What is Arts and Crafts?

Arts and Crafts is an architecture and design movement that emerged around 1860 in England as a reaction against industrialisation and mass production. The movement championed craft quality, honest materials and a return to handwork in building and design.

Characteristics

Arts and Crafts architecture is recognisable by:

• Natural materials — brick, natural stone, timber and handmade roof tiles
• Visible craftsmanship — skilful detailing in brickwork, woodcarving and ironwork
• Asymmetry — an informal, picturesque composition rather than rigid symmetry
• Steep roofs — often with dormers, bay windows and chimneys as prominent features
• Varied window forms — different window types and sizes within a single facade
• Connection to the garden — a seamless transition between house and landscape

Key figures

• William Morris — founder of the movement; designer, writer and activist
• Philip Webb — architect of Red House, the icon of Arts and Crafts
• Charles Voysey — designer of country houses with simple, elegant forms
• Charles Rennie Mackintosh — Glasgow School; a bridge between Arts and Crafts and early Modernism

Application

The influence of Arts and Crafts is visible in:

• Country houses — the English cottage style with handcrafted details
• Garden cities — residential developments with generous layouts and plenty of green space
• British civic buildings — town halls, libraries and schools in the Arts and Crafts manner
• Interiors — handmade furniture, tiles, wallpaper and textiles

Legacy

Arts and Crafts laid the groundwork for:

• The Art Nouveau movement in Belgium and France
• The Deutscher Werkbund in Germany
• Later Modernism, which adopted the principle of honest materials

Related terms

• Building style
• Art Nouveau
• Architecture
• Ornament
• Craftsmanship

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