Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

Sometimes stuff just rattles around, misplaced or miscategorized, but notionally recognizable and sought for.  For some years I have had a vague recollection of someone saying something to the effect that if you want your home to be beautiful, just remove everything ugly from it.  Given the edge to the thought, I assumed it must be Oscar Wilde.

But, no.  I just stumbled across the original.  Which is odd, because I don't cross paths with William Morris all that often.  From Hopes and Fears for Art by William Morris.  

Believe me, if we want art to begin at home, as it must, we must clear our houses of troublesome superfluities that are for ever in our way: conventional comforts that are no real comforts, and do but make work for servants and doctors: if you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: 

'HAVE NOTHING IN YOUR HOUSES THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW TO BE USEFUL OR BELIEVE TO BE BEAUTIFUL.' 

And if we apply that rule strictly, we shall in the first place show the builders and such-like servants of the public what we really want, we shall create a demand for real art, as the phrase goes; and in the second place, we shall surely have more money to pay for decent houses.