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Morris Chairs 

 

John Ruskin was the theoretician of the Arts & Crafts Movement, but it was really William Morris who put the theory into practice. [Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair with Leather Cushion]His belief that you shouldn't have anything around you that isn't beautiful, or useful, or, ideally, both, has its highest expression in the chair that bears his name. Morris chairs are possibly the most comfortable reading chairs ever made. And the expressed joinery that most makers use for the chairs makes them exquisitely beautiful not because of anything painted on them, but because of how they are made. And the adjustment mechanism which gives the Morris chair a claim on the First Recliner title, is easy to use, hard to break, and works every time.


[Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair with Fabric Cushion] But the neatest thing about a Morris chair from Desert Craftsmen is that since it's custom made, it can be made to fit you exactly. There's no feeling in the world quite like sitting down on a chair that conforms to you, not the other way around. You might just forget that you sat down to read.


Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair 

 

These Morris chairs, originally designed by William Morris, may not have been the original recliners, but they're effective, easy to use, and they work every time. And you'll never feel that making a wrong move will cause the Morris chair to swallow you up, never to be seen again. [Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair with Burgandy Leather Cushions] This example of a custom Morris chair is 42" tall with the back in a comfortable position. The seat and back cushion are 24" square. It is quarter sawn white oak finished to standard. The cushions are laced-up, upholstered in 4-oz. burgundy latigo leather, stained and waxed.
[Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair Detail #1]



The photo at right details the arm of the Morris chair showing through tenon and pronounced "fleck" of premium grade quarter sawn white oak.
[Morris Chair - Quarter Sawn White Oak Detail #2]



This photo depicts the adjustable back rest stops of a Morris chair.
[Morris Chair-Quarter Sawn White Oak Detail #3]



The photo to the right shows the Morris chair's back rest at its maximum recline.
[Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair Detail #4]



To the left, the back rest is shown in its upright and locked position.

Morris Chairs with Loden Green Leather Cushions 

 

Just as stereo was a step up over high-fi, it pleases some to consider that a step up over a Morris chair is...two Morris chairs. This pair is intended to sit before the fire place in the great room in a cabin in the Poconos.

[Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair with Loden Green Leather Cushions] [Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair with Loden Green Leather Cushions]

Note how the Loden green leather sets off the golden brown of the fumed white oak. And, of course, ebony caps covering the tenon cross-pins add a bit of flash that adds visual interest.



And making two of anything allows economies of scale.

Cherry Morris Chair With Ottoman 

 
The things that make a Morris chair what it is include the expressed construction techniques, the integrity of design, and the manual reclining mechanism. [Cherry Morris Chair with Ottoman]

While the chairs are most often made of oak, nothing says it must be that way. And while Morris chairs are most offen in the Eastern U.S. Arts & Crafts style, there's no reason not to make one in the Southwestern Mission Arts & Crafts style. So when a client asked for a Morris chair in cherry and with Mission-style design elements, we jumped on it, knowing that we weren't even bending a rule, let alone breaking any.

This chair and ottoman are the result. The client asked that the wood be left unfinished. That and the fact that cherry darkens over time explains the color.
[Cherry Morris Chair Reclined view]

All Morris chairs recline. This is how this one looks when it has been reclined.
[Cherry Morris Chair Pinned Through-tenons]

Detail of front showing pinned through-tenons.
[Cherry Morris Chair Front Leg Tenon in Chair Arm]

Detail showing end of front leg tenon in chair's arm.
[Cherry Morris Chair Reclining Mechanism]

Reclining mechanism. No magic here, just workmanship and a simple mechanism we all can understand.
[Cherry Morris Chair Ottoman]

The matching ottoman features box-jointed aprons and pinned through-tenon construction.

Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair With Ottoman 

 
[Quarter Sawn White Oak Morris Chair with Ottoman]



       Morris chair with matching ottoman for economy-sized client. Made of quarter sawn white oak, the chair features bow arms and brown leather cushions.