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.
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Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
2010s Moroccan Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool, Natural Fiber
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Birdseye Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Resin
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mahogany
1920s Persian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Cotton, Silk, Natural Fiber, Organic Material
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1890s Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1920s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Fabric, Linen, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Austrian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Alabaster, Brass, Bronze
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ebony, Fruitwood, Oak
1940s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century European Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Alabaster, Brass, Bronze, Wire
1970s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
18th Century Swedish Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Paint, Hardwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century British Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Straw
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze, Brass
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Late 18th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper, Brass
1990s European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ash
Early 1900s Danish Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Fabric, Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s Italian Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Lead
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
1890s Great Britain (UK) Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper, Enamel
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Rush, Leather, Oak
1890s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Aluminum
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1930s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 1900s Scottish Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Rush
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mirror, Oak
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Furniture
Hardwood
2010s Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Carrara Marble
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Marble