Mission Style Furniture

Mission style furniture started to gain popularity at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th. The word "mission" comes from the Spanish missions that were built in California from 1769 to 1833. This type of design became very popular and was seen in architectural home designs - homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. 

The popularity of mission style furniture was in large part, thanks to the Arts and Crafts movement made famous by American furniture designer, Gustav Stickley, and Joseph P. McHugh, an American furniture manufacturer. Consumers had seen enough of Victorian style furniture and were yearning for something different. 

Gustav Stickley named his line of furniture "craftsman." This was also the name of the magazine he started publishing in 1901, called, The Craftsman.  In 1909, Stickley said: "I had no idea I was attempting to create a new style, but merely tried to make furniture which would be simple, durable, comfortable, and fitted for the place it was to occupy and the work it had to do. It seemed to me that the only way to do this was to cut loose from all tradition and to do away with needless ornamentation, returning to the plain principles of construction and applying them to the making of simple, strong, comfortable furniture."

While Victorian style furniture is known for having more ornate features and embellishments, mission style furniture became a favorite for its more simple vertical and horizontal lines, rectangular shapes, and 90 degree angles. This style of furniture didn't feature much decoration, but the beauty and grains of the wood were emphasized. 

During the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century, mission style furniture gained appreciation for its high-quality, handmade nature. The terms mission furniture and craftsman have been used interchangabley for this reason. Mission style furniture is typically made using oak wood, but it isn't uncommon to see cherry and maple wood used as well. Check out some of our beautiful mission style pieces that are currently featured in our showroom. 

Here at Oak for Less, mission style furniture is one of our favorites. All of our mission furniture is built in the USA. We have several builders in Wisconsin and California and Amish builders in Illinois and Indiana. Stop by the showroom and we'd love to show you these magnificant pieces. Made of sturdy construction, this furniture can be passed from generation to generation. Mission style furniture is built to last a lifetime and is sturdy enough to withstand years of use. From tables and rocking chairs to bedroom sets and more, this style of furniture is easy to mix with other types of furniture you may have throughout your home.