I'm Mad About...

So last night I finished reading Pride and Prejudice. My book group met on Tuesday to discuss it, so I'm only a few days late. (Much better than our previous book, which I didn't even start reading until after the book group met!) Plus, I already knew the ending, so it's not like anyone could spoil it for me. But the whole time I was reading it, I kept conflating two different movie versions and picturing Keira Knightley as Elizabeth and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. I know he's a bit old for her (or she's a bit young for him), but I'd totally go see that movie.

Here are some things that caught my eye this week:

Selfridges via Condé Nast Traveler

• British bookworms rejoice (at least temporarily): Selfridges London has opened a pop-up library of sorts on the ground floor of the department store to express solidarity with librarians as public spending cuts threaten libraries.  
• Are you as inspired by the William Morris Project over at Pancakes & French Fries as I am?
• Seriously, why did it never occur to me to start a blog about Trader Joe's?
• All you Bay Area Eames fans, Zinc Details will host a showing of Eames: The Architect and the Painter on Wednesday. I watched it last weekend and highly recommend it.

Ahead of His Time

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." —William Morris (1834-1896)

Portrait of William Morris
by George Frederic Watts,
via Wikimedia Commons

I've been aware of influential 19th century English designer William Morris for years, but only came across the quote above sometime last year. It perfectly describes what I've been actively trying to live.

Then the other day, while browsing the aisles of Barnes & Noble, I came across this beautiful book. The store was about to close, so I only had time to flip through it briefly, but I knew had to know more about this fascinating man.

A true renaissance man, Morris was also a trained architect, a writer of poetry and prose, and an early socialist. But what he's remembered for most are the textiles and more than 50 wallpapers he designed. His nature-inspired creations still look fresh and modern today.

This vivid large-scale wallpaper was created for St. James's Palace:

William Morris, via Wikimedia Commons

His Acanthus design dates from 1875:

William Morris, via Wikimedia Commons