Last Chance: The Emery Walker House

They say ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’. The sober Georgian exterior of this riverside terraced house makes you think the inside will be restrained, classical, elegant. It isn’t; it’s a riot of pattern and colour, one of the best Arts & Crafts interiors you will ever see.

A de Morgan tile - luscious and full of life

It was commissioned by the printer Emery Walker, who was a friend of William Morris and Arts & Crafts artists, and you’ll find their work prominently displayed – as well as some mementoes of Morris.

There are gorgeous patterned tiles, fine printed wallpaper, furniture by Philip Webb (who had joined Morris’s business), and a collection of ceramics from Europe and North Africa. The rugs are still the same ones Walker had, and even the garden is laid out just as it was in Emery Walker’s day, with sprawling roses and jasmine.

It doesn’t have the same artistic treasures as, for instance, Lord Leighton’s house or the Soane museum; no great paintings or sculptures. But it’s very similar to the other two houses in having its own distinctive character. The visit is a real must-do if you have an interest in the Arts & Crafts movement or early twentieth century art and design; but even if you don’t, it’s a charming house, well worth the entry fee.

An interesting day out would be combining a visit to this house with a trip into central London to shop (or window-shop) at Liberty’s – a rather different outpost of the Arts & Crafts with its much more showy and dramatic feel.

But this is your last chance! Because of funding shortages, the Emery Walker House may not be opening up very much in 2011 – so book to visit this month on in September, before it closes its doors for the winter.

Where: 7 Hammersmith Terrace, W6 9TJ (map)

When: Thursday, Friday, some weekends

How much: £10 for tour – prebook on the website

Photo by Amanda BH Slater on flickr