Hits: 5523
The one word description of this style is – simple. It is characterized by a very linear design with straight construction and exposed joinery. The furniture is sturdy, unadorned and extremely functional. Oak is the iconic wood for the style, but not the only lumber choice; maple and pine are also popular. Materials for this style are almost exclusively wood, but leather is also popular in large comfortable pieces. The wood is never painted. It is sometimes stained -- not to change the color but to enhance the natural grain. The legs and arms of Arts and Crafts furniture are straight with very little turning, but more often no turning at all. In some cases, legs will have a slight taper, but the leg does not terminate into a foot. The only ornamentation is the slight curves on bottom rails, curved supports on side frames and joinery details. The Arts and Crafts movement initially came about in England near the end of the 19th century. The style became known in American as the Mission style. The movement initiated by William Morris was a reaction to the poor quality of ornamental factory-made furniture of the Victorian décor. Arts and Crafts went back-to-the-basics where the emphasis was on solid, traditional workmanship. Gustav Stickley was instrumental in promoting the style in the United States and popularized the term Craftsman. The architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, is another popular name associated with the Arts & Crafts style. Charles and Henry Greene created their own style known as Greene and Greene and while very unique, it distinctly demonstrates the Mission style influence; they emphasize the exposed joinery with pegs, bread board ends and through tenons. Arts and Crafts style is beautiful and elegant in is simplicity. It is straight-forward in design and construction. It is by far my favorite style to design and build. Patterns for Arts and Crafts pieces are pretty easy to come by, but if you can't find the piece you are looking for, you can likely design your own project after only building a few Arts and Crafts pieces.