James Chapman-Taylor

On 12 April 1900 he married Mary Gibson at Stratford and in 1903 he enrolled himself in an architecture and design course with the International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Upon his return to New Zealand Chapman-Taylor was determined to follow the basic principles on which good domestic architecture had been developed – designing and building houses with skill and sensitivity.

Chapman-Taylor believed that a hand finished technique using an adze gave a "woody character" emphasised the handmade nature of the work, reflecting light to add "interest and beauty" to the wood with no further need for decoration or embellishment.

Chapman-Taylor's distinctive approach using an adze by hand, and the Arts and Crafts principles of simplicity and honesty is evident in the joinery and overall design of a chair made in 1910.

Following in the footsteps and adhering to principles first exposed by John Ruskin and William Morris the consistency in his work became a result of his loyalty to their creed.

Chapman-Taylorʼs houses revealed his distinctive touch and his interpretation of the English cottage style that the Arts and Crafts Movement promoted.