Swyft x Morris & Co.: Styling Tips With Our In-House Stylist

When a heritage brand with over 160 years of design history meets a modern furniture company known for its clean lines and contemporary designs, something special happens. The Swyft x Morris & Co. collection is a thoughtful blend of past and present, bringing iconic prints into contemporary homes with style and confidence.

To celebrate the collaboration, we sat down with Kelly, our in-house stylist, to talk about how it all came together, why bold patterns are having a moment, and how to style traditional prints in fresh, modern ways. Whether you're ready to commit to a patterned loveseat or just want to dip your toe in with a statement ottoman, Kelly shares her insider tips on making heritage work in your home.

Hey, Kelly. So, talk us through the origins of Swyft x Morris & Co. What drew you to Morris & Co. and why?

I think what drew me to Morris & Co. was just how much history it has. It felt really different to us. Swyft is a young, modern brand, and Morris & Co. has over 160 years of heritage. But what I loved is that, even though we’re different, our design approach has some really nice overlaps.

At Swyft, our design team creates sofas that are modern but also timeless. We don’t go in for super-trendy shapes or unusual curves. Instead, we focus on designs that work in both contemporary and traditional spaces.

So when we started chatting with the Morris & Co. team, it just felt like a great fit. Yes, we’re modern and they’re more traditional, but there’s a real meeting point in the middle. We both care about making pieces that people love and want to keep for years. It’s not about fast trends.

What are some standout elements from the collaboration that you’re most excited to work with?

I really love the bolder patterns. Blackthorn and Fruit are my favourites. They’re so striking and we don’t have anything like them at Swyft. I’m excited to see how people pair them with our plain fabrics and even together, like Blackthorn with Stanton or Fruit with Pure Willow Boughs.

What I’d love most is to see people getting creative. Maybe a bold-patterned armchair with a matching ottoman, or a statement loveseat in a big print. I know not everyone will go for that, but I hope some will be bold and brave with it.

"What I’d love most is to see people getting creative. Maybe a bold-patterned armchair with a matching ottoman, or a statement loveseat in a big print."

How did you approach styling pieces that merge such rich, historical design with minimalist, modern furniture?

What we really focused on with this collaboration was finding the balance between respecting Morris & Co.’s long design history and keeping the modern feel that defines Swyft. That wasn’t always easy. There was a bit of back and forth, and I definitely had to sleep on a few decisions. But we landed in a great place.

You can see that balance in the styling. For example, we paired a more modern piece like Model 03 in Pure Willow Boughs with a worn wooden coffee table and wildflower-style arrangements. It feels fresh but still honours the heritage of the print. The room itself had  soft pastel walls, so there’s this nice mix of old and new, which I think is how people really live.

Most homes are layered like that. People have modern pieces alongside antiques or things they’ve inherited and love. So we wanted to show how these traditional patterns can work in a real space—maybe on an armchair, a loveseat, or an ottoman—alongside a plain or neutral sofa. That’s exactly how we’ve styled it; it’s about making it accessible and inspiring people to mix modern and traditional in their own way.

Why do you think heritage prints like those from Morris & Co. are having such a strong resurgence in modern interiors?

There’s a real resurgence happening right now. That whole cottage-core, slow-living, relaxed aesthetic has been building for a while, but it feels really strong this year. People want their homes to feel calm and cosy—with a little bit of charm, but not over the top. It’s that feeling of stepping outside to collect eggs from your chicken coop, even if you live in the middle of a city.

 "It’s no longer about minimal, spotless interiors."

It’s about creating spaces that feel lived-in, relaxed and full of character. It’s no longer about minimal, spotless interiors. That look doesn’t feel welcoming anymore. People want a cosy throw, artwork they’ve picked up over time, maybe something a bit mismatched. It’s about comfort and personality, and making home feel like your ideal version of life.

Are there any unexpected places in the home where the Swyft x Morris & Co. collection can really shine?

When I saw the bed, it completely took me by surprise. We were all so focused on the sofas, but then we saw the fabrics on the headboards and just thought, wow, that looks amazing. All four patterns worked so well.

What really stood out was how versatile they felt. You could imagine them in a modern space or a more traditional one. The Bed 02 has that simple shape with the soft curve, which makes it the perfect base for something more playful and bold. It just looks fantastic.

"The Bed 02 has that simple shape with the soft curve, which makes it the perfect base for something more playful and bold."

Which Swyft model do you think best showcases the Morris & Co. prints and why?

I just keep coming back to the loveseats. They feel so usable for our customers. Same with the storage ottomans. Those are the pieces people will look at and think, I can bring that into my home. They work with plain living room sofas, they’d look amazing in a bedroom, or in a little reading nook or lounge space.

That Model 05 loveseat is a great example. It has a simple shape that isn’t too modern or too traditional, it sits in that sweet spot. The Blackthorn print in the mineral colourway is stunning. It’s such an easy entry point if someone isn’t ready to go for a full patterned sofa.

Even the small ottomans, like the Storage 03, are just super cute and practical. You could tuck one under a console table or use it as extra seating. Those are the pieces that feel fun, flexible, and easy to style in any home.

What are your top tips for making a traditional print feel fresh and relevant in a modern home?

I think what we’ve done really well is take care of the harder part for our customers, which is pairing these traditional fabrics with the right furniture pieces. There’s a reason only certain models are in the range. We carefully chose the shapes that truly complement the fabrics and bring them to life.

We also made intentional choices with the colourways. The recoloured prints are more modern, which helps them sit naturally with our furniture styles. That already brings the look closer to what our customers want in their homes.

There’s still an element of styling the customer has to do, like pairing the patterned pieces with a plain linen or velvet sofa, but because of how we’ve edited the range and chosen those colourways, we’ve made that process a whole lot easier.

What colour palettes work best when styling these iconic prints?

We chose greens and blues for the range because they’re incredibly easy to work into most homes. They sit well with the neutral tones people already have, and they’re colours that have been popular for years. Especially green; it’s not just a trend. It’s timeless and still going strong.

We’ve also thought about how people style their spaces. For example, pairing different tones of the same colour works beautifully, like a fern green sofa with the Fruit fabric on a Storage 03 ottoman. Or something like Stanton with a teal sofa. These are colours that blend naturally into real homes.

"Pairing different tones of the same colour works beautifully, like a fern green sofa with the Fruit fabric on a Storage 03 ottoman."

Even the patterns have subtle touches that make them easy to pair. Blackthorn has hints of brick and pumice, so it works with warmer tones or soft neutrals. Fruit has touches of mustard, which looks great with a mustard, pumice, or green sofa.

We picked these fabrics and colourways intentionally. They’re designed to fit into people’s homes without needing a full redesign. Something as simple as adding an ottoman in one of these prints can completely lift a room. It’s an easy and stylish way to add character.

How do you balance timeless style with contemporary living when working with heritage-inspired pieces?

A lot of rooms can feel quite clinical or bland, especially home offices or spare rooms, and that’s exactly where these pieces really shine. If you’ve got a plain space and you’re not sure what to do with it, start with one of these. Whether it’s a patterned armchair or a sofa bed, it instantly brings character and becomes the focal point of the room.

Once you have that anchor, it’s so much easier to build around it. These designs are bold and considered, so they make the space feel more thoughtful and styled without needing to do a full redesign.

"Just bring in one strong piece, and the rest will follow."

It’s such a great starting point for anyone looking to elevate a room that feels a bit flat or undecorated. Just bring in one strong piece, and the rest will follow.

Feeling inspired by Kelly’s tips and tricks? Discover the Swyft x Morris and Co. collection here.