HG sans TV -- "Pure and Simple"

From the 1880s through the first two decades of the 20th century, a palpable change was underway in the design and, moreover, philosophy of everything home-related.  From the pitch of the roof right down to the table linens, the Arts and Crafts movement embodied a vision that was by turns severe in its rejection of excessive ornamentation to rich in its use of elegant inlay and stenciling.

But the Craftsman style was gradually eclipsed by Art Deco and Modern, and by the end of the century, "Craftsman" was better known as a brand of power tools.

In the 1980s the movement started to shake off its dormancy as it was rediscovered (Arts and Crafts redux!) by such design luminaries as Jed Johnson and Alan Wanzenberg.   They filled their Manhattan apartment with furnishings from the period (albeit with an original Warhol hanging here or there; this was to shake things up -- to keep the rooms from looking like a museum-- as well as paying homage to Johnson's mentor.)

Johnson and Wanzenberg were also instrumental in bringing back Fulper and Pewabic tiles (redux, again!), which were beautifully glazed ceramic tiles from the period that had gone out of production.

Although Johnson was not so much a purist, other Arts and Crafts collectors felt differently.  The September, 2003, issue of House & Garden featured just such a case.

Above photo shows the front of the house with the windmill in the background that actually provided water to the house .  It is a faithful reproduction of Harvey Ellis's design (see rendering below.)

Above is a portrait of the architect, c. 1880.  House & Garden called him "a visionary," but sadly he was also an alcoholic.  As they go on to say: "Legend has it that whenever there was a major [design] competition, whoever found Ellis first in a bar would win." 

Photos above and below are of the living room.  The copper and limestone fireplace as well as the highly stylized poplar motifs that flank it are Ellis designs.  The built-in settle bench, inlaid settle (foreground) and side table with inlay (below) are also by Ellis.

The warm colors are inspired by nature, a key tenet of the Craftsman creed.  Any decorative accents, whether inlays or stencils are abstract.  According to Ellis, "'Anything beyond pure symbolism would result in disaster.'"

The drapery (or "portiere" as H&G correctly described it) with the lotus motif, as well as the stenciled frieze that wraps around the living room are based on Ellis designs.  The bookcase is by Ellis; the vase is by Grueby pottery.

The oak music cabinet was created by Ellis in 1903, during the seven months that he worked for Gustav Stickley.  It is widely felt that Ellis imbued Stickley's work with "lightness and elegance" by his use of curved forms, not unlike Art Nouveau motifs, and beautiful inlays.  The copper gilded chalice sitting on top of the cabinet is by Josef Hoffman.

The 1903 screen, above is another example of Ellis's use of inlay.

In the dining nook, the stained glass window is from the period.  Notice the embroidery on the table linen.  Pure Arts and Crafts.

The 1905 Glenwood stove was recommended by Stickley in his The Craftsman magazine.

To add to the authenticity, the bungalow featured inlaid floors and linen-clad walls.  These ideas were taken from an article from The Craftsman, which was published monthly and dealt with all things related to the movement.

In the bedroom, wall hangings were painstakingly produced to reflect Ellis's detailed descriptions.  It tells the story of "Puss 'n Boots."

The Chicago collector who commissioned the building and furnishing of Ellis's bungalow was also a visionary.  In the mid-eighties, when he began the restoration of buildings on a compound he had just purchased, he had no knowledge of the Arts and Crafts movement, let alone Harvey Ellis.  But he soon became a student and a connoisseur.  He chose well; these days a Harvey Ellis piece (scarce to begin with) in excellent condition can sell for upwards of $250,000.  But despite the price tag, eight years ago House & Garden chronicled what was purely and simply good design.

As much as I've enjoyed researching and publishing these old House & Garden articles, I'm itching to take a temporary break and focus on window treatments, as they say in the trade.  It's an element of design that can make or break a room.  There are many versions, and we'll look at great examples of them all. 

In the above H&G article, the word "portiere" was correctly used to describe a length of fabric that hangs over the doorless entry to a room.  It's a word that's not used much today, but it's a concept that is used quite a lot.  For me, "portieres" became famous (and synonymous) with a 1939 movie that was originally a book.  This is an easy one...the answer in my next post, not to mention some great images of draperies (and portieres!)

Thanks for reading, everyone!