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The Arts & Crafts Movement for Beginners
If you like clean, simple, oak furnishings, you're likely an Arts & Crafts aficionado. In this month's column, we'll talk about the history, the early champions and the variety of disciplines within the Arts & Crafts movement. Sometimes, you'll hear the terms Arts & Crafts and Mission used interchangeably. The English call the movement Arts & Crafts and the American's call it Mission. They're both talking about the same thing. History The Arts & Crafts period (circa 1850 -1930s) developed in reaction to the Victorian era that preceded it. The late 19th century saw the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. The mass produced merchandise resulting from assembly line production was distressing to artisans who continued to value individually, hand crafted, quality items. These artisans advocated a return to simple, well made items. The movement encompassed not just furniture but also architecture, ceramics, metal work, wallpaper and stain glass. Brown, green, black, yellow tones were prevalent across all fields; as was an emphasis on quality workmanship. There were many Arts & Crafts artisans. William Morris, Gustav Stickley and Frank Lloyd Wright are the most known. Today reproductions continue to be sold by a variety of retailers. William Morris Britain's William Morris (1834 - 1896) is one the earliest champions of the movement. Morris and a group of likeminded artisans started Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. Later the company was renamed Morris & Co. The company produced work in a number of areas including architecture, stain glass, fabric, ceramics and wallpaper. Morris' marital home Red House, designed by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., is one of earliest examples of Arts & Crafts architecture. Because Morris is one of the forefathers of the movement, it's not surprising that anything made by him is highly collectible and valuable. His finest work is now found only in museums. Anything made by Morris is usually stamped "Morris & Co." Gustav Stickley In the United States, the movement developed around the 1870s with furniture maker Gustav Stickley (1857 -1942) and his family leading the way. In 1900, this New York state based architect and designer introduced his Craftsman line of furniture. The company continues to produce furniture today. In 1997, Barbra Streisand, a pre-eminent collector of Arts & Crafts furniture sold a Gustav Stickley sideboard for $596,500 (USD) in a Christie's auction. Frank Lloyd Wright American Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was instrumental to the Arts & Crafts movement. He is most well known for his work as an architect and was generally commissioned to design a home and all of its furniture. His work rarely comes up for sale and commands a very high price when it does appear. The residential home, Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum in New York are two of his most famous architectural works. Furniture The furniture of this period is solidly constructed simple furniture that frequently was made of quarter sawn oak and ash wood. Rush seating is prevalent. Spindle-back and sides, horizontal and vertical slat-back and sides are customary design elements. Upholstery is often done in green, brown or black leather. Because this furniture is so well constructed, you'll see antique pieces receiving regular use today. Ceramics Potters also reacted against the mass produced wares of Victoria era. Craftsmen began to create ceramics influenced by the graceful Japanese style of the Aesthetic movement. New types of glazes and more creative forms opened up new avenues to potters. In North America, the Arts & Crafts movement led to a fundamental change in the perception of ceramics. Up until this period, ceramics were perceived as utilitarian, not decorative. The new wealthy class could afford to splurge on superfluous decorative objects. Design subjects often included flowers, dragons, flora and fauna and were commonly applied in brown, yellow, green glazes. Metalwork The move to hand crafted workmanship affected artisans who worked with silver, brass, pewter and copper. Companies such as Liberty & Co. and Tiffany & Co. produced pieces using hand and machine production methods. Characteristics include hammered surfaces and green or brown enamels. Martin Swinton owns Take-A-Boo Emporium located in Toronto, Canada. He has appeared on a variety of television programs; does furniture restoration; caning and rushing repairs; appraisals and has taught courses on antiques at the Learning Annex. Martin can be reached at http://www.takeaboo.com
