There's something about Mission furniture that speaks strongly to the North American sense of style. This early 20th century look has made a huge comeback in the last few years, perhaps because of its integrity and unpretentious dignity.

Mission style grew out of England's late 19th Century Arts&Crafts movement, most closely identified with philosopher/ designer William Morris.

Morris and his allies believed England's Industrial Revolution was undermining not only traditional craftsmanship, but the quality of everyday life. They struck out against cheap materials, shoddy workmanship and the excessive ornamentation of late Victorian furniture.

This struck a chord in America, also in the throes of Victorian excess, and Mission style followed quickly. Artisans designed sturdy furniture that was simple in line and easily manufactured by hand because they believed that honest, hand-crafted home furnishings would reestablish pride in workmanship, as well as in one's self and surroundings.

Perhaps Mission appealed to the North American trait of rugged individualism, or maybe the style felt like a return to simpler times and values. Its name, after all, refers to California's massive but unpretentious Spanish Mission style. Mission's no-frills look is also similar to that of the Shakers, a 19th century religious sect that lived simply while fostering a genius for good design.
Whatever the reason, Mission style and Arts and Crafts merged to become a dominant force, remaining so until the 1930s when Art Deco and other modern trends radically changed taste in interior design. Mission fell out of favor and almost vanished, but came back with a bang in the late 1980s and '90s. Today, entertainment and business superstars gain fame for collecting Mission by the house-full, while magazines and coffee table books continue to feature homes where Arts&Crafts design is showcased.

Peu importe la raison, les styles Mission et « Arts & Crafts », ont fusionné pour devenir une force dominante, jusqu'aux années 1930, au moment ou l'Art Déco et les autres tendances modernes ont radicalement changé les goûts dans le design d'intérieur. Le style Mission perdit alors la faveur et disparut pratiquement mais il est revenu en force vers la fin des années 80 et le début des années 90. Aujourd'hui, les superstars et les gens d'affaires gagnent en popularité en meublant complètement leurs maisons de pièces de collections Mission, alors que les livres et magazines publient la conception «d'Arts & Crafts».

Mission's pedigree is dotted with names that are easily recognizable to fans of the style. Foremost are pioneers Gustav Stickley and his brothers Leopold and John George Stickley. Stickley's 'Craftsman' collection was introduced in 1900, ushering in the break-the-mold attitude of 20th century furniture design.

The prominent oak grain effect derived from 'quarter sawing,' a technique of sawing wood to raise and maximize the grain's appearance. Other distinctive features included leather upholstery, dowel and mortise-and-tenon construction.

Mission overlapped and is compatible with the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who believed buildings and other household objects are beautiful only when perfectly designed for their function. Wright worked with furniture designers who understood perfectly his desire for furniture to reflect and enhance the architecture of each new home.

For more versatility, Mission style fits into today's Casual Contemporary or Lifestyle look. Mission styles are usually executed in dark-stained o

The last decade of the 20th Century has enjoyed a renewed interest in the great furniture styles of the last 100 years. Despite their differences, the spotlight has shown equally on Modernist and Mission design. Both were equally groundbreaking styles, with lines pared back to essentials. And both are sure to have their fierce partisans and collectors far into the foreseeable future.