Emery Walker's House Set To Reopen

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Three month's of textile restoration work now complete

Curator Helen Elletson opening the shutters

Emery Walker’s House may have been covered in dust sheets for the last three months, but behind the closed door at number 7 Hammersmith Terrace there has been a hive of activity to prepare for its reopening on 2 March, including conservation work on their important textile collection.

The team at Janie Lightfoot Textiles, a studio with a long history of working with national and international museums, has conserved some of the most important items in the collection.

Jessica Burgess, who led on the project, and has worked in grand stately homes explained why she enjoys working in this comparatively modest terraced home of an influential member of the Arts & Crafts movement. She said, “It’s a charming house; I do think it’s quite unique. Unlike when you go to a National Trust property where items have been bought to fill out the space, this feels like Emery Walker has just walked out to pick up a paper; you are very much in his home.

“We started at the bottom of the house and worked up. First we took down the Bird wall hanging from the dining room brought it to the studio for cleaning, lined it to help prevent accumulation of dirt and installed them on a Velcro hanging system. The Bird hanging is a classic Morris design and it was nice to reinstate it looking a bit prouder.”

The team have also cleaned and conserved the dining room curtains in Morris’s Evenlode pattern, a sampler in the bedroom and one of the star pieces of the house - the May Morris embroidered bed cover. This had suffered some moth damage, which is quite common in a house like Emery Walker’s which is very full and dark, and where the moths like to hide under floorboards.

“It’s doing pretty well considering how old it is. We’ve worked on several pieces by May Morris before and it’s always a particular joy; they are lovely pieces. It was interesting as it is a complex pattern and looks like she has changed the design as she went along”.

“What’s really nice is that it’s not just Morris designs, there are textiles from all over the world. For instance, the door hanging in the bedroom we worked on has more Eastern influence. And the carpets are an eclectic mix. The collection has clearly been well loved and looked after. It’s a bit of a treasure trove.”

Emery Walker’s House opens on Thursdays and Saturdays for one hour guided tours limited to just eight people. Book these and other specialist tours via the website.

If you have a special interest in textiles, there are monthly tours giving visitors an opportunity to get close to items that are rarely on show to the public. Visitors can see both Emery Walker’s House and the nearby William Morris Society museum exploring the Arts & Crafts designs and textiles in both collections.

February 20, 2019