You can still fill your home with the useful and beautiful pieces of the Arts & Crafts movement. Work your way through these 25 well-crafted projects, making authentic reproductions of classic pieces. With clean lines and timeless styles, this furniture goes well with everything.
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15 reviews for Building Arts & Crafts Furniture: 25 Authentic Projects That Celebrate Simple Elegance & Timeless Design
4.2out of 5
★★★★★
★★★★★
4
★★★★★
2
★★★★★
3
★★★★★
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★★★★★
Fire Boy –
Not a coffee table book. A close look at a few of the details that enhance a&c furniture construction. Food for thought.
This is a great book that explains all a woodworker needs to know about constructing art & crafts or mission furniture….the plans included in the book are worth the purchase price as this book will take you through several popular projects….no need to buy others’ plans…it’s all right here with beautiful color photes and diagrams on construction….this should be the first book in the woodworkers’ library for constructing mission furniture….the second being the popular mechanics “how to make mission furniture” (or similar title) so that you can see 100s of mission style examples/pieces….
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★★★★★
Warren M. Clemans –
I am currently working on the bookcase that the previous reviewer had so much trouble with. I couldn’t agree more–the “top back” piece is missing entirely from the cut list and the description, with no indication on how it was joined. The drawing is inconsistent with the cut list. Nothing wrong with this, so long as you treat the book as a guide and inspiration rather than a detailed step-by-step manual. Problem is, it pretends to be the latter rather than the former. You wind up having to double-check the author’s work and thinking out the design before making any cuts. I’ve built several other pieces from the book with no trouble–it may be that the defects in this book are limited to the bookcase. It’s too bad–the bookcase is the best looking project in the book.
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★★★★★
Tabitha R. Havoc –
If you’re competent to read and follow instructions, I think you’ll enjoy using this book! I don’t think anyone should be using sharp tools if they can’t follow instructions! I have successfully completed several projects in this book and read through the rest of them. On the bookcase plan that the previous reviewer was commenting about, it looks to me like the piece called Top Back got left off of the materials list. But it is clearly shown in the photos, and dimensions are given in the drawings. It is also mentioned in the text directions. I regard a materials list as a “shopping list.” It is a guide, not a final check before I cut my wood! Also, I have another comment about a previous review. I know someone with an antique Stickley bookcase just like the one in the plan in this book. It’s obvious it never had a partition between the 2 halves. Many woodworking books have errors, even the touted Bavarro and Mossman one has a serious problem with the grandfather clock plan. I like the way this one is written, though, and I’m looking forward to building more projects from Building Arts and Crafts Furniture, including that bookcase.
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★★★★★
Clifford R. O’bryan –
I enjoy making woodworking projects and in particular like the Arts & Crafts style. I own his book and quite a few more on the subject.
I decided to make one of the Morris chairs from the book. The plans are very inadequate. There are many missing measurments. You can calculate almost all of them but you have to take the time to do so and then take even more time to make sure they are right and even more time to make sure that they fit in with other parts of the plan.
For example, the drawings do not give the width of the back but do give you the distance between the back posts. Well that is simple to calculate, just add the width of the posts. But if you add the thickness of the washers to the back, the width of the back plus the washers is greater than the opening and so the back won’t fit. In addition, the directions are not clear whether or not the arm overhangs the legs. If the arm overhangs the leg, the width of the back needs to be less and the width of the washers needs to be thicker.
The end result is that it takes a lot longer to make the piece than if the drawings were better because you have to not only figgure how to make the piece you are working on, you have to think through the following steps to make sure everything else will fit. The really sad thing is that the plans would only need to be 10% better to be a huge amount better.
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★★★★★
Person –
I don’t agree with the nay sayers about this book. The purpose is to introduce you to Arts and Craft period and furniture, and to give you some ideas and plans. If you are a complete beginner, the plans are not detailed enough, but if you have some basic knowledge, then it’s perfect, since it gives the most important part: dimensions and proportions. Joinery details, etc. can be figured out as you go, but some of us just aren’t super creative, and like some dimensions to follow.
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★★★★★
Donald C. Thompson –
If you want several nice pictures of some reproductions of Craftsman-style furniture furniture for $20, buy this book. DON’T expect to find good information useful for building your own reproductions! When first reading this book, I started noticing that such things as the sizes and locations of mortises and tenons were missing. then I read on the inside of the back cover that I could contact the author for “detailed plans.” In other words, this is really a $20 catalog for purchasing useful plans! Then I decided that I might be able to get useful informatation in spite of the ommisions, and I carefuly analyzed the plans for a double-door bookcase. I found that pieces were missing from the parts list, and that pieces were mis-measured! The plans are a disaster, and don’t seem to correspond to either the photo or the parts list. For instance: The parts list lists quantities and measurements for one-piece shelves that are longer than the entire width of the bookcase, while the plans show two-piece shelves with a divider (which is how the authentic Stickley piece was made). The divider is not described in the text or the parts list. The back of the top is not described nor measured. And on, and on, and on. If you really intend to build something, this book will only make you angry. LAST THOUGHT: Mr. Kenmer must know something about woodworking to have constructed these very attractive pieces. Somewhere between his shop and the printing press disaster struck.
