Designed to Please

While in London, I made time to visit three of my favourite rooms in London. They are the Gamble, Poynter and Morris rooms in the Victoria and Albert Museums.

This is the Gamble Room and was the original restaurant room at the V&A. On the windows are mottos on the joys of eating and drinking.

Window detail.

These windows are from the Morris Room and was designed William Morris. It includes paintings by Edward Burne-Jones. The windows were also designed by Burne-Jones and show medieval domestic tasks.

My favourite of the rooms (if I really have to choose) is the Poynter Room designed by Edward Poynter centered on Dutch blue tiles. Patterns included in the room show a Japanese influence.

I love these panels which feature the months of the year and the four seasons.

Window detail.


I admit that I would never decorate my home in this late 19th Century style as it is too dark and heavy for me to live in but I love to visit these rooms. I have also been fortunate, in the past, to see the rooms without any furniture in them.

Close to the rooms you can go outside and enjoy the central garden area which affords a view of the beautiful architecture of this central courtyard.

Door detail.


More information of the architectural history of the V&A can be found here.