An Arts & Crafts Kitchen by Rick Moyer The word that is best loved in the language of every nation is home, for when a man's home is born out of his heart and developed through his labor and perfected through his sense of beauty, it is the very cornerstone of his life. - Gustav Stickley There were numerous steps I took in coming up with the final design considerations for my remodeled kitchen and dining room. Over a period of a couple years, I watched several shows, such as This Old House and Showtime on PBS, to see various features of homes that I liked. I also looked at numerous remodeling magazines to find ideas that I was interested in. I am a Data Analyst with a background in accounting, so naturally I found that the clean, simple, geometric lines of the Arts & Crafts style kept drawing my eye. I purchased four books that had not only pictures of 1900-1930 style homes, but also described the philosophy and thought behind the design from this period. As I looked through the books, I realized that many of the furnishings I already had in my home would have fit in homes from this period. There was an oak kitchen table, built in the late 1920's, which had been handed down to me from my grandmother. I also had several pieces of pottery from the family which had been produced in this time frame. Rick Moyer is able to enjoy his beautiful landscaping through this breath-taking bay window. Note the beautiful Arts & Crafts style wainscoating and the finish carpentry details under the window seat. I discovered in reading about some of the philosophy from the Arts & Crafts period that the designers were attempting to get away from the industrial excesses of the time. When people came home from work, they wanted to enjoy the simpler things in life. The personally crafted quality of my kitchen reminds me of this ideal, with the oak wainscoting, hand-thrown backsplash tiles, and ceramic tile floor with the look of limestone tiles. I tried to keep the kitchen and dining area as true to the early 1900's as possible. The lights over the dining table and kitchen island are reproductions of period pieces. The wallpaper was crafted at Bradbury and Bradbury from originals from the period. Even small details, like acorn cabinet knobs, were included. The dining chairs are reproductions of Stickley 1903 originals that are very similar to the original chairs that were in my family. The reproduction oriental rugs are much the same thing as would have been in the dining room at the time. The dining area bay window overlooking the landscaped backyard is very typical of the way designers from those times would have tried to bring the outside indoors. The one real compromise I did make was to use a lighter stain for all the oak wainscoting and trim than a true Arts & Crafts period craftsman would have used. I wanted a more open and brighter look. The way I feel today as I return from work is as if I have entered a different age...an age of a slower and more relaxed pace of life. My house has become a place I can truly call home. Here is a great close-up view of the three-dimensional tile. Note the small acorn tile under the left cabinet, and the small pine cone to the right of the window. Cabinet hardware was chosen carefully to coincide with the Arts & Crafts era. The reproduction wallpaper makes it feel as if you are stepping into a bungalow from yesteryear.

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