Furniture Library Visit

Since I am entering the Bienenstock Furniture Library competition I thought it would be good to visit the library itself.  It is located in High Point, NC and features over 5000 books on furniture, interior design and subjects related.  I did some research on the Arts & Crafts movement.  Here is what I learned.

The Arts & Crafts movement began in England in the late 19^th century.  It was a revolt against the mass produced designs of the times.  Its roots were in the tremendous cultural changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution.  At that time work had gone from the farm to the factory, homes moved from the country to the city and some thought the world had changed from a place of beauty to a place of sweat and squalor.

                In England, William Morris founded Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Co. in 1860.  They produced tapestries, tiles, furniture, wallpaper and stained glass.  He believed:

“The new idiom of Arts & Crafts was strong and simple in form, rich and intricate in craftsmanship, with a fresh mortality based on fitness for purpose … These elements were combined in a new, eclectic style that stressed simplicity and an honesty of construction based on first hand understanding of the materials employed .." (Ansccombe, Arts & Crafts Style, p. 54)

                In America, Gustav Stickley was a central figure in bringing the Arts & Crafts style to everyone.  With his four brothers he established The Stickley Brothers Company in 1888 in Binghamton, NY.  After a division he created The Craftsman Workshops in 1898 in Eastwood, NY.  There he sought to make furniture that was “simple, durable, comfortable and fitted for the place it was to occupy and the work it had to do.”  His furniture features simple wood forms that were elegant with exposed joinery and plain or leather upholstery.  In 1903 he hired Harvey Ellis whose designs were more graceful and lighter in color and proportion.  (He died suddenly in 1904).  By 1915 the catalog only slightly resembled the original Arts & Crafts style, including Colonial reproductions and other decorative pieces.  In 1915 Mr. Stickley filed for bankruptcy.

                The Arts & Crafts style can also be seen in architecture, lighting, building materials and accessories as well as furniture.  All of these featured a hand-crafted look with simple, straight lines and angular designs.  In a book of Arts & Crafts architecture the homes were described as comfortable, plain, convenient, pleasant, inviting and simple.  Stained glass used a lot and featured nature inspired themes.

          

      I personally really enjoy the designs of the Arts & Crafts period.  The simplification of design and life itself is a very pleasing idea in this busy life we live in now.