 Morris desired a new home for himself and his wife , resulting in the construction of the Red House in the Kentish hamlet of Upton near Bexleyheath , ten miles from central London . The building 's design was a co @-@ operative effort , with Morris focusing on the interiors and the exterior being designed by Webb , for whom the House represented his first commission as an independent architect . Named after the red bricks and red tiles from which it was constructed , Red House rejected architectural norms by being L @-@ shaped . Influenced by various forms of contemporary Neo @-@ Gothic architecture , the House was nevertheless unique , with Morris describing it as " very mediaeval in spirit " . Situated within an orchard , the house and garden were intricately linked in their design . It took a year to construct , and cost Morris £ 4000 at a time when his fortune was greatly reduced by a dramatic fall in the price of his shares . Burne @-@ Jones described it as " the beautifullest place on Earth . " 
