Looking Outside the Square Tube Box

Once again, in a conversation with a customer, I was reminded of the curious path I have taken to get here. This customer had a concern that a certain fixture did not fit their perception of an "Arts & Crafts" fixture.

When I first became aware that I was living in a "Craftsman" home and that a sideboard I saved from my grandfather's basement 10 years prior was in the "Mission" style, I began to really appreciate this unique American style. But along with that I had somewhere picked up the misconception that Arts & Crafts light fixtures were square, fit into a certain style box, and were pretty much utilitarian in nature. Boy was I wrong. The Arts & Crafts movement was all about just the opposite.

But I understood where this customer's perception came from, as I had been there. Frequently the 3 terms used to describe this style are Craftsman, Mission, and Arts & Crafts. And sometimes they can be used interchangeably. Each has a different flavor of the time and I think a lot of folks, like me, initially do not understand the difference. These easily recognizable "Mission" fixtures are just a small part of the richness of the Arts & Crafts era.

Yes, the square fixtures are from the Arts & Crafts period, yes, the square fixtures look terrific in a Craftsman home and yes, these fixtures are also of the Mission style.

I think I was so enamored by the furniture of the Stickley era that I associated everything Arts & Crafts to that particular style.

I am glad I looked around that era and expanded my view to outside of the square tube.

Open your eyes and listen. PB

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