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★★★★★
J. Franco-Reyna –
Good detailed plans. Projects and work methods are well explained. I would definitely recommend this book even for just getting ideas
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★★★★★
Angela –
Inspiring!
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Graham C Jenkins –
I have read far better A and C books than this – very disappointing
Fire Boy –
Not a coffee table book. A close look at a few of the details that enhance a&c furniture construction. Food for thought.
[email protected] –
This is a great book that explains all a woodworker needs to know about constructing art & crafts or mission furniture….the plans included in the book are worth the purchase price as this book will take you through several popular projects….no need to buy others’ plans…it’s all right here with beautiful color photes and diagrams on construction….this should be the first book in the woodworkers’ library for constructing mission furniture….the second being the popular mechanics “how to make mission furniture” (or similar title) so that you can see 100s of mission style examples/pieces….
Warren M. Clemans –
I am currently working on the bookcase that the previous reviewer had so much trouble with. I couldn’t agree more–the “top back” piece is missing entirely from the cut list and the description, with no indication on how it was joined. The drawing is inconsistent with the cut list. Nothing wrong with this, so long as you treat the book as a guide and inspiration rather than a detailed step-by-step manual. Problem is, it pretends to be the latter rather than the former. You wind up having to double-check the author’s work and thinking out the design before making any cuts.
I’ve built several other pieces from the book with no trouble–it may be that the defects in this book are limited to the bookcase. It’s too bad–the bookcase is the best looking project in the book.
Tabitha R. Havoc –
If you’re competent to read and follow instructions, I think you’ll enjoy using this book! I don’t think anyone should be using sharp tools if they can’t follow instructions! I have successfully completed several projects in this book and read through the rest of them.
On the bookcase plan that the previous reviewer was commenting about, it looks to me like the piece called Top Back got left off of the materials list. But it is clearly shown in the photos, and dimensions are given in the drawings. It is also mentioned in the text directions. I regard a materials list as a “shopping list.” It is a guide, not a final check before I cut my wood! Also, I have another comment about a previous review. I know someone with an antique Stickley bookcase just like the one in the plan in this book. It’s obvious it never had a partition between the 2 halves.
Many woodworking books have errors, even the touted Bavarro and Mossman one has a serious problem with the grandfather clock plan. I like the way this one is written, though, and I’m looking forward to building more projects from Building Arts and Crafts Furniture, including that bookcase.
Clifford R. O’bryan –
I enjoy making woodworking projects and in particular like the Arts & Crafts style. I own his book and quite a few more on the subject.
I decided to make one of the Morris chairs from the book. The plans are very inadequate. There are many missing measurments. You can calculate almost all of them but you have to take the time to do so and then take even more time to make sure they are right and even more time to make sure that they fit in with other parts of the plan.
For example, the drawings do not give the width of the back but do give you the distance between the back posts. Well that is simple to calculate, just add the width of the posts. But if you add the thickness of the washers to the back, the width of the back plus the washers is greater than the opening and so the back won’t fit. In addition, the directions are not clear whether or not the arm overhangs the legs. If the arm overhangs the leg, the width of the back needs to be less and the width of the washers needs to be thicker.
The end result is that it takes a lot longer to make the piece than if the drawings were better because you have to not only figgure how to make the piece you are working on, you have to think through the following steps to make sure everything else will fit. The really sad thing is that the plans would only need to be 10% better to be a huge amount better.
Person –
I don’t agree with the nay sayers about this book. The purpose is to introduce you to Arts and Craft period and furniture, and to give you some ideas and plans. If you are a complete beginner, the plans are not detailed enough, but if you have some basic knowledge, then it’s perfect, since it gives the most important part: dimensions and proportions. Joinery details, etc. can be figured out as you go, but some of us just aren’t super creative, and like some dimensions to follow.
Donald C. Thompson –
If you want several nice pictures of some reproductions of Craftsman-style furniture furniture for $20, buy this book. DON’T expect to find good information useful for building your own reproductions! When first reading this book, I started noticing that such things as the sizes and locations of mortises and tenons were missing. then I read on the inside of the back cover that I could contact the author for “detailed plans.” In other words, this is really a $20 catalog for purchasing useful plans!
Then I decided that I might be able to get useful informatation in spite of the ommisions, and I carefuly analyzed the plans for a double-door bookcase. I found that pieces were missing from the parts list, and that pieces were mis-measured! The plans are a disaster, and don’t seem to correspond to either the photo or the parts list. For instance: The parts list lists quantities and measurements for one-piece shelves that are longer than the entire width of the bookcase, while the plans show two-piece shelves with a divider (which is how the authentic Stickley piece was made). The divider is not described in the text or the parts list. The back of the top is not described nor measured.
And on, and on, and on. If you really intend to build something, this book will only make you angry.
LAST THOUGHT:
Mr. Kenmer must know something about woodworking to have constructed these very attractive pieces. Somewhere between his shop and the printing press disaster struck.
J. Franco-Reyna –
Good detailed plans. Projects and work methods are well explained. I would definitely recommend this book even for just getting ideas
Angela –
Inspiring!
Graham C Jenkins –
I have read far better A and C books than this – very disappointing