The Shakers were always a small group whose self-imposed abstinence insured their demise. At their zenith the group held about 4000 members spread among nineteen self-sustaining communities. The Shakers lived the example set forth in the Holy Bible about living in the world without being a part of it. The community’s business sense was astonishing, especially for a small nineteenth century religious organization.

Although not part of the world it is obvious that Ann Lee, the group’s founder who had arrived the New World pre-American Revolution, was influenced by the Federal design style of that era. The Shakers had taken the Federal template and created a less formal and more rural design based on the needs and ideals of the farming communities they settled in. The influence of their religious beliefs and their country settings brought forth functional furniture with clean and simple lines. This was especially appealing to those who were suffocating under the opulence and gilding that was the Victorians.

The Shakers not only opened the door for the Arts and Crafts Movement in America but actually inspired some of its founders. The cousin of Arts and Crafts, American Mission and its father, Gustav Stickley, were quite possibly more warmly welcomed because of the influence of the Shaker ideals and products.

From 1560 through the mid nineteenth century and geographically from New Mexico, California, and Texas to Louisiana and Florida, the United States saw many influences brought from Spain. Because of the extreme isolation of many of the Spanish settlement the residents were not able to acquire the decorations for interior design that they may have otherwise used. Because of this, even the wealthiest Spaniard’s homes were considered sparse.

Priests set out to build missions with a crude set of tools that eventually wore out or broke. Because of the remoteness of their settlements these tools were not replaced. They would have to learn to craft their own devices or do without when constructing these missions. Many people from the east considered these settlements in California to be crude and primitive. These same structures would later influence great designers who brought us Mission style designs.

A prized possession of any Spanish home was the trasteras. The trasteras was a tall cabinet, often with grill work inserted in its doors, used to store valuables or even meat. The solid wood, often hand painted “trastero” or sideboard was the most traditional of Mexican furniture. This piece worked for both serving and storing.

Pine was a dominant wood of choice in most of this early furniture. Brightly colored paints set the Western furniture apart. A technique called chip carving was a standard among furniture makers in this genre, especially when built in pine. After the Santa Fe Trail more tools were made available and this style was popularized. Chip carving, or spoon carving, is a style of wood carving that utilizes knives to remove small chips of wood from the surface in a single piece.

As in the organic designs of Mission, earthenware pottery, wood, copper and iron, and even native stone was used to bring the outside in. Geraniums were often a highlight in many New Mexican homes. When Mission designs came to rescue the American patrons overindulged in Victorian gilding, the natural sparseness of the West was its influence.

 Art Deco-

Art Deco was born in 1925 at the Paris International Exposition and lived and evolved over a quarter of a century. Evoking images of nude nymphs, geometry-centric lines curves and shapes, early chrome and glass and caricatures of greyhound dogs, Art Deco has often been misunderstood.

Within the genre of Deco there were several sub-categories. French Deco was opulent; using exotic inlaid woods along with leather and fur. American designers adopted the symmetrical curves of French deco and included in every detail of their designs in that era, from furniture to jewelry. Modernism was hot and vinyl coverings and chrome-plated brass was in vogue.

By 1950 Deco included black wrought iron and pink accent pieces and was so massively produced it is still easily found by collectors today. Blue tinted glass top tables and “Chase” chrome were hot décor items.

Art Nouveau-

Literally translated Art Nouveau means “New Art”. This often whimsical New Art appeared in every facet of decorative arts at the end of the ostentatious Rococo period of the 1800s. There was a famous shop on the Rue de Provence called “L’Art Nouveau”. This gallery was opened in 1895 by the German art dealer Siegfried Bing in Paris and its core focus was on modern art. After the “1900 Exposition Universelle” the shop was popularized because of the displays of Bing’s modern furniture, tapestries and objets d’art. So strong was the connection between these modern decorative displays and the store that the name of Bing’s gallery became a commonly-used term for the décor itself.

Just as William Morris’s Arts and Crafts Movement did, Art Nouveau maked art part of everyday life. Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who used Art Nouveau designs to create an empire. Tiffany worked in the decorative arts but is best known for his stained glass and lamps in the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements.

Art Nouveau held a fifteen-year peak in the decorative arts world. It fell out of favor with the arrival of 20th-century modernist styles.

Arts and Crafts-

The final quarter of the Victorian era, the late 1800’s, saw the entrance of machines in the field of manufacturing. It also saw the revolution against in the way of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Born in Britain it soon spread to the United States via designers like Elbert Hubbard and Gustav Stickley. The Arts and Crafts Movement itself gave birth to Craftsman and Mission designs.The Arts and Crafts Philosophy subscribed to the idea of purifying art. These artisans and philosophers believed that designs should follow the function. Simplicity and craftsmanship were highly held virtues.

Expert metalworkers like Albert Berry and Dirk van Erp found a name for themselves in this genus. Their work is still sought after and collected by Arts and Crafts devotees today. Furniture in this style is usually heavy, squared, highly functional and usually made of a sturdy hardwood like oak.

