Because so much of our furniture is known for its Arts & Crafts style, we like to complement that look with other objects of the same genre. Go into any of our showrooms, and you’ll find beautiful lamps by the William Morris Studio, framed decorative tiles by Motawi Tileworks, pottery by Ephraim Faience, and clocks and bookends by Schlabaugh & Sons.
Interestingly enough, all these companies were formed in the ’80s and ’90s, exactly one century after the movement that inspired them. Let’s learn more about each one:
William Morris Studio:
William Morris, an artisan in Benicia, Calif., makes Arts and Crafts lamps that would make the original William Morris, the founder of the Arts & Crafts movement, proud. The contemporary Morris says the two share kindred spirits, but he has no idea whether they share any blood relation. “I’ve never been interested in figuring it out,” he says. Growing up, he adds, the connection “never even crossed my mind … It doesn’t matter. I have my own voice.”
And what a clear, bright voice it is:
William Morris lamp
William Morris lamp
William Morris lamp
William Morris lamp
Morris and his wife, Renee, debuted their collection of lamps at the Baltimore Craft Show in 1994. Before that, he had been a precision shop machinist for 17 years, and was looking to do something more artistic. He works with glassmakers and potters such as Ephraim Faience Pottery on lamp vessel designs; once they send him the vessel, he creates the wooden base and caps. Renee crafts the shades from translucent mica and parchment, using leaves from their own backyard.
Because of his background, Morris says, “I have that skilled eye” to create his varied designs. “There’s no formula. I just know — it’s one of my gifts.”