Gustav Stickley was one of the earliest proponents of Arts and Crafts movement. The Craftsman style home is also attributed to designers such as Henry Mather Greene, and Charles Sumner Greene. They were all a part of the American Arts and Craft movement, and the Craftsman home became a natural extension to the art and furniture that they then created.

Stickley stirred the idea of “true” furniture, which was plain and simple; pointing out that over-ornamented furniture was poorly made. He wanted to spread his beliefs on self-reliance so he gave tips on gardening, instructions for working with ceramics, metal, leather and textiles. In 1903, Stickley established the Craftsman Home Builders Club to spread his ideas on domestic architecture. He worked with well-known architect Harvey Ellis in designing house plans for the magazine that later appeared in two books: Craftsman Homes (1909) and More Craftsman Homes.

The inside of any Craftsmen style home has a square appearance. Rooms are usually uncluttered and spacious. The fireplaces are made up of bricks and tiles and are framed with symmetric benches and bookshelves. Heavy ceiling beams are visible throughout the homes. Each Craftsman style home most often exhibits the same style and function. Nearly all include chimneys, porches, symmetrical windows, masonry foundations, and stairs leading to the front door of the home.

Craftsmen Style homes became very popular during that period of time but eventually this art died out in wake of other designer styles. However, in recent years the Stickley style ahs become popular once more. Many people are leaving their modern homes to move into Craftsmen style homes.

Red House, Bexleyheath, London (1859), by architect Philip Webb for Morris himself, is a work exemplary of this movement in its early stages. There is a deliberate attempt at expressing surface textures of ordinary materials, such as stone and tiles, with an asymmetrical and quaint building composition.

His thoughts and philosophy struck a chord with other artists/ craftsmen/thinkers, most notably John Ruskin (1819-1900).  During the late 1840s, Ruskin also propagated and promoted the ides of leading a simple way of life in tune with nature. His vision called for the elimination of machine-made decoration and clean design free from foreign influence.

Five brothers of the Stickley family were responsible for popularizing the already existing Arts and Crafts movement. Gustav Stickley was the oldest and is credited with conceiving the Mission style, however the rest of his brothers were also very active in producing the same style under various trade names and partnerships.

The Arts and Crafts movement was also popularized by Gustav Stickley and his brothers later on. Gustav, Leopold, Charles, Albert and John George Stickley all helped further the Mission style movement through their own endeavors as well as collaborations among themselves. The Arts and Crafts movement has been one of the most significant and influential movements in the preservation of traditional arts and craftsmanship till now.

Studio Craft artists work specifically with traditional craft materials and/or processes such as wood, woodworking or furniture making, glass or glassblowing, clay or ceramics, textiles, metal or metalworking etc.. Studio Craft works tend to either serve or allude to a functional or utilitarian purpose, though they are as often as not handled and exhibited in ways similar to visual art objects.

The culture of the 1960s was even more conducive to the development of studio crafts. This period saw a rejection of materialism and exploration of alternative ways of living. For some, the creation of handicrafts provided just such an outlet. In 1962, then-ceramics professor Harvey Littleton and chemist Dominick Labino began the contemporary glassblowing movement.

The American arts and crafts picked up momentum in the early 19th century and the later part of 20th century. Basically, the main aim of the movement was to protest against the “Industrial Revolution” and the machine made products. The movement aimed to salute and recognize the traditional craftsmanship and artistry. Gustav Stickley, William Morris and other artists were the pioneers of this movement.

In 1992, President George H. W. Bush signed a proclamation designating 1993 as The Year of American Craft. As part of this commemoration, Renwick Gallery director Michael Monroe selected seventy-two works by seventy American craftsmen which were donated to the White House to serve as The White House Collection of American Crafts. This collection was displayed for four months at the National Museum of American Art in 1995.

Studio Craft artists work specifically with traditional craft materials and/or processes such as wood, woodworking or furniture making, glass or glassblowing, clay or ceramics, textiles, metal or metalworking etc.. Studio Craft works tend to either serve or allude to a functional or utilitarian purpose, though they are as often as not handled and exhibited in ways similar to visual art objects.

The culture of the 1960s was even more conducive to the development of studio crafts. This period saw a rejection of materialism and exploration of alternative ways of living. For some, the creation of handicrafts provided just such an outlet. In 1962, then-ceramics professor Harvey Littleton and chemist Dominick Labino began the contemporary glassblowing movement.

The American arts and crafts picked up momentum in the early 19th century and the later part of 20th century. Basically, the main aim of the movement was to protest against the “Industrial Revolution” and the machine made products. The movement aimed to salute and recognize the traditional craftsmanship and artistry. Gustav Stickley, William Morris and other artists were the pioneers of this movement.

In 1992, President George H. W. Bush signed a proclamation designating 1993 as The Year of American Craft. As part of this commemoration, Renwick Gallery director Michael Monroe selected seventy-two works by seventy American craftsmen which were donated to the White House to serve as The White House Collection of American Crafts. This collection was displayed for four months at the National Museum of American Art in 1995.