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
Brass
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century European Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Lead
1940s Swedish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mahogany
1920s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1970s Austrian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century German Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Terracotta
1990s European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ash
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1920s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
1890s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1960s Turkish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Natural Fiber, Organic Material
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
1950s Hungarian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Porcelain
1880s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ash
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Copper
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Mid-20th Century Turkish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic, Paste, Clay, Pottery, Resin, Acrylic, Plaster, Ash, Paint, Coating
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Resin
Early 1900s Italian Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather, Wood, Cherry
19th Century Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper, Wrought Iron
1920s Dutch Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Stained Glass
1950s German Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Resin
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century British Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Stained Glass, Ebony, Mahogany
1930s Swiss Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Steel
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper, Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
1950s Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Marble
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1920s German Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1920s Persian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Cotton, Silk, Natural Fiber, Organic Material
1950s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather, Oak
1890s Great Britain (UK) Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Belgian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 1900s American Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather, Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1930s British Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Silver Plate
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Rush, Oak