With the Arts and Crafts Movement reaching its zenith from 1900 to 1915 by 1901, Stickley had turned “mission” furniture into an American living room standard. Suffering from an over-exposure to the gilded machine age of Victorian England, social reformers such as William Morris and John Ruskin founded the Arts & Crafts movement in Britain during the late nineteenth century. Their literal philosophy declared that a return to simplicity was needed to protect society from the growing inhumanity of the Industrial Revolution.

After traveling to Europe, Gustav Stickley was deeply inspired by these European social reformers. After his return to the States Stickley constructed an organic philosophy of simplicity and function that became famous world round. His take on the Arts and Crafts philosophy came to life in his radical and functional furniture style. Furniture was not the only thing Gustav cared about when creating an organic environment for the American home, and in fact he soon began designing the actual homes. Stickley published the famous Craftsman magazine, hosting the Craftsman Home Builders Club, through which tens of thousands of blueprints for homes were free to subscribers.

Today Amish craftsman, many like Stickley of German ancestry, bring the same honest, integrity that Gustav Stickley sought when he designed his American idea of Arts and Crafts called Craftsman. Solid native American hardwoods, fantastic stain choices and durable construction and finishes, are all available now in Mission, Craftsman and Arts and Crafts designs; thanks to the honorable woodworking Amish artisans, keeping Stickley alive today.

William Morris was a writer, orator, artist, textile designer, wallpaper artisan and poet. Morris held strong beliefs that in an age of modern machines and gilded homes that men truly should have equal access to a quality of life and articles around them should be of artisan, rather than mass, production. In turn-of-the-century Great Britain Morris was not just involved with designing furniture, wallpapers and textiles. William Morris carried his political beliefs into his work life, believing that these beliefs and ideals would eventually produce equal opportunities for everyone to own his works.

Politically William Morris was an involved in early English Social Democracy. He joined the Social Democratic Federation 1883. After a fight with Henry Hyndman, the founder of the SDF group, Morris founded his own group, called the Socialist League. When asked to explain how he fell into Socialism, Morris delivered an explanation in “How I Became a Socialist” that read in part -

“Well, what I mean by Socialism is a condition of society in which there should be neither rich nor poor, neither master nor master’s man, neither idle nor overworked, neither brain­slack brain workers, nor heart­sick hand workers, in a word, in which all men would be living in equality of condition, and would manage their affairs unwastefully, and with the full consciousness that harm to one would mean harm to all-the realisation at last of the meaning of the word COMMONWEALTH .”

Morris, a student of medieval times, was himself a natural educator, writing and lecturing on street-corners in England and Scotland. Supposedly after delving into Marx’s Das Kapital in a French translation, he declared himself a Marxist. Morris was a man of awe inspiring energy, who possessed huge talents and ideals. Morris dreamt enormous dreams of a Socialist Revolution in England. He saw his world, his Victorian Britain, as physically ravaged and spiritually drained by the Industrial Revolution. He longed for a more artist-centric, communal, mediaeval agrarian society that was filled with happy, healthy people, all enjoying the work they did by hand.

Although Morris himself did not quite succeed in his selfless attempts to encourage a relationship between industry and craft, his ideas were not a failure. American Gustav Stickley brought the ideas of Morris’s Arts and Crafts Movement to the new country and was able to merge mass production with handmade craftsmanship. Stickley’s German-American Yankee ingenuity coupled with the Morris’s politics, ideals and gifts created some of the most sought after designs in history.

While, William Morris was indeed a man who was not in love with the world he had been born into, he seemed to see socialism as a means to an end. That end was supposed to transform the ugliness he saw in late century Britain into the beauty that he hoped it once was and could be. In his “News From Nowhere” he would write:

The earth and the growth of it and the life of it! If I could but say or show how I love it!

In a very real sense his entire life, especially his organic designs in home décor, was a successful attempt to share the meaning of those lines with others. While some believe he was an eccentric utopian, his life’s work lives on in print, in the organization called the William Morris Society and in home decors worldwide.

You have wisely selected the perfect Amish built focal point for your new media room or personal home theatre – the entertainment cabinet and now it is time to fill it with quality electronic fun. A well planned personal home theater will deliver years of entertainment for you, your family and friends.

TELEVISION:

Both satellite and cable providers support High Definition (HD) television. HD packages vary from carrier to carrier in both price and content available. Not all channels, as yet, are broadcast in HDTV.

DVD PLAYERS:

One of the hot new ways to view movies from home is via either a DVD Blu-Ray or a HD DVD. The next generation players give better clarity and picture quality for more satisfying home viewing but the jury is out as to which one is best.

REMOTE CONTROL:

Nowadays we are no longer looking for “the” remote but rather the REMOTES! There is now an option to eliminate an individual remote for one high tech device that immigrates all devices onto one mini-LCD screen. Some of these high-tech gadgets even let you lower the curtains or raise the house lights. So far none can bring you fresh popcorn or a cold drink though.

