Philip Webb was an English architect and designer and one of the founding figures of the Arts and Crafts movement. He is best known for designing the Red House at Bexleyheath for his friend William Morris, and for his long association with the decorating firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Co.
Webb rejected the showy historicism of much Victorian architecture in favour of buildings rooted in local materials and traditional building crafts, combining brick, tile, timber and stone with great sensitivity. His country houses, including Standen in West Sussex, are admired for their honest construction, comfort and careful relationship to their setting. For Morris's firm he designed furniture, metalwork, glass and decorative details, including sturdy oak tables, settles and cabinets, and he contributed animal and bird drawings to Morris textiles and wallpapers. Webb was also a founder of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and his views on conservative repair remain influential. Furniture and objects securely attributed to him are rare and keenly sought by collectors of Arts and Crafts design, and his approach continues to shape the way historic buildings in Britain are cared for.
