Greene and Greene

Book excerpt: Considered among the highest achievements of the American arts and crafts movement, Greene & Greene furniture was custom-built for specific interior spaces, and many of the pieces still remain in their original locations. This manual, written by a nationally recognised furniture maker, provides intermediate and advanced woodworkers with well illustrated, step-by-step instructions for classic Greene & Greene details, including ebony plugs, cloud lifts, leg indents, brackets, and pulls. A discussion of the design philosophy of the period accompanies how-to chapters, and photographs of contemporary Greene-inspired furniture provide ideas for projects. Biographical sketches are included for Charles and Henry Greene, Peter and John Hall (who built most of the furniture), and competing furniture maker Gustav Stickley.