Amish Mission Style Furniture

Amish Interpretation of Mission Style Furniture and Home Decor

At first glance it may seem that the Amish have little in common with some of the greatest architects of modern times, such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Gustav Stickley. However, it is the very Spirit and structure of the Amish community itself that has made Mission Style furniture and home decorating items the perfect avenue for Amish wood crafters.
The Amish community is profoundly masculine, with a strongly masculine aesthetic. Strength to provide for and protect family and community, a very basic value, means their building and woodworking projects are grounded in designs and styles that reflect this masculinity.

Strength and beauty of various types of wood is the first way the Amish express their Spirit. Frank Lloyd Wright, and originators of the Mission style, relied heavily on the features, look and quality of wood to define this style. For them, as for the Amish, the dramatic grain of quarter sawn white oak make it the favorite wood of mission styles. Plain, unadorned, heavy and strong furniture shows quarter sawn oak to its best effect.
Construction methods used to build Mission furniture and home d?cor items, is as traditional and strong as the Amish craftsmen themselves. Mortise and tenon construction, used for slatting, table-bases and other design features, mean that each piece will be heirloom quality, able to remain in the family for many generations to come.