Byootiful!

International Arts and Crafts: William Morris to Frank Lloyd Wright

This major exhibition is the first to explore the Arts and Crafts movement from a truly international perspective. It traces the development of the movement from its flourishing in Britain in the 1880s to its interpretation and development in America, continental Europe, and Japan. The Arts and Crafts movement was arguably one of the most far reaching and influential design movements of modern times. It laid the foundations for international approaches to design and lifestyle in the 20th century through new attitudes toward work, design and home. Until now, no exhibition has brought together Arts and Crafts from around the world, and none has included Japan.

It sounds fabulous. Furthermore, the exhibit originated at the equally fabulous Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The De Young is getting good shows, and making up for lost time.

• Learn more about this show

Posted by katherine at 01:30 PM | Permalink

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle's home section today addresses the issue of disposable-but-affordable versus pricey-but-built-to-last furniture:

Let me be clear about two things: one, handcrafted furniture like that made by Berkeley Mills (see profile) is not cheap. A standard dining room chair costs about $1,100. Two, I know what it takes to make a chair like that. While my own skills don't measure up to the high level needed to fabricate such a chair from rough planks of hardwood, I have friends who are among that elite, and I have learned from them...

Who can afford six grand for six chairs? A good question. Yet who questions Americans' ability to buy a big-screen TV and a home entertainment center -- a hodgepodge of electronics and particleboard shelving that will be broken or obsolete in a few years -- for the same $6,000? Who questions those same Americans spending $1,100 on "garbage" furniture six times in their lives?

It's a good point... but a moot point for those who don't have $6,000 sitting around waiting to be spent. When recently faced with the dining chair dilemma, we ended up taking ourselves off to Crate and Barrel Outlet in Berkeley, where we found six solid-wood chairs — in a cheery blue color — for $63 each.

We will eschew the big-screen TV and particleboard shelving, though.

Posted by katherine at 04:25 PM | Permalink

Edith Heath passed away last week at the age of 94.

Mrs. Heath became a defining influence of 20th [-century] American design by creating distinctive ceramic dinnerware and architectural tiles that were commercially unavailable at the time. She is best-known for her pioneering glazes and clay bodies made to her own formulations with an avant-garde, minimalist look.

Everyone from Frank Lloyd Wright to Chez Panisse admired — and commissioned — her work.

Heath Ceramics has been under new management for the last few years, and they continue to produce her designs.

The photo is from MostlyWright.com. You can see photos of the Heath studio's creations at Design Within Reach's website.

Posted by katherine at 06:55 PM | Permalink