The Arts and Crafts movement, which began in the late 19th century, was a reaction against the mechanization and industrialization of the time. This period saw a revival of traditional craftsmanship and a rejection of mass-produced items, especially home furnishings. The movement prioritized quality, simplicity, and utility, focusing on handcraftsmanship over machine production.
Characteristics of Arts and Crafts Furniture
- Simplicity and Functionality
- Use of Natural Materials
- Handcrafted Details
- Influence of Nature and Simplicity in Decoration
Historical Context
The Industrial Revolution and Its Impact on Design
The 19th century was marked by rapid industrialization, particularly in Europe and North America. Factories began producing furniture in bulk, often sacrificing craftsmanship and aesthetic quality in favour of efficiency and affordability. While this made furniture more accessible to the middle class, many designers and artists lamented the loss of artistry and individuality in everyday objects.
Social and Political Backdrop
The Arts and Crafts movement also arose in response to social concerns, particularly over the poor working conditions and alienation of factory workers. Many movement proponents, like William Morris, believed that true fulfilment could only come from meaningful labour and that industrialized society had stripped artisans of their creative expression. The movement sought to restore dignity to craftsmanship and to produce objects that were both functional and beautiful.
The Beginnings of the Arts and Crafts Movement
William Morris and the Early Influencers
William Morris, a British textile designer, poet, and social activist, is widely regarded as the father of the Arts and Crafts movement. In the mid-1800s, he became disillusioned with the over-adorned, machine-made products of the Victorian era. Morris believed that simple, well-made objects, crafted by hand, reflected a healthier and more just society. His textiles, furniture, and wallpaper designs celebrated natural forms and medieval craftsmanship.
Another important figure was John Ruskin, an art critic and philosopher who influenced Morris and other key figures. Ruskin argued that art should reflect a society’s moral and social health and that craftsmanship was a form of personal expression and morality.
The Guild of Handicraft
Established in 1888 by Charles Robert Ashbee, the Guild of Handicraft was an influential workshop that produced handmade furniture and metalwork. The Guild embodied many of the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement, including a commitment to social reform through craftsmanship, and played a significant role in promoting and developing Arts and Crafts furniture.
Arts and Crafts Furniture in America
Gustav Stickley and the American Craftsman Style
Gustav Stickley, a leading figure in the American Arts and Crafts movement, is best known for creating the “Craftsman” style of furniture. Stickley believed in the ideals of simplicity, functionality, and honesty in design, and his furniture featured clean lines, exposed joinery, and natural materials.
Stickley’s Craftsman furniture, first popularized in the early 1900s, became an American interpretation of the British Arts and Crafts movement. He founded The Craftsman magazine, which not only promoted his designs but also published articles about architecture, gardening, and the principles of the movement.
The Roycroft Community
Another important centre of American Arts and Crafts was the Roycroft community in East Aurora, New York, founded by Elbert Hubbard in 1895. Roycroft craftsmen produced various handmade goods, including furniture, books, and metalwork. Hubbard’s community emphasized self-sufficiency, quality craftsmanship, and the importance of the individual artisan.
California and the Greene Brothers
In California, Charles and Henry Greene were among the most famous Arts and Crafts architects and furniture designers. Their work, often called the “California bungalow” style, combined influences from the British Arts and Crafts movement with Asian aesthetics and local materials. Their furniture designs, much like their homes, were known for their harmonious proportions and use of fine craftsmanship.
Prairie Style
The Prairie style emerged in Chicago around 1900, blending Arts and Crafts principles with Louis Sullivan’s ideas. Architects like Frank Lloyd Wright emphasized horizontal lines, open plans and natural motifs.
Mission Style
Mission furniture began with a chair made by A.J. Forbes in 1894 for San Francisco’s Swedenborgian Church. Joseph P. McHugh of New York, a furniture manufacturer and retailer, copied these chairs and by 1898 offered a line of his 
own which he called “Mission” furniture. Though the word mission refers to the Spanish missions in California, the design of Mission style furniture had little to do with the original furnishings of these missions.
This style became associated with the American Arts & Crafts Movement. However, while all Mission furniture can be considered Arts & Crafts furniture, not all Arts & Crafts furniture is in the Mission style.
The Decline and Legacy of Arts and Crafts Furniture
The Rise of Modernism
By the 1920s, the popularity of Arts and Crafts furniture began to wane as new modernist styles gained traction. The sleek, industrial lines of Art Deco and Bauhaus design and the increasing affordability of mass-produced furniture made the hand-crafted pieces of the Arts and Crafts movement less accessible to the average consumer.
However, the movement’s ideals—simplicity, craftsmanship, and quality—continued to influence designers well into the 20th century. The backlash against the excesses of industrialization that fueled the Arts and Crafts movement laid the foundation for subsequent design movements, including Scandinavian modernism and the mid-century modern aesthetic.
While the movement may have faded, the legacy of Arts and Crafts furniture endures. Today, collectors seek out original pieces by Stickley, the Greenes, and other Arts and Crafts artisans. Additionally, contemporary furniture makers continue to draw inspiration from the clean lines, natural materials, and dedication to craftsmanship that characterized the movement.
Craftsman homes, bungalows, and the furniture within them have experienced periodic revivals, with homeowners and designers looking to recreate the warm, timeless aesthetic that Arts and Crafts design offers. DIY culture and the current interest in slow, sustainable living have reignited appreciation for hand-made, well-crafted objects, echoing the movement’s original values.
The Arts and Crafts movement, born out of a desire to reconnect with traditional craftsmanship and reject the soullessness of industrialization, left an indelible mark on the world of furniture design. Its emphasis on simplicity, honesty, and functionality continues to resonate with designers and consumers alike. As we navigate an increasingly digitized and mass-produced world, the enduring appeal of Arts and Crafts furniture reminds us of the value of craftsmanship, the beauty of natural materials, and the satisfaction of owning objects made with care and intention.
Bibliography
- Cumming, Elizabeth. The Arts and Crafts Movement. Thames & Hudson, 1991.
- Parry, Linda. William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement. Abrams, 1989.
- Stickley, Gustav. Craftsman Homes. Dover Publications, 1979.
- Kaplan, Wendy. The Arts & Crafts Movement in Europe & America: Design for the Modern World. Thames & Hudson, 2004.
- Todd, Pamela. The Arts and Crafts Companion. Bulfinch, 2004.