The Simple Life
The Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th Century was a reaction to the design excesses and mass production of the Industrial Age. It emphasized design that was simple, hand-crafted and true to the nature of the materials from which it was made.
The creative influences of the designers and artisans such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Elbert Hubbard, Charles and Henry Greene, Dirk Van Erp, Gustav Stickley and Louis Comfort Tiffany established this quintessential American art form. Harmoniously uniting organic architecture and hand-crafted furnishings this form encourages a simpler lifestyle and a return to basics.
Southern Californian artists and architects involved in this movement found in special forms of inspiration and opportunity along the Arroyo Seco. An outgrowth of desire for a connection between nature and the creative process was The Arroyo Guild of Fellow Craftsman. The Arroyo Guild published a pamphlet entitled “Arroyo Craftsman” in 1909 that captured the community’s collective imagination by championing man’s innate need to create beautiful things with his own hands.
In the late 1980’s, a Pasadena artisan, who had grown up surrounded by the “ultimate bungalows” of the Greene Brothers, believed that the time had come again to embrace the design and lifestyle promoted by the Arts and Crafts movement and created what became Arroyo Craftsman.
Arroyo Craftsman designs and manufacturers fine architectural and landscape lighting that honors the traditions of elegant simplicity combined with quality craftsmanship established by the founders of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Our creative interpretations of this design aesthetic and strict attention to quality have made us the premier manufacturer of contemporary Arts and Crafts inspired lighting.
What makes Arroyo Craftsman special?
Arroyo Craftsman is known for the myriad options it offers in glass and finishes and the scalability of its design. Commercial grade quality and in house metalworking make us the choice for many institutional, commercial, and residential projects that require larger fixtures. Many historical registers have used either catalogued or custom product from Arroyo Craftsman.
Custom Capabilities
We pride ourselves on our attention to detail, hand finishing, and quality. Because of that, and a variety of choices in metal finish and glass combinations, we offer the finest quality and greatest selection in Arts and Crafts inspired lighting available. The beauty of our product is more than skin deep.
Our fixtures are made of heavier gauge brass than is common, giving them a more substantial appearance and increased durability. The rivets we use on many of our fixtures provide both beauty and additional structural integrity. Our glass panels are installed with both retaining clips and silicone to ensure that they are secured and will not rattle in the wind.
Our hand applied finishes are the best in the industry because we take the time to let them mature. The Mission Brown, Bronze, Raw Copper and Verdigris Patina undergo an intensive and time-consuming process resulting in a complex and naturally aged appearance. All our hand applied metal finishes will continue to mature and change with time.