Arts and Crafts Style

The arts-and-crafts movement was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution’s reliance on mass production and the Victorian era's focus on heavy ornamentation. Popular during the early 1900s, this style glorified craftsmanship in simple shapes with exposed joinery, spare ornamentation and strong lines. Materials used to embellish the look include metals, stained glass and painted tiles and fabrics featuring stylized floral motifs. Notable artisans of this period are William Morris, Gustav Stickley and………….

Colors - Burnished brown represents the rich woods used for the furniture and trim and the burnished gold represents the mica glass used for lampshades. Accent colors include deep forest green, sapphire blue and dusty rose, which garner attention against the dense neutrals. 

Lighting - Mica shades set in hammered copper or burnished brass set the tone for an arts-and-crafts design. The broad horizontal lines echo those found in the linear architectural features. 

Furniture - Pieces are well-proportioned with strong lines, rich finishes and spare ornamentation, except for the occasional hammered metal accent. The back-to-basics philosophy of the movement required furniture to be purposeful, functional and long-lasting.  

Woodwork - As a reaction to the Victorian era's expansive use of heavy, dark, carved woodwork, the arts-and-crafts style relied on a lighter palette with neutral colored walls as the background to richly-stained woodwork.

The modest arts-and-crafts style encourages harmony between a home's furnishings and its outside surroundings. Host Sherry Ruggieri illustrates how to incorporate this century old, classic look into a home by following these design basics:

•           Use outdoor influences inside.

•           Include simple pieces that reflect quality and function over intricacy.

•           Bring life and color to the space with handcrafted art.

•           Keep lighting to a warm glow.

Use Outdoor Influences Inside

Let the natural surroundings dictate what is used inside the home. Natural stone, brick and wood are all elements that should be used to create a harmonious fusion between the home and its surroundings. Bring the colors of nature inside with pottery, tiles, paint and wood stains.

Include Simple Pieces that Reflect Quality and Function Over Intricacy

Simple wooden designs with a high level of craftsmanship accurately reflect the idea behind the arts-and-crafts style. Popular furniture designers of the time, like Stickley and Roycroft, made their furniture out of quarter-sawn wood and hand-wrought iron hardware. Look for both original and reproduction pieces where all of the elements of construction are also seen as elements of design.

Bring Life and Color to the Space with Handcrafted Art

In the early 1900s, artisans worked with clay, copper and textiles to create accessories that not only were beautiful, but also reinforced the handcrafted, organic quality of the design style. Bring these accessories into your home in the form of Native American blankets, Japanese-influenced pottery and copper pots with mottled finishes.

Keep Lighting to a Warm Glow

In the early 20th century, lighting wasn't as bright as it is now. Before, they used 30 watt bulbs to light their homes. To help cast an even softer glow in your home, outfit your lamps with stained glass or mica shades.

Designer's Secret

A great way to feature furnishings in a space is through emphasis, like focus, lighting placement or shape. To draw attention to the strong lines found in arts- and-crafts furnishings and accessories, it's important to contrast the linear style and incorporate subtle curves into the space, either in wall coverings or a dining room table.