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news Guests on Sunday TV news shows (AP via Yahoo! News) Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows: Report: News not good for White Sox' Quentin (Sports Illustrated) NEW YORK (SI.com) -- White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin received some bad news from an MRI on his right forearm and wrist, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The injuries have kept Quentin, one of the AL's leading MVP candidates, out of the lineup since Monday. Green news harvest: stolen solar panels, love for small wind (CNET via Yahoo! News) A sampling of green-tech news with quick commentary. In TV news matchup, cable wins convention coverage (Los Angeles Times) Cable news networks logged record viewership during the two weeks of back-to-back convention coverage NFPs Fail to Cool Dollar Rally, Looks to Next Friday's US Retail Sales, Fannie/Freddie News (Forex Video) (Daily FX via Yahoo! Finance) US dollar holds strong despite disappointing NFPs, jump in unemployment rate to 6.1%. Forex traders look ahead to RBNZ rate decision, US retail sales, and news this weekend from the Treasury regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. News vet: Coverage ob-scene (Boston Herald) WBZ-TV is reeling from massive cuts and was the only Boston station that didn't send a reporter to the political conventions, but it has devoted over-the-top news coverage... Good News Club for children (North Lake Tahoe Bonanza) The non-denominational Bible Club ?Good News Club? for children from kindergarten through fifth grade meets every Friday for Bible stories, games, songs, snacks,and prizes! Sunday news shows (The Monterey County Herald) Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows: 6 a.m.: NBC's "Meet the Press" ? Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden. 7 a.m.: "Fox News Sunday" ? Obama chief strategist David Axelrod and McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. 8 a.m. Guests on Sunday TV news shows (Boston Globe) Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows: ABC's "This Week" -- Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram enter joint distribution deal (Dallas Morning News) The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram have reached a joint distribution agreement in an effort to reduce costs, the two newspapers said Friday. Site: news - Google News News Analysis A Difficult Road Awaits Panetta at the CIA - New York Times
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for interior decorating Interior Decorators Challenge State Law On Job Title (Hartford Courant) Lynne Herrmann will help you pick a color for your living room walls, choose upholstery or recommend fabric for your draperies. You can find her in the phone book listed as an "interior decorator" or "designer of interiors" ? but never under the label "interior designer." Warm Weather Decorating in Cool Hues (Carteret County News-Times) (ARA) - When the weather turns warm, we open our windows to let in the light and fresh air. But there are other ways to update living spaces to reflect the best of the summer season. How to Integrate Personal Style into Your Kitchen and Bath (Carteret County News-Times) (ARA) - Most of us have developed a unique personal style and we know what fashions work for us. But when it comes to decorating or remodeling our homes, particularly our kitchens and bathrooms, style preferences can be harder to pin down. A student's dedication to interior design (University of Connecticut Daily Campus) Studying abroad is an excellent opportunity to soak in the nuances and differences of other cultures - their food, their style, their arts and their way of life. And one of the frequently-unmentioned benefits of studying abroad is the opportunity to experience the fact that outside of the United States, the residential college system is fairly uncommon, or at least of a far smaller scale. Interior Decorating Seals the Deal (New York Times) Just finding the perfect new home may no longer be enough; some buyers seem to want the house predecorated in the bargain. This odd house (Sewickley Herald) Interior designer Tom Weigel mixes imagination and personal style to create one-of-a-kind rooms. read more » Restoration after flooding (The Springfield News-Leader) Interior decorator Debra Moore spent two months preparing for her dream life. The Interactive New Site for the Budding Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens out There (PRWeb) Need inspiration for your next decorating or home improvement project? Then totallyhome.co.uk is a new website well worth looking at. (PRWeb Sep 10, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/totallyhome/080908/prweb1302084.htm The Interactive New Site for the Budding Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens out There (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Need inspiration for your next decorating or home improvement project? Then totallyhome.co.uk is a new website well worth looking at. Browse News & Feature Stories (Metro Times Detroit) 134 stories found. Showing page 1 of 5. Site: interior decorating - Google News Interior decorator pursues her true passion - Telegraph-Journal
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