

Here are some of the Mission style’s most recognizable traits: Mission, Craftsman and Arts & Crafts terminology is often interchangeable. But don’t get too caught up in the words. Other makers referred to it by the name of their furniture lines. Joseph McHugh, a New England furniture craftsman, reportedly coined the term after finding design inspiration from a chair in a San Francisco church, which, as you probably guessed, was a mission church. Some believe it is related to the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts Movement - furniture needing to be functional and serve a specific “mission.” Others say it was named as such because its designs were found in Franciscan missions in the state of California.

Where the term originated is up for debate. Let’s take a look at how these Japanese design principles became such an important element of the popular Mission style pieces still being made to this day.
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Early Arts and Crafts practitioners embraced these ideals and admired the principles thought to be derived from a culture free of depravities of modern industrialism.īalance, geometry, modularity and simplicity. It continued with Gustav Stickley and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Japanese-inspired designs and shows no signs of going out of style any time soon.Īccording to the Shinto belief system, which is indigenous to Japan, materials should be treated with care, craftsmanship and most cherished in their natural form. The Japanese influence on Mission style has remained popular from the moment Japanism - a craze for all things Japanese - entered the scene in the 1800s. An appreciation for fine craftsmanship brought the simplicity of Japanese-inspired design to the forefront of the American Arts and Crafts Movement.
