Sparse, clean, oversimplified, organic and often based on geometric shapes many people, especially those who really do not understand or prefer Modern designs, would find it surprising how much of their lives are touched by contemporary Modern design or how much thinkers like William Morris, Louis Sullivan and others of their era, actually inspired the movement.

Morris engaged in the practice of warm and fuzzy, if not always practical, ideals and dreams for society. He felt it not just a wish but an essential of civilized society to insure that it provide its citizens, one and all, with aesthetically pleasing and functional things to look at and use. He however was convinced that the quality he sought could not be accomplished by machines but only by craftsmen and women by hand. He set his goal beyond reason, since the amount of artisans it would take to create the massive amounts needed to furnish the world’s homes was not possible – without machines, that is. Morris also developed this school of thought just as we were entering into the great Industrial Revolution and once entered in to there was no going back completely.

Early modern designers grasped the philosophy that the great orator Morris taught but felt that machines could be manipulated to be as artistic as any man and that mass production would accomplish Morris’ goals. Henri van de Velde was one of his peers who believed that the machines could be guided to create beauty.  They all agreed in the principles but not how to get there. They also agreed in the simplicity of design seen in the Arts and Crafts and Mission designs. The American architect Louis Sullivan, who once influenced the father of organic design, young Frank Lloyd Wright, believed that form indeed followed function and went so far as to suggest that we should purge ourselves of ornamentation for a few years so we could enjoy the structure in its original concept.

While it seems a stretch from the heavy oak Mission type Morris reclining chair to the Barcelona chair of the 1920’s once you trace the roots of both philosophy in design concepts, they are indeed closely related. Today the Amish present Modern contemporary furniture that represents these designers’ ideals as well as the elegantly designed home, in custom stained and conceived design collections like the Brookline, Caledonia, Escalade and Kenwood and more.

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.