Is Mission Style Furniture Still Popular?
Mission-style furniture has been wildly popular for well over 100 years. While it may have had some slight ups and downs, it has never disappeared and never truly gone “out of style.” Many of the top-selling pieces at DutchCrafters Amish Furniture are Mission style. Right now, it is as popular as it has ever been, and judging by history, it will remain that way for generations to come.
Table of Contents
- Why Mission Style Furniture is So Popular
- The Popularity of Mission Style Furniture Over Time
- The Beginning of the Mission Style Furniture Trend
- The Mission Style Furniture Resurgence
- Showcasing Mission Style’s Place in History
- Why Mission Style Furniture is Still “in Style” Today
- Mission Style Furniture is One of Our Most Popular Styles
- 3 Popular Mission Style Furniture Pieces at DutchCrafters
- Where is the Best Place to Purchase Mission Style Furniture?
Why Mission Style Furniture is So Popular
Mission style furniture is known for its straight horizontal and vertical lines, exposed joints, and simple design. It is usually well-proportioned and structured. It does its job, and it does it well. The exposed joints are about the farthest it will go in terms of being ornate. This simplicity allows you to easily integrate it into your existing décor, without disrupting the flow of your design.
It is known for its durability due to its well-made construction. Mortise and tenon joints are what keep these pieces together. This is what makes this furniture heirloom quality and able to last many years. In the era of sustainability, selecting furniture that is constructed with integrity is the “in-style” thing to do. You don’t want to add to the 12 million tons of (mostly cheap) furniture dumped in our landfills every year.
Mission furniture is traditionally crafted from oak wood and usually has a medium to dark stain. Oak is one of the most popular wood types, as we have learned from thousands of orders over the years here at DutchCrafters. Due to its durability and unique grain patterns, oak was the go-to wood species from the start of the Mission furniture movement.
The Popularity of Mission Style Furniture Over Time
Mission-style furniture has experienced a rollercoaster of popularity over the years. Starting from its inception, it had its place in the spotlight, then took a break, and came back shining and here to stay.
The Beginning of the Mission Style Furniture Trend
Mission-style furniture has a long and storied history. It became popular at the end of the 19th century and arose from the Arts and Crafts movement. During this movement, people strayed from overly manufactured furniture and wanted to return to more handcrafted items. Mission furniture worked its way into people’s hearts because of its basic function and design.
The name “Mission” was inspired by Spanish Missions spreading throughout California. Gustav Stickley, one of the pioneers of this furniture movement, was inspired by the furniture seen in these Missions and believed furniture was meant to serve a simple purpose.
The Mission Style Furniture Resurgence
During the 1920s and 1930s, Mission furniture went back into the shadows while other styles had their moment. Then, in 1972, it saw a surge of popularity. Robert Judson Clark, a professor at Princeton University, opened an exhibit at the Princeton University Art Museum that highlighted pieces of Mission furniture and how they have held up over the years.
He centralized his work on the people who physically crafted the furniture (which is something we take pride in here at DutchCrafters). This sparked its popularity again, with the exhibit traveling to major cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C. This time around, the style kept its ground and stuck around.
FUN FACT: In 1988, Barbara Streisand bought an original Gustav Stickley Mission sideboard for $363,000 at auction. Seeing such a well-known celebrity purchase Mission-style furniture reaffirmed that everyone wanted their hands on it.
Showcasing Mission Style’s Place in History
While Mission-style furniture resurged in the 1970s, the iconic style remained in full swing long after. In 2007, The Stickley Museum was opened. The museum highlighted the Arts and Crafts Movement and Gustav Stickley’s contributions to it.
The museum served as a permanent exhibit of historic Mission furniture and aimed to inform the public about its history, style, and design. It is still up and running today, and the staff even offer classes on a variety of design subjects. Mission-style furniture has proved time and time again that it is here to stay.
Why Mission Style Furniture is Still “in Style” Today
Today, Mission-style furniture remains a highly popular choice across the country. The style has had staying power during its second era because it is easily adaptable to match modern furniture trends. People appreciate the sleek lines and simplicity, and it works well with contemporary styles. The simple design allows it to easily fit in with today’s décor.
Mission Style Furniture is One of Our Most Popular Styles
According to our extensive order history, our best-selling bed is the Amish Siesta Mission Bed. Not only was this bed our top seller in 2024, but it was also our top seller in 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020. In fact, we looked back as far as 2010, and it wasn’t even close. The Siesta Mission Bed is in its own stratosphere.
If that doesn’t tell you that Mission-style furniture is still popular, we’ll show you some more best-selling pieces.
3 Popular Mission Style Furniture Pieces at DutchCrafters
DutchCrafters is the world’s largest collection of online Amish furniture. We have tens of thousands of orders to pull data from. When we tell you that mission-style furniture is all the rage, you can trust that this information was gathered from a large sample size.
Amish Mission Armoire Wardrobe
The Amish Mission Armoire Wardrobe (pictured here in oak) is another of our most popular Mission pieces. It provides plenty of storage while maintaining a simple, functional design. It also features paneling, another characteristic of the Mission style, which aims to emphasize the wood grain and its natural beauty.
Amish Craftsman Mission L-Desk with Optional Hutch
Mission style is an excellent option for your office space. It embodies professionalism and simplicity. The Amish Craftsman Mission L-Shaped Desk with Optional Hutch (pictured in quartersawn white oak) has more integrity than Captain America. Made in America!
The Churchill Mission Bookcase
The Churchill Mission Bookcase is one of our top-selling bookcases. It comes in a variety of sizes and offers a study place to store books and cherished items. It was recently featured in our 5 Best Solid Wood Bookcases!
Where is the Best Place to Purchase Mission Style Furniture?
We at DutchCrafters appreciate the integrity with which Mission-style furniture is constructed and pride ourselves on providing quality heirloom furniture. Customize it and make it your own through DutchCrafters.
Mission-style furniture has been one of the most popular styles for over one hundred years. It has proven that it has staying power. It reminds you of your childhood memories watching Captain America cartoons at your grandparents while simultaneously bringing a historical sensibility to any modern motif.
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Aspen Foltz is a resident expert on Amish furniture. She studied Media and Communication Studies at Florida State University and is the former editor of the online publication HerCampus. Her work creating content about Amish furniture and Amish culture can be found all over DutchCrafters.com. In her downtime, she enjoys music trivia and reading.
Amazing article!