In the Arts & Crafts Style

I love interior decorating but am a newbie to the A & C movement. When I saw this title in the discount bin at my local bookstore, I was struck by the simple, beautiful cover and brought it home with me. What a treasure! The photography is amazing - full-color spreads of beautiful furniture in similarly captivating surroundings. This is a sight for sore eyes indeed and a study in a renowned aesthetic movement. The book begins with an introduction to the movement and is divided into five chapters: Chapter One details influences and innovations with reference to the movement's English roots. Chapter Two covers Hallmarks of the Style: Attention to detail and the character of the home, then and now Chapter Three focuses on the furniture: arts and crafts classics and collector's choice [by renowned furniture makers such as Charles Rohlfs,the Roycroft community, etc]. Chapter Four is on Objects and Accents: The Crafted House and Details of Design Chapter Five focuses on Case Studies. This is also my favorite chapter as various residences built or decorated around the A & C style are featured. The photographs are simply beautiful and defy description! All in all, I think this is a wonderful introduction to the A & C style and makes for delightful reading, providing lots of inspiration and ideas for those new to the A & C style as well as long-time afficionados.

What a lovely book, for the A & C afficionado and the newbie alike. Dividing her content into Influences & Innovations; Hallmarks of the Style; Furniture; Objects and Accents; and Case Studies, Mayer presents a stunning and inspirational tour of homes and objects from the Arts and Crafts Movement. My sister gave me this when she realized I loved the style, and I nearly wept. How amazing to have someone understand your passions! The only disappointment in this book is the inclusion of a case study "American Gothic," which highlights an anti-A & C aesthetic with a profusion, Victorian-aesthetic in its genesis, of tiles, metalwork, and pottery, that Stickley, Voysey, et al. would have abjured. Still, this departure from the style's reason for being serves to remind us of how valuable that reason was.

An arts and crafts website recommended this book as the place for beginners in the movement. Following their lead, we purchased the book and have not regretted it. The advice is true. This is excellent background for the movement, giving it a skeleton which can be used to hang more and more on, including sources, wonderful photographical examples, and resources. We're finding it is desirable and so, so useful to restoring our bungalow to have a wealth of books on hand such as these to give ideas for restoration and decorating.

This book has a wonderful compilation of ideas, rooms and history to inspire one to run out to the antique mall. The details of every type of room done in this fashion gives a wealth of ideas for bringing this style into your own home.

This is a comprehensive book that covers (in five good sized chapters) the origins and influences of the Arts & Crafts style, hallmarks of the style, furniture, objects and accents, and case studies. I am a woodworker and I use this book quite frequently for inspiration and reference. For those interested in this period I highly recommend this book.