My mom always tried to put on a good show at Thanksgiving when we were kids.“Forks go on the left!”, she would command, “Napkins on the right.”We learned it was easier to pretend that we normally cared about those things.As she brought the food for the table, she would say (for the benefit of our guests), “Remember, pass to the LEFT”, as if that was something we ever did. But, once the food landed, she lost all control as we would all dive, forks first, towards our favorite foods.And she would roll her eyes and declare (again, for the benefit of our guests), “They are so uncivilized.”
Thanksgiving is likely to be a much smaller gathering this year.Always looking for the silver linings, I’m hoping this means more time relaxing at the table and less time in the kitchen cooking for a mob.More elbow space means more opportunity to dress the table with our most vibrant, cheerful textiles and favorite ceramics and wood accessories. We prefer our table not to be too matchy-matchy. Our go-to plates are salad-sized plates from Rainbow Gate in Santa Fe. Everyone has their favorite color (Neal pretends not to, but we all know it’s red.) And everyone chooses their favorite dinner napkin and placemat. In other words, everyone decorates their own space. (Except for Neal, who pretends not to care so we decorate for him.) Our table is an eclectic mix of color, pattern, wood and ceramics. And, of course, good food.
I have admit that I still don’t really care on which side of my plate the fork is placed – as long as it is handy when the stuffing lands.
Need some ideas for adding color and texture to your table? Shop our Kitchen and Dining collection.
Most of my custom projects begin with a client sending me a photo with the message “Can you build me something like this?” As was the case for this project – a financial advisor was remodeling his office and wanted a conversation table for meeting with clients. He originally sent a picture of something that was multi-level so that he could stack important papers and brochures.
After the initial contact comes the conversation to glean project details. I learned that not only did Keith want something with the right look (interesting, modern, clean) but it had to fit in his office comfortably with room for chairs and up to 3 people. Sometimes the table would provide an inviting seating and discussion area. Other times it would be used to spread out papers. We decided together that instead of fixed shelving levels, we would design a table that could easily be reconfigured from multi-level to single flat level.
Once we had agreed upon the concept, I worked on detailed design drawings and electronic product mock-ups to flush out the desired shape. As we circled in on the organic “bean” shape, I built a cardboard mock-up and took it to Keith’s office so he could get a feel for the size of the table in his space. The mock-up also helped us determine the best height of the table so that people could comfortably reach for a cup of coffee or sign a paper. Our final decision had to do with the type of wood based on the desired color and figure of the wood grain that worked well with Keith’s other office furnishings.
Here is a view of the finished product:
From the close-up, you can see that the top “bean” simply rests on top with padded feet. It is heavy enough to remain in place but very simple to tuck it under the table if maximum surface area of the main level is required for spreading out papers.
I hope you will agree that the finished product is visually stunning as well as highly functional.
The American Craftsman Movement and its Influence on our Work
A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brains is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist. – Louis Nizer.
Fresh out of college in the mid 80’s, fueled by two decent jobs, we set out to furnish our first apartment. Our expectations weren’t high as we both came from middle-class backgrounds. Wood, we thought, sturdy and easy to clean (we already had 1 cat). As we went from store to store, what we found instead was mass produced laminated junk held together with glue. Once in a while, we’d come across something that felt like ‘real furniture’ but the price was way out of our comfort zone. Neal finally suggested we buy tools instead and then we poked around bookstores for inspiration.
Woodworking and furniture building books we have collected over the years.
At first, we were attracted to Shaker styles. The slender tables and chairs had simple lines and were easy to understand, not overdone. As Neal’s skills grew, however, we started to consider furniture that had a bit more of a presence in a room. We found ourselves slowly pouring through books featuring American Craftsman masters such as Gustav Stickley and the Greene brothers. These books featured jaw-dropping furniture but discussed an entire way of life: properly designed homes and fair employment for the builders. And, so, we dug deeper.
Craftsman Roots: The English Arts and Crafts Movement
The American Craftsman movement is rooted in the English Arts and Crafts movement which started in the mid-1800’s. The English Arts and Crafts movement has been described as a rebellion against the excesses of the Victorian Age and industrialization. Thought leaders such as William Morris (1834-1896) and John Ruskin (1819-1900) were champions of the working class. They advocated the honesty and integrity of the craftsman and the sustainability of handmade versus factory production. Eventually, the movement was a victim of its own success. Embracing a strictly handmade policy resulted in furnishings that were priced way outside the range that a working person could afford.
Craftsman style bookshelf of maple and cherry designed for our granddaughter.
