Arts & Crafts Architecture: Simple Beauty and Good Design

 

Arts & Crafts architecture began in the late 1800s in England. It was a reaction against factories and mass-produced buildings. People wanted homes that felt warm, honest, and handmade.

These houses are usually simple and practical. They often use natural materials like wood, stone, and brick. You may see wooden beams, wide porches, and low roofs. The colors are soft and natural, such as brown, green, and beige.

Several famous architects helped make this style popular. In England, William Morris was a leader of the Arts & Crafts movement. He believed that good design should improve everyday life. In the United States, Gustav Stickley designed homes and furniture in this style. Another famous American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, was influenced by Arts & Crafts ideas, especially the focus on nature and simple forms.

Inside, Arts & Crafts homes focus on comfort and usefulness. Furniture is strong and well made, not fancy. Many homes have built-in shelves, benches, or cabinets. Everything has a purpose.

The main idea of Arts & Crafts architecture is this: good design should be beautiful and useful. These homes remind us to slow down, enjoy quality work, and appreciate simple beauty in everyday life.

US Style: The Adirondack Chair

 

Adirondack chairs are a popular type of outdoor furniture in the United States. They are known for their simple yet sturdy design, featuring wide armrests, a high back, and a slanted seat that makes them perfect for relaxing outdoors. But where did these iconic chairs come from?

The story of Adirondack chairs begins in the early 1900s in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. A man named Thomas Lee wanted to create a comfortable chair for his summer home. He wanted a chair that could be used on the uneven ground of the mountains. After trying out several designs with his family, he finally created a chair with wide armrests, a high back, and a slanted seat. This design became the first Adirondack chair.

Over the years, the design of Adirondack chairs has changed a little, but the basic features have remained the same. Today, you can find Adirondack chairs made from various materials like wood, plastic, and even metal. They come in many colors and styles, but they all maintain the classic look that Thomas Lee first created.

Adirondack chairs are more than just outdoor furniture. They have become a symbol of relaxation and enjoying the beauty of nature. Many people in the United States use them in their backyards, on their porches, and by the lakeside. The connection of these chairs to the US is strong, as they represent a love for the outdoors and the simple pleasures of life.

Whether you are enjoying a sunny day, reading a book, or chatting with friends, these chairs offer a perfect spot to relax and unwind.

Adult Treehouses

When I was a child I lived in a neighborhood with many big trees. I tried to climb them if the branches were low enough but my biggest dream was to have a treehouse, which is a structure built in the branches of a tree. Treehouses can be secret forts or just special places to be in touch with nature and enjoy privacy with your friends.

Treehouses are very rudimentary and simple in design because they are typically built by children (hopefully with adult help). Usually support beams or floor platforms are bolted directly into the tree and then you access your treehouse with a ladder or staircase. 

Nowadays more sophisticated adult treehouses with modern luxuries seem to be the current trend but the reasons to build one are no different from when we were children: to have a small elevated sanctuary. There are spectacular adult treehouses all over the world and I can’t think of any better place to unwind (relax). 

Four Corners

You’re traveling in the USA and you want to visit as many places as possible but you don’t have much time. How do you maximize your road trip to see as many states as you can? Try the Four Corners region.

The southwestern U.S. features an intersection of land that allows you to stand in four different states at once - Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah - and that region is appropriately called the Four Corners. The majority of the land belongs to the Navajo Nation of American Indians and it’s worth stopping to meet Navajo artisans and craftsmen, and of course, get ypur photo taken in all four states at once!

Technically known as a quadripoint, a point on the Earth that touches the border of four distinct territories, it’s not the only quadripoint in the world. Can you locate any others?

My vacation

I returned from my vacation yesterday. I went to my most favorite place to enjoy Wisconsin’s natural beauty, the Chain of Lakes in Waupaca, Wisconsin. This location is rather particular because of its arrangement of 22 connected lakes which were formed by glaciers during the Ice Age, between 35,000 and 11,150 years ago. That’s a long time ago!

Spreading over many kilometers, these crystal clear lakes are spring-fed and extremely clean. Many Native American Indians have a special name for the Chain of Lakes, such as the Menomini Indians, “Se-se-pe-comeow” meaning “sprawling water,” or “water that spreads out like an animal basking in the sun.” The Potawatomi Indian name for the Chain of Lakes means “scattered water,” or “scattered group of lakes.” The Chippewa also had a name for them,“Wai-wai-ba-si-pi,” meaning “soon one after another” which describes how one lake follows another in a chain or series.

There are narrow channels connecting the lakes which provide the perfect opportunity to travel (by boat, of course) from one lake to the next, to the next. I spent a majority of my time canoeing, kayaking, and swimming last week. There are always new places to explore and a lake to satisfy if you like the pace active or peaceful. Being a nature lover has never been easier.