‘Simplicity of life is not a ­misery, but the very foundation of refinement : a sanded floor and whitewashed walls, and the green trees ; or a grimy palace amid the smoke with a regiment of house­maids always working ; which, think you, is the most refined?’

William Morris (1834–1896) was a poet, designer and political activist. He campaigned against the human and environmental costs of industrial mass production and viewed the arts as central to creating a better society. In these essays, Morris develops his philosophy of simplicity, equality and care for nature in relation to architecture, displaying the integrated vision of culture which has led to Morris being viewed as a forerunner to both the Bauhaus and today’s environmental movements.