Sometimes a book comes along that just knocks your socks off. I just bought a copy of Modern Americana: Studio Furniture from High Craft to High Glam from Rizzoli and it has changed everything that I thought of as Americana. Get rid of those notions of Colonial style rooms, 50′s mass market, and other cliches of American style.

The book introduces us to 24 furniture designers and interior decorators that either custom made everything, or produced their work in very limited editions. The book claims that 20th century collecting is moving away from modernist mass produced pieces towards these special more one-of-a-kind items. Workmanship, design, style, and scarcity are key.

Included are profiles of some well known furniture makers like George Nakashima and Edward Wormley, to lesser known names like Sam Maloof, Karl Springer, Wendell Castle, and Harvey Probber. The coffee table style book is full of great images – from pictures of the furniture, to entire rooms, to the craftsmen themselves at work. Its an inspiring book that will totally expand your ideas of what American style is all about.

Examples of work by some of the designers featured in the book:

George Nakashima desk

Wendell Castle chair

Wharton Esherick bench and chair

Filed under: Art & Culture, Books, Style by Stephen : No Comments »