Rejecting the "badly constructed, over-ornate, meaningless" furniture of the late Victorian period, architect, furniture designer and manufacturer Gustav Stickley developed a radical new design concept that stressed careful workmanship, simplicity, and utility. His important monthly magazine
The Craftsman
(1901–16) published construction plans for his distinctly American furniture.
The 62 simple, straightforward projects reprinted here — exquisite examples of Stickley's classic designs — first appeared in
between 1903 and 1907. Included are projects large and small enough to satisfy the household needs and creative urges of any woodworker. Make authentic reproductions of handsome, functional, sturdy Craftsman home furnishings from bookcases to bedsteads, dressers to dining tables, a hall tree, a foot rest, a wood-box and more — future family heirlooms that will stand the test of time both in durability and in clean, elegant purity of line. Each project includes Stickley's original information for woodworkers of the early 1900s: a perspective drawing of the completed piece; a brief description of the item with suggestions for appropriate choices of wood; a "mill bill" giving complete lumber specifications; and schematic drawings showing both front and side views with accurate measurements.
All woodworkers, even beginners, will delight in this collection of genuine Stickley plans for 62 of the finest, most desirable pieces of Craftsman or "mission-style" furniture. Antique collectors, furniture restorers, and historians of American style also will appreciate the detailed information on an influential design movement enjoying a resurgence in popularity.