The sentimental nature of home | Bryce Dallas Howard chooses Morris & Co.
Reviving Heritage: William Morris's Designs Enliven Bryce Dallas Howard's 1930s Stone House in Upstate New York
Through the window of actor and director, Bryce Dallas Howard’s 1930s stone house, William Morris’s designs breathe in the fresh Upstate New York air, revelling in sentiment and uplifting escapism that was so important to Howard when designing her home with designer Claire Thomas.
Heirlooms are dotted throughout the home, where Morris & Co. designs sit in harmony, each one lending themselves to the natural light and sentimentality of each room. From Lemon Tree to Pimpernel, Morris & Co. designs connect Bryce and her family to nature through splashes of colour and a slate of designs that suit every home intention.
MORRIS & CO: Your home is full of sentimental objects and design references that hold a deeper meaning. Are there any Morris & Co. designs that have sentimental value for you?
BDH: The Lemon Tree wallpaper in Wedgewood in the guest house comes to mind as holding a lot of sentimental value, especially for my husband Seth. His Nana absolutely loved the colour yellow, and we wanted this space to be like an ode to her. The splashes of yellow in Lemon Tree were a perfect fit.
MORRIS & CO: The tulip theme also stands out. Could you share a little of the significance of the tulip motif (a much-adored motif by Morris) in your home?
BDH: Seth and I keep tulip visuals in our home as a reminder of where we fell in love over 20 years ago. It was a summer in Amsterdam and the tulip fields there are extraordinary – like supernaturally gorgeous.
MORRIS & CO: We know you’re a big Wes Anderson fan. Are there any films of his that have influenced your home design?
BDH: The office (which became a classroom during the Pandemic) is probably the most Wes Anderson-inspired. There’s no one film that this room is based on – though I do love The Grand Budapest Hotel – rather, we were influenced by Anderson's use of bright colours, colour blocking, and vignettes or tableaus with the decor. I like to think of his style as playfully sophisticated and the swirling pattern of the Pimpernel wallpaper in the office definitely has that effect.
MORRIS & CO: Your home is full of sentimental objects and design references that hold a deeper meaning. Are there any Morris & Co. designs that have sentimental value for you?
BDH: The Lemon Tree wallpaper in Wedgewood in the guest house comes to mind as holding a lot of sentimental value, especially for my husband Seth. His Nana absolutely loved the colour yellow, and we wanted this space to be like an ode to her. The splashes of yellow in Lemon Tree were a perfect fit.
MORRIS & CO: The tulip theme also stands out. Could you share a little of the significance of the tulip motif (a much-adored motif by Morris) in your home?
BDH: Seth and I keep tulip visuals in our home as a reminder of where we fell in love over 20 years ago. It was a summer in Amsterdam and the tulip fields there are extraordinary – like supernaturally gorgeous.
MORRIS & CO: We know you’re a big Wes Anderson fan. Are there any films of his that have influenced your home design?
BDH: The office (which became a classroom during the Pandemic) is probably the most Wes Anderson-inspired. There’s no one film that this room is based on – though I do love The Grand Budapest Hotel – rather, we were influenced by Anderson's use of bright colours, colour blocking, and vignettes or tableaus with the decor. I like to think of his style as playfully sophisticated and the swirling pattern of the Pimpernel wallpaper in the office definitely has that effect.
MORRIS & CO: The Willow Bough design from Morris & Co. appears in various spaces. What drew you to this design?
BDH: Contrary to my entirely pink and blush-toned bedroom, my favourite colour is actually green. What drew me to Willow Bough specifically was the feeling of bringing nature inside. The texture and the pattern reflect what we see through our own windows in a beautiful way.
MORRIS & CO: Do you have a favourite Morris & Co. design?
BDH: It’s nearly impossible to pick. What I do love is that Morris & Co. has a design for every space and for every intention. Whether we needed a pop of colour, a soothing pattern, or a tribute to a loved memory, Morris & Co. had it all, and the designs fit so naturally into our home. That said... if I was forced to pick a favourite, I’d have to go with Strawberry Thief. It’s elegant, timeless, beautiful, and cheeky.
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posted on 20 Feb 2024 in Interiors
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