Mission Furniture 101: Everything You Need to Know

Mission style furniture is characterized by rectangular shapes, 90 degree angles, and straight vertical and horizontal lines. The style originated in the late 1800’s as a simpler, more practical alternative to the ornate Victorian-era styling of the time. Often confused with Shaker, mission style has its own history, its own following, and its own set of design principles.

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  • A large room with ornate furniture and a chandelier.

    Mission style furniture was born out of a countermovement against Victorian style furniture like that seen here.

    Photo by Francisco De Legarreta C. on Unsplash

  • The History of Mission Style Furniture

    The term mission style furniture was first coined by New England furniture craftsman Joseph McHugh. McHugh built a collection of stylistically similar furniture based on inspiration from a chair he discovered in a church in San Francisco, CA in the 1890s.

    The word mission is an ode to the spanish missionaries who settled in Northern California during those times, although the design inspiration for mission furniture has little to do with the religious Spanish missionaries and their culture.

    Moreso, mission style furniture was a counter-movement to the perceived excessive ornamentation of Victorian style furnishings that became popular in the mid- to late- 1800s.

    Around the same time, there was a sentiment that the industrial revolution of the early 1800s had caused us to devalue high-quality, handmade goods in favor of those that could be cheaply mass-produced. Mission furniture took hold between the years of 1900 and 1915 as a response to both of those movements.

What is Mission Style

Mission style furniture is often described as sturdy, heavy, and even chunky. It’s characterized by straight vertical and horizontal lines, square or rectangular legs and spindles, and durable construction.

Mission style furniture represents the ideals of simplicity of design, integrity of construction, and truth to the materials. Joints are often exposed and the natural characteristics of the wood are emphasized with flat panelling and finishes that accentuate the grain.

Mission vs. Craftsmen vs. Arts & Crafts

Mission furniture rose to prominence during the Arts & Crafts movement of the early 1900s, also known as the American Craftsmen era. The movement brought with it an appreciation for high-quality, handmade goods and the people who made them. Because of this, the terms mission furniture, arts & crafts furniture, and craftsman furniture are forever linked and mostly interchangeable.

Mission vs. Shaker Style Furniture

Mission and shaker style furniture are often associated because both styles have been adopted by traditional furniture craftsmen. The Amish are often cited as the source of both design philosophies, although that’s not true in either case.

Shaker style furniture originated from the Shaking Quakers in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. It wasn’t for another few decades that mission style furniture began to emerge. Both styles originated in New England.

  • Shaker Style Furniture

    • Clean, simple designs
    • Tapered legs
    • Mushroom shaped wood knobs

  • Mission Style Furniture

    • 90 degree angles
    • Vertical and horizontal lines
    • Rectangular spindles
    • Eased edges
    • Traditionally made with oak wood (cherry and maple also common)

Handcrafted and Guaranteed For Life

When built by master craftsmen like the ones we work with at Vermont Woods Studios, both shaker and mission style furniture are built to last for generations.

Vermont furniture makers have become today’s authority on mission and shaker furniture. Customers seeking solid wood furniture with a simple, elegant design have grown to love their work. All of the wood furniture at Vermont Woods Studios is handcrafted in Vermont and guaranteed for life.

Our craftspeople have several variations on original mission style as shown in these beautiful, handmade furniture collections.

Furniture Collections

A bedroom with a bed, dresser and nightstand.
Mission & Craftsman Beds
A wooden nightstand with a lamp and books on it.
Mission & Craftsman Nightstands
A wooden chest of drawers in a room with a plant.
Mission Dressers & Chests
A dining room with a wooden table and chairs.
Mission & Craftsman Dining Tables
A wooden sideboard in a room with a window.
Mission Sideboards, Buffets, & China Cabinets
Two wooden bookcases in a room.
Mission & Craftsman Bookcases
A home office with a desk and bookshelves.
Mission & Craftsman Desks
A living room with a tv and a coffee table.
Mission & Craftsman TV Stands
A living room with a coffee table and a vase.
Mission & Craftsman Accent Tables

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