Charles Locke Eastlake (1836–1906) was an influential British architect, writer, and designer whose ideas helped shape the Aesthetic and early Arts and Crafts movements. Trained at the Royal Academy and originally practicing as an architect, Eastlake became best known for his 1868 publication Hints on Household Taste in Furniture, Upholstery, and Other Details, which championed a new approach to domestic design rooted in simplicity, honesty, and craftsmanship. His writing advocated for well-proportioned, functional furniture with visible joinery and minimal ornament, a sharp contrast to the heavy Victorian styles of the time. Though Eastlake did not produce furniture himself, his designs were widely adopted by manufacturers in Britain and the United States, giving rise to what became known as “Eastlake style” furniture. His work laid critical foundations for the moral and material ethos of the Arts and Crafts movement.
