REALTOR.ca Blog

England in the 1850s was a land transformed in less than a century from a green, agrarian rural society to a bleak urban landscape, thickly coated with coal dust. These changes did not sit well with everyone, destructively obvious with the Luddite movement in the early 1800s, where workers opposed to the technology changes brought on by industrialization attacked the nation’s factories and destroyed the very machines that were changing their lives.

The Luddites weren’t alone in their distaste for modern society, but there were others who formed their protest in less destructive ways. Prominent critics of the new society included author John Ruskin and architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, who compared the blunt realities of the contemporary urban landscape with the grace and elegance of the Gothic Period, pre-dating the Renaissance.

They saw in Gothic the “good old days,” when the environment was green and healthy, morals and piety were high, and the ties between design and worship were tight.

Striving for a new aesthetic to combat the barren manufacturing cityscapes, the first stirrings of the Arts & Crafts movement began with the first world’s fair, the Great Exhibition of 1851.

William Morris and the early days of Arts & Crafts

Though the impetus of Arts & Crafts stems from the Great Exhibition, it was a reaction against the manufactured objects on display, not a desire to emulate. William Morris, a follower of Ruskin’s commentaries and an apprentice architect working with a Gothic Revival firm, was fascinated by medieval art and nature. Later founding a design company in 1861, Morris commissioned Philip Webb to design Morris’ London home. The resulting Red House is regarded as the first building of the Arts & Crafts movement.

Steep-roofed, L-shaped, asymmetrical and recalling Gothic style, the brick Red House introduced elegant restraint to traditional Gothic architecture, retaining the peaked arch details, but simplifying many of the excesses of the earlier style and its revivals. The use of red brick, which gave the house its name, is an egalitarian touch, common brick instead of massive stone.

The design concept behind Red House and other buildings of the Arts & Crafts style saw the home as a haven, a respite from the pace and stress of the Industrial Age. Residences, rather than commercial structures, are the definitive architecture associated with Arts & Crafts.

Bringing Arts & Crafts indoors

The Morris Chair

Morris & Co. prospered, starting with wallpaper design and expanding into an important interior design firm. First marketed in the later 1860s, the eponymous Morris Chair is not only the most recognizable piece of Arts & Crafts furniture. Such was the design’s popularity, its name found a place throughout popular culture, receiving mention in the songs of Irving Berlin and Jimmie Rodgers, movies, and works of fiction by authors as varied as John Steinbeck, Sinclair Lewis and Kurt Vonnegut.

The design of the Morris Chair pays a little homage to Gothic sensibilities while predicting the cleaner lines of Art Moderne and Minimalism. It’s easy to see the idea of form following function in the Morris Chair. Comfort, simplicity and visual appeal combine equally in a piece that sits well somewhere between formal and casual.

Mission style furniture

The lifespan of the original Arts & Crafts period stretched from about 1860 into the 1920s, spreading across the Atlantic to the United States in the late 19th century, giving the style fresh legs on the new continent. A distinct approach emerged in the New World, without the need for the undercurrents of social reform that marked the movement in England. There was, however, a revival of craft traditions that blended well with ideas of British Arts & Crafts, with its emphasis away from mass production and needless ornamentation.

However, the American aesthetic didn’t abandon the ideas of mass markets. A blossoming middle class hungered for quality consumer goods at affordable prices. Ironically, the simple design of Arts & Crafts furniture lent itself to mass fabrication. Gustav Stickley, an American furniture designer and manufacturer born in Wisconsin, took up the mantle, creating sturdy yet elegant furniture that was well-received by the masses. U.S. Arts & Crafts furniture is also called Mission style, reflecting the influence of furnishings and designs from the American Southwest, which shared many features with traditional British Arts & Crafts.

The Craftsman house

Looking at the classic Craftsman bungalow, first designed by Stickley, is like looking into the heart of the American family. There’s a hint back to elements of Red House, but the Craftsman building style is uniquely its own and completely American. Moderately-sloped roofs with expansive dormers remain common throughout the country. The design style lends itself many construction techniques, from log to conventional framing. Arguably, the influence of the Craftsman house concept stretches the American Arts & Crafts movement well beyond the 1920s.

