Perhaps William Morris’s most recognisable design, Strawberry Thief was inspired by the thrushes that crept under Morris’s strawberry nets in his garden at Kelmscott Manor, Oxfordshire. The original pattern took several days to print using hand-carved woodblocks to build up the different colours, and ‘Strawberry Thief’ was consequently one of Morris’s firm’s most expensive cottons. Whilst waiting to see the first piece printed, Morris endured sleepless nights in his lodgings at Merton Abbey. Designed in 1883, Strawberry Thief remains one of William Morris’s most popular and iconic designs. Strawberry Thief Charcoal features subtle pastel tones of rose, greys and white, contrasted by a deep charcoal background, providing an intriguing yet inviting contrast. The matt finish of this wallpaper also enhances the contemporary twist brought out of this classical design.