Handcrafted and affordable
The American Craftsman movement started at the end of the 1800’s. The American Society of Arts and Crafts developed a credo that emphasized respect for workmen and orderly, restrained design. American masters applied harmonious design to the home, furnishings and landscaping. A cornerstone of the movement was that it should be accessible to the middle-class. Craftsman bungalows were designed to embrace a housewife preparing meals and the family gathering for casual dining. These bungalow designs were available as affordable mail-order catalog kit homes in the early 1900’s. My grandparents, working class survivors of the Great Depression, had one in New Jersey. I still remember the smell of the oak trim in the dining room and the awesome staircase with little stained glass window.
This mission style oak credenza was originally designed to be executive office furniture for Tammy. It has been repurposed to storage of our barware. The lamp and standing frame are also our designs.
Adapting the craftsman Style
We were immediately hooked by the photos of bungalow homes in harmony with their furnishings and gardens. At first, we studied designs in reprints of old craftsman furniture catalogs. We were primarily drawn to the bungalow style of Greene and Greene and the mission style of Roycroft and Stickley. After a time spent trying to reproduce these designs, our own aesthetic started to emerge. We went back to that idea of balance: balancing form and function, building furniture that fits in our home and that suits our lifestyle. The size of our designs are scaled back so they are moveable and fit our narrow rooms. We also balanced the sturdy, boxy shapes tapered legs and interesting angles. We add interest to common building materials such as cherry and maple with accents of exotic hardwoods. While we tend to use neutral textiles in larger areas such as drapes and seat cushions, we love to add pops of color with pillows and throws. This allows flexibility for our modern tendency to redecorate seasonally.
Collected Hands Studio style: handcrafted home accessories. Classic wood styles, vibrant textiles.
Modern Relevancy of the Craftsman style
The American Craftsman movement fizzled by 1930 as middle-class America became interested, once again, in the more cost-efficient modern styles. Since the end of World War II we’ve seen a steady progression of industrialization: housing developments, shopping malls, IKEA stores and plastic everything. Americans are becoming more aware that this endless pursuit of cheap goods has a dark side in the loss of middle class jobs and industrial toxins. However, I see hope as the millennials bloom into adulthood. Online forums for DIY and handmade topics are very popular. Conversations about individuality vs. mass-produced convenience are taking place. The connection to our natural world is also becoming increasingly important. People want to know about the sustainability and environmental impact of the things they buy.
A sample of our current designs: a conversation chair, small table, clock and textiles.
Collected Hands Studio
Collected Hands Studio home furnishings are modern interpretations of the American Craftsman movement. We provide an eclectic blend of bungalow, mission, art deco and modern styles. We design and build our collection in our home studios in Corrales, New Mexico. Smaller items, such as textiles, clocks and keepsake boxes, are available in our Etsy store. Larger furnishings are available at local markets and pop-up shops and through our showroom by appointment. In addition to ready-made items, we love working directly with people to design beautiful furnishings to meet particular needs. Our items will certainly cost more than items from the big box store but we do strive to make them affordable.
Please contact us to discuss commissions or shipping details of larger items if you don’t live in the Albuquerque, NM area. Many of our smaller items are also available in our online store.
To Learn More
Refer to this previous post for a tour of Neal’s workshop. This wikipedia article is a useful starting point if you’d like to learn more about the American Craftsman Movement.
My art studio is located in Corrales, New Mexico, USA. This is where I sketch, paint, dye, cut, glue, print and daydream. I have tons of natural light, built-in shelves for storage of supplies and an easy-to-clean floor. It’s hardly ever this clean and often shared with dogs, cats, a house pig and grandkids. Beyond the art studio, I have a small sewing space. But, these days most of the sewing is done in a workroom at the back of our retail store. That helps me stay efficient when I am minding the shop. The shop is also a cat-free zone which turns out to be super important when I’m sewing.
The Sewing Room
Studio in use with a guest artist.
My Process
My textile designs starts with sketches and doodles as well as colorful mixed media artwork such as mono prints created with a gelatin plate, stamps and stencils. I tend to find my inspiration in the natural environment of the New Mexico high desert and the vibrant New Mexico culture. I digitize my sketches using Inkscape and use the art prints to fill in the simple, whimsical shapes. A lot more work in Inkscape and Gimp to clean things up, then I organize the designs into collections and send my favorite designs off to Spoonflower for printing on fabric.
Corrales Motif original sketchesWorking on a digital design
Some days I make art and some days I make tools such as screens, stamps and stencils. And, sometimes my workbench is a mess of fabric scraps, wood pieces, paper and glue because I’m thinking up new product ideas. I do struggle to find the balance between productivity and creativity, I find lots of coffee helps.
From sketches to stamps
It feels like Christmas when the Spoonflower packages come with my new designs. I like to lay them all out on the workbench and just take a minute to soak it all in. Then, I start planning production activities for my next day at the shop.
