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.
Late 19th Century French Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Teak
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Stained Glass, Oak
1980s European Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Wrought Iron
Early 2000s American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Belgian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
1980s Dutch Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Textile, Pearwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Austrian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Straw
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
1920s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mahogany
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 2000s Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Boxwood
Mid-20th Century Belgian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Beech
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Majolica, Mirror, Oak
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Berlin Iron
1910s Dutch Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1910s Dutch Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ash
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Resin
Early 20th Century Danish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Beech
1950s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Glass
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mirror, Oak
1970s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Mid-20th Century German Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
1910s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
1930s Belgian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Nylon, Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s British Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Finnish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
2010s Spanish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Terracotta, Resin
21st Century and Contemporary French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
1870s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Majolica, Pottery
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
1940s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Brass
19th Century French Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak, Leather
2010s Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Carrara Marble