A brief summary of the American Arts and Crafts, Mission, and Craftsman furniture movement.
In a time when machines were taking over people’s jobs, and mass production was becoming the norm for all products (the industrial revolution), there was a movement among artists. These artists and craftsmen wanted to validate handcrafted skill and the human touch. Decorative styles like Art Nouveau began to enhance living spaces in Europe. In the US there began a quest for a honed-down and simple beauty, where an unadorned motif became admirable, and people were asked to slow down and consider the charm and uniqueness in each piece of wood.
Evanston and the Chicago area have an especially close tie to the Arts and Crafts, Mission, and Prairie styles. Many buildings and homes here were built during this era, and have functional design built right in. Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright was a pioneer for Prairie School architecture and the complimentary oak furnishings. Chicago’s Bungalow owners have long found Mission furniture to be just the right fit for their design tastes. Perhaps you won’t relate to the social ideals of the Craftsman movement, but we at Plain and Simple suspect you will love the furniture anyway.
Many of our customers have similar preferences for simple, functional designs that showcase that natural beauty of wood. Many of the furniture designs we have in our inventory have been consistently built, used and appreciated for more than one hundred years.
On May 30th at Concordia University we were able to attend the annual Arts and Crafts Chicago show. Some 50 vendors had booths displaying antiques and contemporary items. It is obvious that there are many lovers of Mission and Arts and Crafts furniture in the greater Chicago area. After viewing the competition of some independent craftsmen and some larger furniture chain stores selling reproductions of this classic furniture, we can say with confidence that Plain and Simple has the Arts and Crafts Furniture you love at prices much lower than comparable reproductions.