Arts and Craft Movement – It’s Influence on American Woodworking
Woodworkers as a lot are very opinionated people; just ask us. We all know which tools, types of wood and finishing techniques work the best. Ours, of course, and to tell the truth that’s my opinion too. I. I have tools that I love, and those that I don’t, techniques that really work great for me and those that don’t, as well as those I really dislike. But one thing I think all woodworkers can agree on is the look and feel of a finely crafted piece of work. If you ever have the opportunity to visit a real woodworking shop or store, not those mass produced Mega stores, but a real store or shop with saw dust on the floor, I will bet you will not be able to resist running your hands along the tops, admiring the fine joinery and the quality finish even if it isn’t your style of furniture.
Now there are many different styles of work, from the plain and simple lines of the Quakers, to the highly decorated Queen Anne pieces with turned legs and curved fronts, to the ultra modern pieces that infuse wood and other materials. In my mind the best style is Arts and Craft. I think there is a lot of agreement with that choice. One of the things I have learned since I began to research the Arts and Craft movement is that the style is not limited to just the furniture. It’s a whole package which can encompass your entire house. If you doubt this, go to your local DIY store, where you will find an ever increasing supply of Hardwood Oak moldings and trim. Or go to any of the thousands of furniture stores, and even though a lot of the stuff is particle board and laminate, a lot of the designs have very strong Arts and Craft influences. When we moved into our current home, we had the standard builder’s grade painted 1 3/8″ molding on every door and window. As time and budget has allowed, we have replaced every single piece of it with wide, stained oak molding. We recently replaced the stair risers and treads with oak, and most of the carpet has found its way to the junk yard. Why, because we love the look and feel of real wood. Most of the furniture I make is either a reproduction of an Arts and Craft piece, or a variant of it. The furniture that we have purchased is either Leather or Danish Modern.