Arts and Crafts and Mission Furniture
Mission furniture came out of a movement away from the excesses of the Victorian era and the alienation caused by the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution made the worker feel that he was just a cog in the wheels of progress, surrounded by shoddy machine made goods. The emphasis was on ostentation, not function or good design.
Around the turn of the last century; designers in England and the United States strove to create an environment of buildings, furniture and decorative pieces which were simple and straightforward with decoration coming mainly from the joinery and a handcrafted look even when made by machine. The Arts and Crafts/Mission furniture was part of this movement in the first several decades of the twentieth century in the United States. The furniture was plain, honest and affordable, made from solid material of good quality and enduring construction.
Today there is a surge of interest in collecting original mission furniture and in creating new reproductions to meet the demand for the style. The ideals that resulted in the original movement are still valid for our highly technological society today.
Mission furniture is aesthetically and philosophically suited to camps and similar settings close to nature making it a perfect style choice for Shenandoah National Park buildings. The simplicity of forms, shapes and colors influenced by nature would create a relaxing and harmonious setting for visitors to the park buildings.
Arts and Crafts Bedroom Collection