Southern Highland Style

 

Good morning!

More on Southern Highland today.  I actually became intrigued by an article published in 1942. I never really thought about interior design during the War.  I suppose I simply thought everyone was busy with the war effort.

"There's a new decorating trend on the horizon," the Detroit Free Press reported in 1942.  "It goes by the name 'Southern Highlands' and is a reflection of the age-old arts and crafts to be found in the Appalachian Mountain regions."

Many of you are probably aware of the arts and crafts found in this region.  There have been plenty of PBS specials that focus on the weaving, woodwork, and other crafts of this area.  The Southern Highland Crafts Guild (established in 1930) is one of the oldest and most active guilds in our country.  But I had never realized it inspired an Interior Design style during the war.

"The war is responsible, of course," wrote Aileen Spafford in the Detroit Free Press.  "With exports from foreign lands at an all-time low, designers and manufacturers have turned to this delightful section of our country for inspiration and new ideas.  A very timely choice because present threats to freedom have brought out a deeper appreciation than ever before of all things typically American."

Another article provided a different insight.  "All over America, particularly in defense areas, workers and their families are living in wartime houses,"  Lillian Brittain wrote in The Birmingham News-Age Herald.   "The nomadic families of army and navy men occupy such quarters as are available.  Usually these are small.  It has been the duty of the designers and manufacturers to provide furniture for such places that are properly scaled, compact, and easy to move and use in rooms with little floor or wall space."

In June of 1942, the style graced the cover of House and Garden magazine.  The issue was full of information about the region, the crafts, the music, dance, and the furniture.

If I looked at this photo without context, I think I would have assumed the style was simply early American or the Colonial style so prevalent in the 20th century.  Now homes furnished in similar pieces that I remember seeing during my childhood make more sense--although no one called it "Southern Highland Style".  I suspect if you lived in our region, New England, or even some of the south that was part of the original 13 colonies, one might suspect this style is simply colonial because of the history of the region...and perhaps it is.  I'm just curious about all this...

Furniture featured in the article showed a variety of handcrafted pieces but also, there were plenty of ads during this time that advertised furniture in this style.

From The Central New Jersey Home News in 1942:

One of the emphasis on all these photos is the emphasis of wood furniture and that makes me ponder as well.  The last few phases of American design this past decade has been away from natural wood stained furniture.  However, most designers believe that wood furniture can warm up a house.  The rooms in the Southern Highland style have a warmth and comfort to them, a much needed feeling during wartime.  

It certainly contrasted with art deco and modern furnishings.  Additionally, a lot of ads focused on simplicity.

Anyway, I just had to write about this because I'm so curious about this style and the possible impact it had.

Do you know anything about this? I'm really interested in learning more about it!

Have a safe and happy day and holiday!