Furniture expert Bruce Johnson invites us into his arts and crafts home, filled with classic mission-style furniture and accessories. Mission-style furniture, popular in the United States between 1890 and 1914, was an expression of the arts and crafts movement, which stressed the importance of preserving the handcrafts. Mission-style furnishings are simple, elegant and practical, made from natural, unpainted wood and other earthy materials. Arts and crafts lovers are always looking for the perfect home in which to display their mission-style furniture. A bungalow built between 1900 and 1930, with oak floors and woodwork, is the perfect backdrop for mission-style furniture. Plenty of affordable bungalows are still available, often disguised with carpeting and painted woodwork. When you find a good, solid house, refurbish it in a manageable way, one room at a time. Strip the woodwork, and remove the carpeting to reveal the natural hardwood that meshes so well with mission-style furniture. In an arts and crafts living room you're apt to find a Morris chair, the classic piece of arts and crafts furniture -- and one that furniture collectors are always looking for. A couch, called a settle, or in a smaller size, a settee, is also found in an arts and crafts living room. Mission-style furniture tends to be heavy and square and made of stained wood, with leather upholstery. Its masculine feel, which some find difficult to warm to, can be softened with pillows and other textiles of the period. Textiles and pillows are part of Bruce's collection of accessories, which includes pottery, paintings, stained glass and lighting. His wide collection of accessories gives his home a complete and authentic look. The arts and crafts period coincided with the introduction of electricity to American homes, resulting in a wide variety of lamps and light fixtures that fit this architectural style, including ceiling lights, freestanding floor lamps, large and small table lamps and wall sconces to hang next to a mirror or over a fireplace. A typical arts and crafts dining room has a dining table and chairs, a china cabinet and a long sideboard. The dining table and chairs are the focal point of the room, serving to bring the family together. A china cabinet is a lucky find and a wonderful way to display collections. The sideboard, some of which are as long as 66" in length, has a plate rail at the back to display hand-hammered copper or ceramic serving pieces. Hand-hammered hardware across the front of the sideboard is evidence of hand craftsmanship that is decorative as well as utilitarian. The wallpaper, a reproduction of the William Morris thistle pattern, brings the look together with the greens, yellows and organic forms of the arts and crafts movement. Utilitarian and well built, mission-style furniture honors, above all, hand craftsmanship and the beauty of wood. Its simple elegance and practical functionality combine to create a warm and nurturing environment.
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