In Mark Failor's home, a mid-19th-century mahogany sideboard supports lamps and candlesticks by W.A.S. Benson. The branch sconce is by Benson, circa 1900, although the sockets and glass are American from the same period. The standing lamp and teapot on the stand are also by Benson.

They are quick to admit that the simplicity and directness of what for years was disdainfully referred to as "that dark brown stuff" is just not their cup of tea. They would much rather live with the wood and metal inlays, enamel and turquoise insets, and decorative hammered bas-reliefs in copper, brass and pewter that are the hallmarks of British Arts & Crafts. Most are quite comfortable mixing American furniture with its British peers. But all agree that the more delicate — even precious — aspects of British design suit them.

William Morris was the catalyst for a change in the way designers thought about their products. His furniture broke away from heavily carved Jacobean and revival pieces to solid, functional furnishings designed to be in harmony with interior space. His books, tiles, wallpapers and textile designs inspired generations of designers. But designs also entered the mainstream through a major department store, Liberty & Co., and through less pedigreed work from the many industrial-arts schools throughout Great Britain.

Gustav Stickley's Craftsman workshop and Elbert Hubbard's Roycroft community promoted simpler, less decorative forms in their buildings and furniture. But both firms hired designers whose admiration for British and Continental contemporary design was apparent in their work.

Three Seattle households reveal the range of artistry in British Arts & Crafts and its meaning to collectors.

•   •   •

MARK FAILOR, a sales associate at the famous textile firm Scalamandré, was introduced to the works of W.A.S. Benson by a British friend. "Benson, an engineer, took the concept of mass production that was anathema to the Arts & Crafts, and made it fit into the Arts & Crafts," Failor says. "That may be why he was not accepted as well by purists — because he was on the edge, he was not doing all his work completely by hand. But he was asking the question, 'How can I get prices down so I can actually sell the products?' " Benson eventually took over Morris and Co. after Morris' death.

The Studio Magazine of Fine and Applied Arts, first published in 1893, was one of the most influential art journals ever published, inspiring similar journals in Europe and America. This drawing room designed and executed by Liberty & Co. is illustrated in the Studio Decorative Arts Yearbook of 1907.
At the Northwest Flower & Garden show, a Liberty & Co. screen is backdrop to a sitting area featuring a reproduction Liberty footstool. Period metalwork is by Newland and Goberg.

Nowhere in his collection is Benson's engineering background and ingenuity more noticeable than in one prize piece — a multipurpose lamp designed so it could be set on a table, hung over the back of the bed or screwed to the wall. Failor's enjoyment of Benson is his honesty. "He did not try to model electric lights after oil lamps or candle lights. He makes it look like it is."

•   •   •

LANI AND LARRY Johnson have filled their Ravenna Craftsman home with British and American furniture. "What attracted us to British design is its complexity — the intellectual and aesthetic aspect that is tied to the social philosophy," Lani says.

The couple, who met while studying architecture at the University of Washington, trace their interest through books. For Larry, it was "Color Schemes for the Garden" by Gertrude Jekyll; for Lani, it was the writing of John Ruskin. A trip to England on a Study Abroad program opened her eyes to the country's architecture and design arts.

The couple collected books on British designers and developed eyes for the style as they browsed local shops in the 1970s. One of their favorites was Antique Liquidators, where a number of their best pieces were discovered. "Our first piece, a Welsh hall stand, was bought out of pity," Lani remembers. "This horrid couple — rude and loud — wandered over to this little piece decorated with an Arts & Crafts rose. They were going to screw hooks in it to hang their beer stein collection and put it in the recreation room near the wet bar. So we walked over to the owner and said, 'We'll buy it.' "

They continued to add to their furniture, and have spent considerable time trying to identify the makers. Authenticating British Arts & Crafts pieces, they discovered, is challenging. American Arts & Crafts work is easier to identify from catalogs reprinted in recent years. But there are few reprints of British catalogs. These days, they're not buying as much, though they delight in using their furniture every day. "Larry and I get very excited about things that are beautifully designed and beautifully made. If you liken them to wine, they have a complexity, they have something that keeps you interested for a long time."

•   •   •

	The Johnsons' dining-room cabinet with glass doors is by an undocumented maker. The table runner is Cherwell, a printed velveteen designed in 1887 by James Dearle, lead designer for William Morris & Co. It displays Liberty pewter designed by Archibald Knox.

The design innovation impresses her; so do the prices. "What people should consider is the difference in the pricing. A sideboard by Gustav Stickley might be $15,000 to $20,000 and more. But a comparable British Arts & Crafts piece would be a fraction of that. The workmanship is fine, and many were hand-crafted."

British design is an excellent fit for Seattle bungalows or grander houses that can take the more ornate pieces, Taylor says. When asked to do a room display at the 2002 Northwest Flower & Garden Show, she and Clinton Miller designed a Seattle bungalow as a backdrop for British furniture. Allen Cole, a fine woodworker, crafted a side table and a footstool Laurie adapted from Liberty & Co. designs. Hardly anyone has reproduced Liberty furniture. Laurie hopes to change that.

"There's a world of design out there waiting to be reproduced, and it fits in gloriously in an American or traditional setting."

To Learn More

Historic Seattle's spring Design Arts lecture program at the Frye Art Museum explores the legacy of British design. On March 23, a full-day program includes three lectures by Leah Roland: "William Morris and Christopher Dresser," "Women's Role in the Arts & Crafts Revival," and "Archibald Knox Designs for Liberty & Co." On April 13, Adrian Tinniswood presents "An Undiscovered Beauty: How the Arts & Crafts Movement Came to America." Tickets for March 23 are $30 and $40; for April 13, $10 and $15. Contact 206-622-6952 or www.historicseattle.org.

Lawrence Kreisman is program director for Historic Seattle. Barry Wong is a staff photographer for Pacific Northwest magazine.