The original Arts & Crafts movement of the early 1900s was, in part, a reaction against the perceived mechanical anonymity of the Industrial Age. But the design style’s foremost national expert is himself no Luddite: Bruce Johnson, the director for 24 years of the national Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference and Antiques Show, is happily immersed in every conceivable form of modern media.
He shares his knowledge and passion of the artistic form via his advice column in Style 1900 magazine; in a groundbreaking collectors’ guide and in his two history books about the Grove Park Inn (plus a forthcoming novel, An Unexpected Guest, set at the inn); with his nonprofit research group, the Arts & Crafts Research Fund; and as part of his newest online forum, artsandcraftscollector.com, one of three websites he runs.
Also a master woodworker, Johnson has penned more than 10 how-to titles exploring refinishing and renovation, has guested on numerous HGTV shows and is the past host of four programs (among them Build a Log Cabin and Log Cabin Interiors) on the DIY cable network. In his spare seconds, he’s a spokesman for Minwax, and it’s easy to see why. Silver-haired and blue-eyed, craggily handsome and emotive, he so clearly belongs in an L.L. Bean catalogue that one wants to accessorize him with a buffalo-plaid anorak and an Irish setter.
But his love of WNC life is no still-shot. With his wife Leigh Ann Hamon, a local veterinarian, and numerous pets including three horses, Johnson lives and works in a rambling stone-and-cedar ranch suite overlooking a vast view of Cane Creek Valley in Fletcher. No, it’s not a 1920s bungalow, although Johnson has restored and dwelt in one of those classic local examples of Craftsman architecture. But his current house’s hard-hewn solidity and use of local materials do suggest the main Arts & Crafts tenets. And inside, an easy blend of antiques from Gustav Stickley and the Roycroft collective mixed with high-quality reproductions proves the remarkable aesthetic consistency of the genre.
Aficionados don’t just collect pieces, “we live with them,” says Johnson. “My house is typical of today’s Arts & Crafts collector — a definite mixture.” The expected oak, Mission-style chairs and tables are complemented by mahogany candlesticks from the former Biltmore Industries and an original, hammered-copper Roycroft “American Beauty” vase. All is not old, though. In the living room, a fireplace surround is resplendent in fern-green ceramic — the color is a canonized hue of the Arts & Crafts school — courtesy of Ohio-based company Seneca Tiles. An imposing grandfather clock in the foyer is a commissioned, dedicated piece from the current Stickley operation.
“It’s about good materials and great design,” says Johnson, pointing out that the Southern Appalachians’ historically high density of artisans has made it an Arts & Crafts epicenter surviving centuries of trends — and that the conference, just a year shy of celebrating its silver anniversary, has actually outlived the original movement. Its longevity, ventures Johnson, is due to “people’s affinity for design that is simple and straightforward, yet very sophisticated. It’s just solid, very well-made furniture.”
Carolina Home + Garden recently sat down with Johnson (at an oak table he built himself) to discuss the upcoming conference — and why readers should ignore a Mission-style futon spotted in a big-box store.
Carolina Home + Garden: How long does it take to stage such a significant show? Are there any highlights for this year that you’d like to divulge?
Bruce Johnson: My assistants and I work all year on it, something every day; I joke that it’s a full time part-time job. It’s become such an important event for the antiques dealers, the contemporary craft firms, serious collectors and the men and women who are just beginning to explore the style. It’s a three-day conference that draws 3,000 people, and it’s not just an antiques show — there are seven seminars each day with a strong educational focus, and ten small group discussions. We cover architecture, furniture, metalware, pottery, and the personalities behind it all — the pioneers. One interesting talk we have this year is “Outrageous Women in Arts & Crafts.”
Arts & Crafts has experienced many ups and downs over the years, and it seems particularly back in fashion due to the fairly recent enthusiasm for obtaining local and/or handmade items. On the other hand, Mission-style furniture is so very popular now that you even see knockoffs in the big discount stores. What’s your take on this trend?
One of the reasons why the original movement gradually fell out of favor was because some manufacturers started to offer cheap imitations of Mission oak furniture, often imported. Whether or not the same thing will happen again is too early for us to tell. But it’s not hard to spot something that is not well crafted.
Having made your initial mark as a furniture refinisher, what do you think of the new low-VOC finishes that have come into vogue as part of the green movement?
I think they’re still being perfected. But they are the future.
What’s one of your favorite mementoes from your travels?
I found the copper Roycroft vase in Canada. But as it turns out, it was one of the original antique furnishings from the Grove Park Inn — unusual in that it was specifically made to be sold at the Inn gift shop between 1913-1920, and fewer than 50 are believed to have been made.
You are obviously committed to local culture. So, on a lighter note, do you think it’s possible to be a true Ashevillean without owning a dog?
No, it’s not possible [laughs]. You have to have one. We have two, Daisy and Jasper, both rescue dogs. Anyone who doesn’t have a dog is missing out on something. My favorite bumper sticker is the one that says: “Help me to be the person my dog thinks I am.” That’s my motto.
Your two sons are grown up and away at college now. What is (or was) one of your favorite Johnson Family holiday traditions?
Like many people you’ll find in today’s busy times, our favorite winter holiday right now tends to be Thanksgiving. We get to enjoy all the great food and company without the stress of giving and receiving presents.
In an earlier career, you were a high-school English teacher. Complete this analogy: A Mission-style, solid-oak bed is to an inflatable camping pad what a dark-chocolate German Black Forest cake is to what kind of dessert?
A fluffy parfait.
Visit Bruce Johnson’s website, artsandcraftscollector.com