Best colors for your arts and crafts livingroom

The Arts and Crafts Movement began in England in the 1830s as the Industrial Revolution took hold of the nation. It was a rebellion of sorts against the idea of getting away from the natural scheme of things and dividing the labor among many laborers instead of skilled craftsmen. Arts and Crafts colors take their cue from nature and are in keeping with the Arts and Crafts aesthetic.

Among those who were in the forefront of this movement were Augustus Pugin, William Morris and John Ruskin. They were all concerned about the effect of industrialization on the English way of life. William Morris took what Ruskin and Pugin taught and applied it to his own ideas of decorating, and the style known as Arts and Crafts was born. The style expanded to furniture, pottery, wallpaper and many other items of decor. The Arts and Crafts movement waned in England after Morris' death in 1895, but after that time it flourished in America with furniture designers such as Stickley.

America combined the best of the British Arts and Crafts Movement with its own twists. Stickley's most popular chair design was known as a Morris Chair and while it looked handcrafted, it was factory made. The workers in the Stickley Factories were craftsmen but in modern terms. Mission style became something that the average person could afford to own.

When choosing colors for an Arts and Crafts living room, looking at a few of William Morris' designs is a great place to start. Companies are available that produce complete lines of paint based on Morris' designs. In these paints, the names are indicative of the feel they are trying to create. As stated earlier, colors are taken from nature so their paint choices have names like pear, dove, bay leaf, thistle, and heather. Take your cues from Mother Nature.

Colors to avoid when trying to create an Arts and Craft living room are bright primary colors and pastels. It is perfectly acceptable to use dusty colors such as dusty rose but stay away from the baby colors of pink, blue and yellow.

Choosing a piece or two of Arts and Craft pottery is a good way to come up with your color inspiration. If you like wine or eggplant, Van Briggle Pottery is of the period and comes in shades of burgundy as well as some muted greens. Other pottery of the period includes Roseville, Weller and McCoy. There are many lovely and peacefully earthy colors to be found in these collectibles.

Basically with Arts and Crafts colors, you will be bringing the outdoors inside, so keep that in mind when choosing your color palette. A return to a simpler time and a respect for the beauty of handcrafted items are the hallmarks of this style.