196 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



May, 1 9 10 



The Development of the Arts and Crafts House 



By Edith Haviland 



VERY adult in this generation can recall, 

 not so many years ago, the lavish use of 

 ornamental detail in the fittings of the 

 house. On furniture, it was employed to 

 conceal the defects In construction; in 

 carpets, the designs were over-elaborate 

 and unrestrained; wall paper patterns 

 were aggressively prominent. Even the accessories of less 

 importance — toilet sets for the bedrooms, holders for 

 plants, table china, picture frames and scrap baskets — 

 were so burdened with decoration that their utilitarian 

 value was often lost sight of. 



With the rapid growth in artistic knowledge, however, 

 there came a reaction, in which an austere simplicity took 

 the place of super-abundant ornamentation. At first, 

 started by the adoption of the simple furniture made after 

 the lines of that of the missions in California, it was modi- 

 fied in various ways as the manufacturers saw the idea had 

 taken a popular hold. Sometimes a piece of furniture was 

 designed and executed by 

 the same hand, the artist 

 becoming then the crafts- 

 man. In this way the 

 mediaeval idea of arts and 

 crafts, which William 

 Morris tried to restore to 

 England, came into some 

 slight vogue in this 

 country. 



The abandonment of 

 superficial ornament drew 

 more attention to the con- 

 structive element, not only 

 to the movable furnishings 

 of the house, but to the 

 woodwork and permanent 

 fittings. The introduction 

 of one article built in the 

 more simple way achieved 

 noticeable results. 7he 

 advantages of its lack 

 of cumberson decoration 

 drew attention to its un- 

 worthy companions, and the latter were eliminated in 

 favor of the more desirable style, and the assembling of 

 several pieces of plain furniture gave such distinctive ex- 

 pression to a room that other furnishings related to them 

 necessarily followed. The shaping of the woodwork and 

 its finish received serious thought, and new stains in more 

 subtle tones of gray, brown and green were devised to 

 take the place of the bright varnishes. 



As rugs came more and more into service, the arts and 

 crafts house called for solid colors or conventionalized 

 designs as a departure from the floral effects in general 

 use. Conventional wall covers were found to be out of 

 harmony with the furniture and floor coverings and new 

 styles were devised. Curtains and portieres were factors 

 not to be overlooked in making comfortable interiors, 

 and special textures appeared from Scotland and Germany 

 where a similar movement towards simplicity in the house 

 was in progress. 



So brief a survey of the development of the arts and 



Curved braces support the ceiling beams 



crafts movement in the homes in this country must, of 

 necessity, leave much to the imagination, but one may see 

 from the illustrations the real aspect of typical interiors. 

 While the group of pictures do not all belong under one 

 roof, there is a family resemblance apparent throughout. 



In the first drawing of an entrance hall the severity of 

 the lines of the staircase pillar is softened at the top by 

 curved braces that seem to support the ceiling beams. The 

 opposite side of the steps is incorporated with a built-in 

 settle of the same general outline. Even the screen is 

 paneled and finished like the stationary woodwork. 

 Through the open doorway the dininjr table and chairs are 

 seen to be of the same simple standard. Without a guide 

 to the color scheme of this hall, one feels that it is prac- 

 tical, restful and appropriate. 



On another page a reception hall is notably plain, but 

 full of quiet charm. The back of the settle is formed of 

 wide planks placed upright, with a seat that covers an 

 inclosed chest. Tables for holding pottery and vases of 



flowers are placed at 

 either side of the wide 

 doorway. 



The brick fireplace in 

 another view makes the 

 central object in a living- 

 room, and gains dignity 

 from being carried from 

 the floor to the ceiling. A 

 heavy oak slab for the 

 mantel bears the words, 

 "Love, Laughter, Work" 

 in bold lettering. Two 

 openings to hold flower 

 jars are left in the bricks, 

 one at either side of the 

 chimney breast. The 

 Navajo rugs laid in front 

 of the hearth and in other 

 parts of the room are an 

 effective contribution to 

 the color scheme. In the 

 dining-room illustrated the 

 furniture has been made 

 to fit the spaces, and the bedroom interior is simplicity 

 itself. 



In equipping an arts and crafts house one may not 

 make an exact copy of what has been chosen for some 

 other dwelling, similar in character, for the variations in 

 family life would render this undesirable. Each feature 

 of the home requires a careful study to bring it into that 

 fitness of expression that is the mission of the arts and 

 crafts. 



In selecting the window shades the exterior finish of the 

 window casements deserves attention, although the inner 

 effect is unquestionably of moment. If the woodwork is 

 finished in any one of the tones of brown that is usually 

 adopted in an arts and crafts house, a buff colored shade 

 will be satisfactory. 



In the frequent discussions which one hears as to the 

 relative advantages of carpets and rugs, the point that ap- 

 peals most keenly to the home maker in favor of the latter 

 is that the annual or semi-annual tearing up for cleaning 



