The Colors of Fall and the Arts and Crafts Period

For some reason when the scent and sights of fall begin I often notice how the beautiful lines and colors associated with the Arts and Crafts style are all around me.
The Arts and Crafts movement celebrated and used icons taken from nature such as the pine spray, thistle, and acorn as their recurrent themes. Arts and Crafts colors mirror the natural world with their rich palette of muted greens, golds and rusts.
Through historic interior design you can see how much the world around them influenced designers and architects. From all periods this is true, with the brilliant blues, reds and golds of the very patriotic Federal period, to the rich jewel colors of the Victorian period so influenced by the industrial machine age and the great wealth that came with it.
Color is a powerful emotional indicator of what was going on during a particular period so it is no wonder that at the beginning and throughout the Arts and Crafts movement you find the soothing hues taken from nature by the designers. With the world increasingly in turmoil and a World War looming, these colors gave our ancestors a calm and nurturing environment in which to live. Nature, the true constant, gave them the center of their design.
In historic design you become a sleuth that would rival Sherlock, clues to a house’s past life are everywhere, especially that of its past color palette. I urge you to acquire a great book that is the relative bible of anyone who is working in this field or just starting on a personal project.
Recreating the Historic House Interior by William Seale is so good at taking you through the steps from research to restoration for any historic interior. The author is a legend in this field and the very first book I read as a young Park interpreter working on my first design project for the National Park Service. Many tried and true rules for recreating the period perfect interior can be found within its pages and you will find a veritable road map for how to find the resources you need to complete your project.
One thing about history, the old adage “everything new is old again” is particularly true when it comes to design, be it architecture or color, and luckily with our website, thehistoricinterior.com, you have access to all the resources particular to your specific period.