The Furniture Designs of Philip Webb

Phillip Webb designed this dresser in the
 Red House. In this image, this piece of
 furniture is located in the Dining Room.

William Morris built the Red House so he could live a life surrounded by handcrafted artifacts. All the furniture inside the house was designed by either himself or another member of his circle of close friends, many of them artists and important cultural figures. Philip Webb, architect of the Red House, was also a skilled furniture designer whose work contributed a great deal to furnishing the Red House. Furniture designs produced by Webb within Morris' firm, Morris & Co. were highly popular in Europe and abroad.

An iconic example of Webb's furniture can be found in the Red House dining room. Pictured here, Webb's oxblood red dresser was meant to serve as a multifunctional storage unit and a viewing gallery for use by the children Morris would have with his wife, Jane Morris.

Some more examples of Webb's furniture design include the William Morris Chair. Famously distinguished by its wooden back structure at the time, Webb did this to differentiate his handcrafted furniture from the mass produced chairs made of steel in America. Handcrafted with a high degree of detailing, all of Webb's furniture evokes a feeling of the medieval era, in its construction and aestethic qualities.

Through much of his furniture, Webb set a standard the Arts & Crafts movement would strive toward.

William Morris Chair,
designed by Philip Webb.

A sideboard designed by Webb, with tons of decoration and detailing

---------
Citation:

Didimendum1. "'Red House, Bexley and Related Material." Flickriver: Photoset (blog). Accessed 

     December 9, 2012. http://www.flickriver.com/photos/mynameismisty/sets/72157627292853981/.