W And J Soane

Charles Spooner is noted as one of the most influential people and also credited as one of the fathers of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Born at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington (London), Spooner was the second of 5 children of Charles Spooner and Sarah Frances Trinder, who lived at Brook Green, Hammersmith. Spooner became an architect and an instructor of furniture design at the London County Council's Central School of Arts and Crafts. He was a pupil and then assistant of Sir A W Blomfield and in 1890 won the RIBA’s Soane Medallion (Proc RIBA). He specialised in smaller churches and houses turning out some beautiful and complete buildings. He was influenced by E W Godwin and contemporary American architects such as H H Richardson. He was a member of the Society and Protection of Ancient Buildings and the Art Workers Guild, he worked in the tradition of William Morris, teaching furniture making and designing stained glass. These activities took up an increasing amount of his time in later life. His work was displayed at all the exhibitions of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society from 1890 to 1928, including an exhibition at the Grosvenor Gallery in January of 1913. He was also the secretary of the Woods Handicraft Society, and with Voysey exhibited significant pieces in The Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society show of 1890 and 1893. Spooner founded Elmdon and Co with his own workshops at 1 Ravenscroft Park in Hammersmith and held an exhibition at The Alpine Club in April 1905 not a stones throw from where William Morris famous Hammersmith rugs were made. He taught first at The Guild Of Handicraft and then at The Central School of Arts and Crafts and in 1908 was named by Ashbee alongside Lethaby, Gimson and Barnsley as one of the four most influential people with whom The Arts and Crafts Period is identified. Spooner's designs were also made by J.P.White who also made furniture to the designs of M.H.Ballie Scott. Spooner was Lionised by Herman Muthesis in his very famous book 'Das Englishe Haus'. Spooner was a work alcoholic, loved his work passionately to the point of excess. He was a very prolific designer and a true heavyweight of the period.

Emerging in reaction to industrialization and mass production, the Arts and Crafts movement celebrated handcrafted design as a part of daily life. The history of Arts and Crafts furniture has roots in 1860s England with an emphasis on natural motifs and simple flourishes like mosaics and carvings. This work is characterized by plain construction that showcases the hand of the artisan.

The earliest American Arts and Crafts furniture dates back to the start of the 20th century. Designers working in this style in the United States initially looked to ideas put forth by The Craftsman, a magazine published by Wisconsin native Gustav Stickley, a furniture maker and founder of the Craftsman style. Stickley’s furniture was practical and largely free of ornament. His Craftsman style drew on French Art Nouveau as well as the work he encountered on his travels in England. There, the leading designers of the Arts and Crafts movement included William Morris, who revived historical techniques such as embroidery and printed fabrics in his furnishings, and Charles Voysey, whose minimal approach was in contrast to the ornamentation favored in the Victorian era.

American Arts and Crafts work would come to involve a range of influences unified by an elevation of traditional craftsmanship. The furniture was often built from sturdy woods like oak and mahogany while featuring details such as inlaid metal, tooled leather and ceramic tiles. The style in the United States was led by Stickley, whose clean-lined chairs and benches showcased the grain of the wood, and furniture maker Charles Rohlfs, who was informed by international influences like East Asian and French Art Nouveau design.

Hubs in America included several utopian communities such as Rose Valley in Pennsylvania and the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony in New York, where craftspeople made furniture that prioritized function over any decoration. Their work would influence designers and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, who built some of the most elegant and iconic structures in the United States and likewise embraced a thoughtful use of materials in his furniture.

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Although traditionally used in the bedroom to store garments that would not be hung in a closet, an antique or vintage cabinet can easily find a purpose in rooms throughout your entire house.

The world's first storage cabinets, reportedly constructed in Renaissance-era Europe, were demonstrative of excellence in carpentry and the work of master carvers. These robust bureaus or sophisticated chests of drawers were typically built from common woods, such as oak or walnut. Although they were fairly uniform in structure and lacked the bright colors of modern-day furniture, case pieces and storage cabinets that date from the 18th century and earlier were often found in the homes of nobility.

Their intricate carvings and various embellishments — adornments made from ivory, ornate lacquer work and, later, glass shelvings — reflect the elegance with which these decorative furnishings were associated. Given its valuable purpose and the beauty of the early furnishings' designs, the storage cabinet is an investment that will never go out of style.

The practical design that defines the earliest storage cabinets has inspired the creation of household must-haves, like minimalist drink trolleys and marble wood bookcases. From hiding outdoor gear in the mudroom to decluttering your kitchen with a tall kitchen pantry cabinet, these versatile furnishings have now become available in enough sizes, styles and colors to accommodate any space. After all, these aren't your run-of-the-mill filing cabinets.

A sophisticated storage cabinet — wood storage cabinets with doors and shelves, for example — can serve as a room divider when necessary, while the right vintage wall unit or floor-to-ceiling cabinetry solutions can seamlessly become part of any space without disrupting the energy of the room. And although you may hide items away in its drawers, bookworms might prefer a storage cabinet with open shelving for displaying favorite books or other media.

One-of-a-kind solutions for the modern consumer abound, but enthusiasts of understated, classical beauty may turn to Baroque-style storage cabinets. Elsewhere, admirers of mid-century modernism looking to make a statement with their case pieces will warm to the dark woods and clean lines of vintage storage cabinets by Paul McCobb, Florence Knoll or Edward Wormley.

Sometimes the best renovation is a reorganization. If you're ready to organize and elevate your space, a luxury storage cabinet is the addition you need.

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