Arts & Crafts Period Textiles

Today’s restorations often overlook curtains, yet no early 20th century interior would have been considered finished without them.

An artist spins yarns.

In the Studio with a textile artist

Where would we be without the beautifully woven fabrics selected for reproduction by Paul Freeman? He’s joined by Arts & Crafts collector Karl Eulberg for the next step.

From the turn of the 20th century until the World War II, window treatments moved from Victorian excess through Arts & Crafts simplicity and then settled into classic historical styles.

Tapestry portières of 1915, from the Trorlicht–Duncker Carpet Company

Stitchery and stenciling enlivened Arts & Crafts table linens, pillows, bed covers, and curtains.

Today, Kirsch is a household name in curtain hardware; the company was founded in 1908. In this early Kirsch publication, virtually all of the 14 window treatments show the influence of the Arts & Crafts movement—remarkable, given the popularity of competing styles.

Don’t get hung-up on a familiar handful of hand-knotted designs by Morris and Stickley. You have many choices, including hand-tufted, flat-weave, Caucasian, and Mexican rugs. In fact, few things will give you as much pleasure as choosing carpets for your home.

As Victorian excess waned, a new style appeared, inspired by simplicity. For the first time, the idea of middle-class comfort included accent pillows.

Practically, this drapery hung in doorways to stop drafts (and dampens sound) between rooms—but portieres also offer a romantic, inviting transition by softening doorways. Most were frequently made from tapestry to match the wall hangings and give some decorative cohesion to the room, but portieres might also be made of strung beads, tassels and decorative cording, even seashells (for your beach bungalow). They remain an appropriate accent for the Arts & Crafts home today.

Carpets and rugs, fabrics, pillows and bedding, curtains and shades, table linens and more: here are the best historical and revival-style soft furnishings for your home. In opposition to mass consumerism and copy-cat products, today there are many communities of craftspeople who are working to create unique, hand-crafted textiles. Please take a look at the many businesses below to find your unique one-of-kind material or item.

For bungalows and Craftsman houses with severe woodwork and furniture, Arts & Crafts textiles are a critical part of the decorative scheme. Explore options for curtains, pillows, carpets, tapestries, stitchery, stenciling, table linens and bed covers.

Craftsman pillow kits allow you to re-create modern interpretations of historic patterns.

Here’s advice straight from the experts, specific to the cleaning, care and conservation of pillows and covers (and related textiles)...followed by carpets.