C.F.A. Voysey Arts Crafts Upholstered Sofa, circa 1900

The Yorkshire, England-born Charles Francis Annesley Voysey is considered a pioneer of modern architecture — and the Arts and Crafts designer is as well known for his fabrics, carpets, wallpaper and other furnishings as he is for his celebrated building projects. 

The son of a reverend who founded the Theistic Church in London, Voysey was the third of 10 children. Inspired by his father's teachings, Voysey adhered to principles of simplicity and reliability in all of his work, principles that defined the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain to which the architect would one day be linked.

C.F.A. Voysey received his education at home and subsequently studied for a time at Dulwich College. He didn't consider himself an intellectual and chose the field of architecture because it was the only profession where he didn't have to pass any examinations. After completing his education, Voysey went on to apprentice under Gothic Revivalist architect John Pollard Seddon.

In his mid-20s, Voysey established his architectural practice and was securing design commissions for modest residences. He was meanwhile beginning to design wallpaper and rugs that featured decorative floral motifs for the likes of textiles manufacturers such as Turnbull Stockdale and wallpaper producers Jeffrey Company. 

Rather than embellishing his textiles with depictions of realist scenes, Voysey favored stylized patterns that drew on the natural world — the large-scale flowers, birds and forest creatures that populated his works undoubtedly influenced the Art Nouveau movement.

Voysey also produced uncomplicated furniture such as sideboards with oak finishes and Shaker-style doors and panels. In every area of design, he favored minimalism — Voysey found inspiration in the work of William Morris and became friendly with Arts and Crafts architect Edward Schroeder Prior. Voysey worked in limited colors and avoided the ornamental excess that was associated with Victorian furnishings and interiors. 

By 1890, Voysey's architectural practice had begun to flourish, and after 1900, he insisted on creating every aspect of the homes he was designing, such as interiors and furnishings, an attribute he shared with Frank Lloyd Wright. He produced carpets for Alexander Morton Co. in Donegal — Gustav Stickley, founder of the American Craftsman style, sold these carpets in his catalogs — and became well known for his design of country homes, which harkened back to the days of simple, thatch-roofed cottages. A number of Voysey’s furnishings and textiles are held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

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