The architecture of Spanish missions influenced mission-style furniture.
The word "sofa" is derived from the Arabic word "suffah," describing a bench that's covered with blankets or cushions. Sofa styles were created and evolved throughout history to meet the needs, preferences and cultures of people throughout the world. Mission furniture was created in the early 1900s in opposition to the gaudy, excessively ornate furniture of the 19th-century Victorian era. Mission-style sofas incorporate clean, straight lines -- the opposite of Victorian-period furniture. Does this Spark an idea?
History
Mission-style furniture began with the design of a rush-seated chair for the Swedenborgian Church of the New Jerusalem in San Francisco circa 1894 to 1995. The chair and church designs were heavily influenced by local Spanish missions, and thus became known as "mission style." Joseph McHugh, a furniture manufacturer in 1895, first coined the term "mission style" and developed a rustic line of furniture with straight lines based on the simple rush-seated chair. In 1900, Gustav Stickley, an American furniture designer, launched his own mission-style furniture that lead to the endearing mission-style furniture of today.
Construction
Sofas constructed in the mission design reflect a rectilinear, earthy style typified by one-quarter-sawn white oak with exposed mortise-and-tenon joints and rows of narrow wooden spindles. Cherry, hard maple, brown maple, hickory and red oak are alternative woods to the traditional white oak. Mission sofas are never painted, but may be stained in a variety of wood tones. A special varnish may be applied that protects the wood against nail polish, water, oil and alcohol spills. Cushions are upholstered in the simple, muted colors of nature or a dark leather.
Decor
The mission style integrates a natural "back-to-earth" decor. Warm, earthy colors, such as mossy green, rustic red, muted blue and brown variations, make up the mission-style color palette. Light-colored walls painted in a soft white, vanilla or sand color provide a neutral background for the mission-style sofa and other furniture and accessories. Dress the windows with a simple, neutral curtain or hang woven, natural blinds to add another texture to the room. Stained-glass lamps, potted greenery and wall tapestries enhance the mission decor.
Uses
Mission sofas are ideal for the mission-style decor, but may complement other decorating styles. The transitional design -- a blend of traditional and contemporary style -- superbly accommodates a mission-style sofa. Cabin-style design is ideal for decorating in mission style. And mission sofas are not exclusively for indoor use. A special wood product that is weather-resistant and fade-proof is used in constructing mission sofas to be used on an outdoor patio or deck.
Tags: mission style, mission-style furniture, mission sofas, mission-style sofa, rush-seated chair, Spanish missions, straight lines