SOUND PROOF PANELS:

Although this accessory may sound extravagant or beyond your budget there are many options available for keeping your theatre experience inside the room, while also reducing the echo effect of some environments. Soundproofing does not insure viewing quality but can keep the noise from exiting the theatre.

FUN IN DESIGN:

This can be your one chance to go imagination wild. From cordoning ropes to movie memorabilia, the theater palette is wide open for whimsical to classic designs. Small versions of popcorn machines, cotton candy machines and even hotdog rotisseries are now available at many home centers to add the whole movie going atmosphere, from eye appeal to stomach appeal.

While an Amish built entertainment center may hold all of your movie, music and gaming supplies you also have the option of adding matching armoires or closets. A brilliant idea is to place a row or more of plush solid wood leather or upholstered recliners, built for comfort by the Amish, as theater seating. With these chairs you can create theater seating worthy of an Oscar. William Morris and Gustav Stickley could not have conceived a better reclining chair than the Morris recliner for viewing movies in your new personal home theater.

By investing in good high end home or office designs you are creating a tradition of sharing heirloom family keepsakes to be enjoyed and passed down for generations, unlike those sweaters and ties he sold at the last garage sale.While there are hundreds of customizable and hand built items that anyone would be delighted to receive this holiday season here are a few of the many personal gift ideas:

WINE RACKS- Solid wood wine racks help store the wine in the proper position in order to keep the cork wet. These distinguished designer pieces fit in nicely with any décor and in fact are a real focal piece to display a nice wine collection and the bar accessories, such as cork screws and wine glasses. Available in several sizes and styles, some even create a mini bar for serving guests.

RECLINERS-The Amish woodworkers have hand created Morris Chairs just like the original. First produced in mass production by William Morris and Gustav Stickley during the Arts and Crafts Mission heyday, this reclining chair has never been out of production or style since the late 1800‘s. Available in upholstered fabrics or leathers these timeless recumbent seats will win the heart of any recipient. Footstools, in matching woods and fabrics are also available.

GUN CABINETS-The choice to own a gun should also include the choice to own a gun cabinet, gun locker, gun storage cabinet or gun armoire. A gun cabinet not only makes for a handsome display of your firearm collection but is imperative for safety, especially in a house with children. By maintaining a well built cabinet, constructed from solid native North American hardwoods, you can lock your guns away from inexperienced hands and store the ammunition in a separate location. Recreational guns that are used not so much for protection but for hunting or target shooting practice can be displayed unloaded behind locked doors or even dismantled and locked away in the cabinet for safe storage.Amish handcrafted gun cabinets are available in finished skip peel pine, red cedar, oak, cherry, hickory and walnut and in single door size that holds five guns, one bow or double doors for up to a dozen guns, one bow.

FIREPLACES-Who would not love their own architecturally beautiful fireplace to sit by on Christmas Eve and sip holiday eggnog? The Amish build a beautiful alternative to the wood burning fireplace with no construction or remodeling needed. Available to be delivered in many designs with optional feature from a marble backsplash, to side glass curio shelves, curio lights, mirrored backs, glass doors and remote controls. You can even add the Dimplex Flame with a more realistic flame effect and 4,600BTUs.

ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS-From 42” console size cabinets to plasma television cabinets with storage below to room sized four piece Entertainment Units; these are a beautiful addition to anyone’s living or family room. All of these entertainment centers and consoles are fully customizable and handcrafted by Amish woodworkers in Northern Indiana to fit TV area sizes of 42”, 48″, 54″ or 66″w. There is ample display space for your television and storage space for your CDs and DVDs.

Gustav Stickley (3/9/1858 – 4/21/1942) was the preeminent American Arts and Crafts Mission furniture designer and builder. Stickley’s designs are still collected and copied today and stand as a perfect example of America’s influence on England’s Arts and Crafts movement. Stickley led an interesting life of great influence in his field but Stickley did not become the artist he was by accident. Indeed, many things led to his popularity and success, including poverty and failures.

In fact, did you know that…

1. Stickley was considered an architect as well as furniture designer? Stickley’s designs went beyond interiors and some of his most popular creations were homes?

2. He was a writer and publisher? In 1901, Stickley founded The Craftsman, a periodical about the philosophies of the English Arts & Crafts movement with an American accent.

3. Gustav is credited with creating the 1^st electric chair? It is still in place at Auburn State prison in Auburn, New York.

4. There were actually 5 Stickley Brothers in the furniture business?

GUSTAV, CHARLES, ALBERT, LEOPOLD AND JOHN GEORGE

5. Stickley was originally a stonemason with his dad? First an apprentice and then a journeyman…and he hated it.

6. Gustav was a drop out? Not by choice, however. He left school at age 12 and in the eighth grade so he could help support his family.

7. Stickley and his brothers went to Pennsylvania with their mother when their father abandoned the family in Wisconsin?

8. His mother’s brother, Gustav’s uncle, first trained him in the furniture business as a chair maker?

9. Lack of money limited his tools thus affecting his creations? His primitive tools created the primitive designs we love today.

10. Gustav was born “Gustave“ but at some point dropped the “E” ?