart can love both styles.

Tick-Tock: the Heart of the House

The pendulum of a German Arts & Crafts wall clock at The Bunny Bungalow

An old pendulum clock in the house is like a heartbeat: the sound of its tick-tock has a comforting rhythm; counting its chimes has a calming effect. It's predictable and reassuring unlike many events in our daily lives. It's as soothing as a mother's heartbeat is to her own baby.

Note: The R & A on the pendulum are generally thought to stand for "retard" and "advance," as the nut beneath these letters is used to adjust the movement so the clock keeps the correct time. The first pendulum clock was designed and built by a Dutch scientist, Christiaan Huygens, in 1656.

Also Note: Tall Husband had to take the mechanism apart and repair our clock, though we had been assured when we purchased it that it was in good working order. He insists that it was not a clock but rather a "clock kit." It now keeps perfect time. Our bungalow has a healthy heartbeat.

Ding Dong!

At The Bunny Bungalow Tall Husband installed a new "old" doorbell from Rejuvenation Lighting and House Parts. It's attached to the original Arts & Crafts door. When you turn the outside knob it sounds like those bells at old service stations. You know, your dad's car would run over an old black hose in the station's drive, which caused a loud bell to ring; causing a polite young man to run out to fill up the car, clean the windshield and check the oil and tires. Oh, I forgot; you aren't old enough for that memory. Well, just take my word for it. I don't make this stuff up.

The Pompous Painter

Arts & Crafts Interior and Exterior Preservation Palette is courtesy of Sherwin Williams.

Brochure is courtesy of Ralph Lauren Paints.

I have a great talent: I can paint. My rooms and exteriors are sheer perfection. I have been offered paint jobs by big contractors; I have had individuals drive by when I am painting the exterior, look at my work and beg me to bid on their jobs. Well, I do dress the part: all white with a painters cap. To look at my work, you would think that I love painting. I hate to paint but I hate poorly done work even more. And the lack of real painters has driven me to rolling my own.

Everyone thinks he is a painter, including the last disillusioned guy we hired and fired. By the way, he still sends us Christmas cards. I suppose he thinks that being a Christian makes him immune to the need for skills and talent. He has made me religious; I pray that he finds another line of work. Enough about him!

When speaking of painting, one cannot overstress the importance of preparation. Painting is the easy part. Preparation is the bitch. After proper surface preparation, the next three, most important tips I give your are: tape, tape, and tape; with tape being used as both noun and verb. I have heard other painters brag about not having to tape and I have seen their work; not a pretty sight.

When purchasing paint and supplies for The Bunny Bungalow, the Sherwin Williams store in the neighborhood is my favorite spot. Sherwin Williams has a palette of Arts & Crafts colors just for bungalows; colors like Dard Hunter Green, Hubbard Squash, Bungalow Gray, Roycroft Adobe. And our store has the best color-matching staff and computers, plus they calibrate their computer frequently. You thought all paint-store clerks and color-matching computers were the same or even infallible? Wrong, my sweet innocent one; you should see some of the color matches I have had foisted upon me.

For interior paint and colors at the Ranchburger, I love Ralph Lauren Paints. The entire interior is Tackroom White. It took Tall Husband and me two years of looking and trying paints to find the right white. The walls are matte white and the trim is semi-gloss white. I buy Ralph Lauren Paints at a wonderful local store, Bering's.

Always buy the top-of-the-line paint. Catch them on sale. Painting is so horrible, you don't want to do it frequently. Buy the best brushes and clean them with water soluble brush & roller cleaner at the end of each paint day. If you are painting things white, use water-based paint, as oil based will yellow. I buy white scrub pants, tee shirts and white sneakers for painting. You also need safe ladders of the appropriate height and lots of drop cloths.

When you are finished, keep extra paint for touch-up work. Retain a copy of the computer label from the top of the can so the paint store can simply enter the numbers printed there to achieve a perfect match. The wooden paint stirrers are great for color matching if you don't have the computer codes. Simply dip a clean stick into the paint you may want match; let dry; then on the unpainted part, write the name of the room or area for which the color is intended. Also make sure you write down the sheen of the paint (flat? matte? semi-gloss? egg shell?), as colors will appear to be different if the sheen does not match .

Neutral colors appeal to me. I had rather that color be added through art and flowers. I get frightened when a decorator, magazine headlines or book titles shout that color is going to solve my problems. I like what the the two Ann's* told Metropolitan Home, March, 1992, about color: "Take chances with white. An interplay of various whites on different surfaces give a room depth and intrigue..." Those two are my kind of women.

Go wild with white!

*Ann Holden & Ann Dupuy, interior designers, New Orleans