Home » Home & Style » Antique Linens/Textiles » TEXTILES OF THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT

TEXTILES OF THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT

© Joan Lawrence

The Arts and Crafts Movement was founded by John Ruskin of England, and emphasized natural materials and nature. He designed rustic cottages located outside of the city dwellings. In the United States the movement was led by Gustav Stickley, a designer of furniture and houses.

The textiles and advise used in furnishing a room was to make the room most comfortable.

Bedroom: This will also include the Nursery which was to be bright and hygenic, with a feeling of airiness and purity. This provided much need for protection from infectious disease, such as tuberculosis, before the "antibiotic" was invented. No longer was the "clutter" of the Victorian bedroom, with its layered drapes, bed curtains and pillows. Now bedrooms were furnihed very simple with just a spread, single pillow or bolster. The bedspread was embroidered or stenciled and the curtains were made simple, with one layer of fabric, such as linen or batiste.

Childrens' Room: This room was sometime called the Dormatory, and painted in pastel colors instead of white. To relieve these bright walls, stenciling or wallpaper friezes were used. They used washable cotton rugs or linoleum for floors with the curtains being heavy enough to block out light for afternoon naps.

Kitchen: The kitchen had no curtain, because of the woodworking of the window design. The breakfast nook usually had a light curtain, a few pillows and a runner for the table.

Bathroom: This room used no curtains because frosted glass was used, but shower curtains became popular, and made from sturdy canvas.

Porch: Known as the "family room" with rugs, cushioned furniture, dining table, shades or awnings. The textiles used were always light enough to be moved or taken down in bad weather, but strong enough to take a little moisture and sunlight. Rugs were made of hemp or straw with a Japanese design, and cotton rag rugs that were washable were also popular. The Modern Pricilla recommended that silk and velvet not be used but using applique and stenciling on linen, denim or cretonne for any of the cushions, would be acceptable. Some porches had large roll-up shades in natural canvas or straw, with green being the popular color.

Living Room and Dining Room: These two rooms is where the family gatherings took place. Fabrics that covered the furniture now could easily be maintained. Shades protected the curtains and other textiles from the sun's harsh damage. Sheer curtains filtered the sunlight while providing privacy during the day.

The copyright of the article TEXTILES OF THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT in Antique Linens/Textiles is owned by Joan Lawrence. Permission to republish TEXTILES OF THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.