Proletarian, not Pedestrian – The materials of Arts & Crafts

The essence of the Arts & Crafts concept is a return to nature. This initially presented as a return to traditional construction styles and extended into the choices of materials used to bring designs to life. There’s little metal featured in Arts & Crafts pieces, save for furniture hardware, silver jewellery and occasional forays into wrought iron.

A notable exception is the copperware of Elbert Hubbard’s Roycroft community and, when warm metals are introduced, they often feature oil-rubbed finishes or natural patinas. Hammered or distressed surfaces that reflect a craftsman’s efforts also fit well. When glass and mirrors feature, these are incorporated functionally, such as in cabinet doors or dressing room pieces. Steel and chrome are definite Arts & Crafts no-nos.

Though Morris envisioned Arts & Crafts as “The Art of the People,” the book he published in 1879 on the theme, Morris’ own company made decorative items too expensive for those he targeted. Pursuing the finest of materials and craftsmanship made British Arts & Crafts an ideal that missed its mark, except perhaps for the easily mass-produced Morris Chair. The American version of Arts & Crafts proved more accessible, though the materials used by both nations stayed common.

Wood and leather are the staples of furniture construction, typically oak and cowhide. The Arts & Crafts essence preserves and emphasizes the natural qualities of the construction material. This makes a blend of Rustic and Arts & Crafts an ideal match in many cases, as Morris Chairs and Mission furniture feel right at home in rustic surroundings.

An Ode to nature – the Arts & Crafts palette

You won’t find neon shades of bold colour in authentic Arts & Crafts palettes, nor will you feel stuck in monochrome monotony. Look to nature and you’ll see many of the classic hues of the style represented. Arts & Crafts is dominated by warm tones, many stemming from natural wood shades, autumn leaves and grasses, and pale beige and straw colours.

Stronger hues tend to be on the red side of the spectrum, rich crimson and brick. If you need a cooler touch, look to shades of blue in sky and sea, as well as natural greens that carry a hint of cyan and blue. Though the palettes of Arts & Crafts sometimes venture toward pastel territory, they stay on the natural side, richer than true pastel definitions.

Introducing Arts & Crafts to your space

Adding a piece of exquisitely-crafted cabinetry, with superior joinery and meticulous detailing adds an Arts & Crafts flavour, particularly when placed as a feature. But furniture can’t be simply ornamental, it must function well, regardless of its job.

Banish the wall-to-wall. Hardwood, cork, stone, slate or even tile with an Arts & Crafts glaze give the right vibe for a room in the style. Area rugs in natural colours and fibres are fine but don’t cover too much of your beautiful floor.

Arts & Crafts isn’t heavy on ornamentation. It might be seen as the grandfather of Minimalism in several ways but it’s really not that restrained. Tiffany lamp shades and stained-glass panels fit right in, even though these tend to bring form into equal importance with function. However, an opaque art glass panel blocking an idyllic natural view would be an Arts & Crafts faux pas.

Is Arts & Crafts for you?

If you have an aversion to wood or if you’re a fan of ornate and intricate décor, Arts & Crafts is not for you. If craftsmanship, clean lines and simple comfort drive you, then Arts & Crafts gives you a strong playbook that meshes well with many other modern styles. You’ll prefer your wood unpainted with natural finishes that revel in the natural grain and subtle variations inherent in wood.

Though it takes its influence from nature, Arts & Crafts is angular, not curved. Think of the way a Frank Lloyd Wright home sits in a wooded setting and it becomes clear that the distinction is cohabiting with nature symbiotically, not completely blending into a natural setting.

Arts & Crafts is, above all, a celebration of craftsmanship, comfort and simplicity. If that all sounds good to you, pull up a Morris Chair, check out our Pinterest board for lots of gorgeous inspiration and relax.