Arts and Crafts Era 

January 20, 2023

During the time of the  Arts and Crafts interior design era, one of the main influences of this movement was the Victorian Era, medieval design, and gothic style. The Victorian Era was known to be the start of a consumer era when it came to interior design. The Era was characterized by bold features and colors. Some of the negatives of the Victorian Era was the quality of the furniture and the rooms came off as cluttered and poorly thought out. The victorian era launched a pathway for many new interior design routes including the Arts and Craft movements. 

 The Arts and Crafts movement started in England. The Founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris stated, "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." I believe that quote is a perfect depiction of the style and functionality of the movement. 

The Arts and crafts movement was characterized by simplicity, heavy materials and functionality. The movement started in England and was a huge part of the industrial revolution. The manufacturing of specific Arts and Crafts cabinets were a staple for the interior design movement and also a main contributor to the industrial revolution. 

One of the main influences of the Arts and Crafts movement besides the victorian era was the medieval era. The founder William Morris was fascinated with the medieval style and looked at many works of art to design furniture and incorporate what he saw into the style of interior design. below is a picture of one of Morris' works, "The Red House". Some characteristics of this room are the oak wood (the main wood used throughout the Arts and Craft movement).

Even today the Arts and Craft movement is still alive and well, taking different approaches and outlooks, however, still staying true to its core characteristics.

as seen in the image above, we can see how the Arts and Crafts era has become modernized. The chairs in the image are fairly similar to the settee chair designed by Gustav Stickley during the Arts and Craft era. We can also see the amount of wood used throughout the kitchen to mirror the oak look that was originally used at the start of the interior design era. 

The image above is similar to the "The Red House" project done by William Morris. The white ceiling emphasizes the oak-like wood that was used in the Arts and Crafts movement. Another characteristic of this kitchen that is similar to the Arts and Crafts style is the heavy cabinets with large exposed hinges.

Focusing more on the fabric and different patterns used throughout the Arts and Crafts movement can be seen in the image above. Not only can you see the thick exposed wood on the ceiling and framing in the room but the patterns used in the furniture are fairly similar to the patterns used at the start of the Arts and Crafts movement. The intricate textile detail is another key factor in the arts and craft movement.

The Arts and Crafts movement taught me about how furniture should not only be used as decoration but for functionality as well. The simplicity of the movement shows me that when furniture is carefully made with specific intentions it can create a warm inviting environment that will never go out of style.