Monday, August 3, 2015

A Decorator's Guide To Arts And Crafts Style Decorating

By Phyllis Schroeder


If you are someone who loves natural looking items and does not want a lot of highly decorate items in their home, you may be thinking about how to achieve that look while still making your home look warm and inviting. You may want to consider arts and crafts style decorating rather than some of the other modern design styles. You may be amazed at how something so clean in its design can feel so warm and comfortable.

You may be surprised to find that this design style (also known as Craftsman) has actually been around since the late 1800s. At this time, the Victorian style was extremely popular. This was a style that had a lot of ornamentation on areas such as the legs of tables and the arms of chairs. Often, portions of the furniture were covered with heavy cloth that was further ornamented with ruffles and other decorative elements. It was not a look that some people enjoyed. They wanted to create pieces that looked more natural and which had clean lines and simple designs.

This term refers both to a style of architecture and to a design style for furniture as well. It began in England but it was not long until designers and architects in the US and around the world began to borrow elements of it for use in their own designs. Some of the best known houses that are designed in this style can be found in the United States.

If you are looking for ways to decorate your home in this style, be prepared to have a lot of wood in your home. Remember that artists working in this particular design style loved natural materials such as stone and wood. They wanted to find ways to showcase the beauty that these materials had naturally and used them in as many different ways as possible.

If you are choosing the colors that you will use in a room or in a home, consider picking natural colors. Green, brown, and other tones that are found in nature are found in Craftsman styled items rather than bright hues that other styles of design favor. Often, some of these colors may look muted or faded rather than looking bright or artificial.

While many people think that this style is clean and undecorated, this is not actually the case. Many pieces that are designed in this style do have carving and other accents but they still have clean lines and the uncluttered appearance that this design method is known for. It is not uncommon to see furniture that looks handmade and which has visible joins and intricate hardware as well.

If you are looking for inspiration, you may want to look at images of some famous Arts and Crafts homes that are designed and decorated in this style. One of the most famous is the Gamble house which is located in Pasadena, California. It is known around the world by fans of the Craftsman (or Arts and Crafts) style.

You may worry about trying to put a room together on a budget but you don't have to be. You may end up needing to look a bit harder in order to find information or places to buy items but in the end you can create the kind of beautiful, serene environment you are trying to achieve. Keep in mind that there are still a number of craftsmen who are working in this style that can provide you with original pieces that can be quite affordable.




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