Acanthus

The London firm Jeffrey & Co., which specializes in high-quality creative wallpapers, produced Acanthus for Morris's company. Thirty wooden blocks were required to print the entire pattern, and fifteen subtly varied colors were employed. The wallpaper was available in two color schemes: one with mostly green tones and another with predominantly reddish brown tones.

Acanthus is a large-scale repetition that is more appropriate for large rooms. However, Wiliam Morris, the designer of several repeating patterns based on natural forms, believes that a significant pattern might work well in a small room. Morris's painted papules were fashionable in the 1880s. When the wealthy Mander family moved into their newly built home, Wightwick Manor, near Wolverhampton, they used Morris paper tapestry in 13 bedrooms. 'Acanthus' was resting in one of the dormitories.