Gustav Stickley
1858-1942

Gustav Stickley, the most prominent figure of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, founded his own furnishings company in 1899 after visiting C.F.A Voysey and other British designers on a trip to England. Dedicated to the practical realization of the movement’s philosophy, he created furniture, metalwork, lighting and textiles with the principles of straight-forward design and solid workmanship in mind.  In 1901, he began to edit and publish the journal The Craftsman, which disseminated both philosophical treatises and practical manuals on the meaning and implementation of the Arts and Crafts lifestyle.

Characterized by minimal, rectilinear lines, Stickley’s design style focused on emphasizing the inherent beauty of the object’s materiality and functionality; in this view, applied decoration was perceived as hiding rather than enhancing the work’s aesthetic appearance.  Likewise, Stickley believed that the color scheme of his furnishings should be subdued and monochromatic, as natural as possible.