Arts and Crafts Seating
Emerging in reaction to industrialization and mass production, the Arts and Crafts movement celebrated handcrafted design as a part of daily life. The history of Arts and Crafts furniture has roots in 1860s England with an emphasis on natural motifs and simple flourishes like mosaics and carvings. This work is characterized by plain construction that showcases the hand of the artisan.
The earliest American Arts and Crafts furniture dates back to the start of the 20th century. Designers working in this style in the United States initially looked to ideas put forth by The Craftsman, a magazine published by Wisconsin native Gustav Stickley, a furniture maker and founder of the Craftsman style. Stickley’s furniture was practical and largely free of ornament. His Craftsman style drew on French Art Nouveau as well as the work he encountered on his travels in England. There, the leading designers of the Arts and Crafts movement included William Morris, who revived historical techniques such as embroidery and printed fabrics in his furnishings, and Charles Voysey, whose minimal approach was in contrast to the ornamentation favored in the Victorian era.
American Arts and Crafts work would come to involve a range of influences unified by an elevation of traditional craftsmanship. The furniture was often built from sturdy woods like oak and mahogany while featuring details such as inlaid metal, tooled leather and ceramic tiles. The style in the United States was led by Stickley, whose clean-lined chairs and benches showcased the grain of the wood, and furniture maker Charles Rohlfs, who was informed by international influences like East Asian and French Art Nouveau design.
Hubs in America included several utopian communities such as Rose Valley in Pennsylvania and the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony in New York, where craftspeople made furniture that prioritized function over any decoration. Their work would influence designers and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, who built some of the most elegant and iconic structures in the United States and likewise embraced a thoughtful use of materials in his furniture.
Find antique Arts and Crafts chairs, tables, cabinets and other authentic period furniture on 1stDibs.
Late 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Seating
Iron
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Seating
Leather, Oak
1970s German Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Leather, Birch
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Arts and Crafts Seating
Fabric, Oak
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Elm
1920s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Fabric, Oak
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Raffia, Beech
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Mahogany
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Faux Leather, Oak
1940s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Late 19th Century British Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Leather, Wood
1910s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Steel
1890s English Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Early 1900s European Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Brass
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Cane, Beech
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Seating
Leather, Pine
1990s European Arts and Crafts Seating
Ash
Early 20th Century Danish Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood, Fabric
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Fabric, Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Early 2000s African Arts and Crafts Seating
Metal
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Arts and Crafts Seating
Cane, Wood, Bentwood, Wicker
1940s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Rope, Oak
1920s Andorran Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Arts and Crafts Seating
Leather, Cherry
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood, Oak
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Mid-20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
1920s Dutch Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Elm
Late 19th Century British Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Rush, Elm
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Seating
Brass
1910s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
1940s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood, Oak
Late 19th Century British Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century Finnish Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Faux Leather, Oak
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
1860s English Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century English Arts and Crafts Seating
Elm
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Brass
1940s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Seating
Rush, Oak
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Seating
Oak
20th Century English Arts and Crafts Seating
Bouclé, Oak