Arts and Crafts Furniture
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.
Find antique Arts and Crafts chairs, tables, cabinets and other authentic period furniture on 1stDibs.
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1800s British Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool, Linen
1950s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Glass
2010s Moroccan Arts and Crafts Furniture
Clay, Earthenware
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Resin
Late 19th Century Scottish Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Resin
1920s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Resin
1960s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Limestone
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mahogany
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Parchment Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Birdseye Maple, Cherry
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Marble, Bronze
2010s Danish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Fabric
Early 1900s Italian Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Lead
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
1920s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Alabaster, Metal, Brass
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Spanish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak, Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Fabric, Velvet, Wood, Cherry
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Linen
1890s Great Britain (UK) Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
2010s Moroccan Arts and Crafts Furniture
Clay, Earthenware
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
2010s Moroccan Arts and Crafts Furniture
Clay, Earthenware
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Silver
1920s Danish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pewter
1920s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Brass, Wire
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Fabric, Velvet, Wood, Wenge
20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Copper
1920s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Glass, Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
2010s Moroccan Arts and Crafts Furniture
Clay, Earthenware
1980s Dutch Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Textile, Pearwood
Late 19th Century Central American Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Beech
Early 1900s Czech Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass
2010s Moroccan Arts and Crafts Furniture
Clay, Earthenware
1980s European Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Wrought Iron
1960s Turkish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Natural Fiber, Organic Material