French Polishing and Bespoke Furniture
Mission style is a design that emphasizes simple horizontal and vertical lines and flat panels that accentuate the grain of the wood (often oak, especially quartersawn white oak). Each season brings with itself new designs, eye soothing pleasant colors, and overstuffed and pampered shapes.
In the US, “ Craftsman ” and “Arts and Crafts” were nearly synonymous and are often used interchangeably. “ Mission ” style , Lee explained, was a term mostly used on the east coast. Like Craftsman , Mission was a trade name but it marketed factory made furniture .
The distinctive characteristics of Mission -style furniture , popular from about 1900 through 1925, are easy to recognize: Lines will be simple and straight for the most part, with very few curves and no ornate carving. Elements are most often chunky and flat or squared.
Typically, a Mission – style home is decorated with earth tones like emerald green, russet, and tan, because those colors beautifully complement dark oak Mission furniture . Bright greens, blues, yellows, and reds look stunning in contrast with those more muted hues, but use them sparingly.
In fact, the majority of designers agreed that we’re going to see less cool grays and whites in 2020 . ” Gray will move into an accent position, and no longer be a main color,” one said. Designers also say there will be more of a focus on more playful decorating, when it comes to both colors and textures.
Graduated Drawers While it takes some inspiration from shaker furniture, Mission is a style that is all its own. Sturdy slats, stable legs and straight angles are often seen throughout mission furniture. Mission hardware is also distinct from that of shaker because it is often black, metal or features diamond knobs.
Shaker and Craftsman cabinet doors and kitchen cabinets are characterized by their minimalism and simplicity. Cabinet doors with square inside and outside edge detail and flat, recessed panel with no ornamentation typify the Shaker or Craftsman style . Shaker cabinet doors are made using natural materials.
Prairie – style architecture is a style of building that believes a structure should reflect and pay homage to the surrounding environment. This movement, also known as Prarie School, is similar to the Arts and Crafts movement and is known as the first distinctly American architectural style .
Most homes in the Craftsman style have porches with thick square or round columns and stone porch supports. Low-pitched roofs. The homes typically have a low roof with wide eaves and triangular brackets. Exposed beams. The beams on the porch and inside the house are often exposed.
How to Determine the Age of Antique Furniture Look Past the Style of a Piece. Examine Bottoms, Insides, and Backs. Check for Perfectly Matching Elements. Try to Figure Out What Tools Were Used . Look at the Wood and Upholstery Fabric. Investigate the Screws and Other Hardware.
Stickley Marks Marks may appear stamped in ink, burned in or on a paper, leather or metal tag. More than one mark may appear on the same piece. The Stickley Oval mark was phased out in 2007.
Stickley . Stickley pieces frequently appreciate in value , especially older pieces and limited edition introductions. Because Stickley furniture is so collectible, you will see forgeries in the used market.
The chairs hang from 6-inch-long wooden pegs mounted to boards screwed into the wall studs. The boards are positioned so that when the chairs are hung, they don’t touch the ceiling. “It makes sense to store them this way, because it’s easier to move around and clean house when they are not in use,” Bostick explains.
Nouveau
They are not completely accurate, but they can help to identify a piece. Gustav Stickley takes the rare step of labeling his Craftsman furniture with a shop mark. He chooses a joiner’s compass as his logo with the phrase “Als ik kan” (To the best of my ability) inscribed within and his signature underneath.