An Arts and Crafts style ceiling
The Arts and Crafts movement began in England and flourished internationally from 1880 to 1910. Led by artist-writers--notably John Ruskin and William Morris--the movement espoused simple and hand-crafted decorative objects with folk and medieval ornamentation. Ruskin and Morris, along with other followers of the movement, espoused traditional and handmade modes of craft production and an aesthetic to match--such ideals acted in response to industrial factory-made goods, which Art and Crafts designers felt were polluting English craft production.
Arts and Crafts designs are characterized by simple forms and floral vegetal designs.
Striped Floor Border
A simple Arts and Crafts touch can be added to a bathroom by adding a double-striped border around the borders of the floor. Reminiscent of the designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, double stripes spaced 3 to 4 inches apart were a frequent motif in Arts and Crafts design. The design is relatively simple, and can be done with store-bought tiles about 1-inch square. You also could choose longer and thinner tiles for the stripes to add visual interest. The stripes should overlap at the corners to form squares.
Handcrafted Ceramic Tile
Handmade crafts were important to Arts and Crafts designers--and many ceramicists continue to make Arts and Crafts-inspired tile designs in the 21st century. It's possible to acquire hand-sculpted and hand-painted tiles to adorn your bathroom. Look for abstracted nature-inspired designs: roses and other flowers, animals, as well as fruits and vegetables.
Since handmade tile can be expensive, it's possible to buy just a few and incorporate statement piece tiles among a simpler tile design. For example, you could have a border of tiles painted with a leaf design, while the rest of the tile work could be a solid color.
Geometric Designs
Arabic and South Asian tile work proved a common inspiration to many Arts and Crafts designers. A particular fan of Arabic and South Asian designs was William Morris, who saw the village craft production of India as an antidote to the problems plaguing English crafts. You can lay rectangular shaped tiles on the bathroom floor in a basket weave design. Or if you prefer a more colorful and complex floor, you could arrange a series of Moorish stars and parallelograms. You may want to hire a tile specialist to create such a complex design, however.
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