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If you are looking for rustic outdoor furniture but would like something a little different from the frequently found Adirondack style, you might consider the Mission style which became popular at the beginning of the 20th century.
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William Morris
• It all started with English designer William Morris in the late 1800s, laying the foundations for the Arts and Crafts Movement in England.
• Morris hated the mass production resulting from the Industrial Revolution and the complacent materialism of Victorian values. He pioneered the Arts & Crafts Movement whose ideals were simple, functional designs and quality hand craftsmanship.
• Morris and other social reformers advocated a return to fundamental ideas in design and construction, with the aim of improving working conditions and quality of life.
• With an emphasis on utility, harmony and simplicity, they developed a new aesthetic that embraced unadorned beauty and complemented the space it was intended to occupy.
• Although inspired by the Middle Ages, they were not copying Gothic styles and were totally original.
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Gustav Stickley
• The Arts and Crafts Movement gained popularity worldwide and in the United States one of the most important designers was Gustav Stickley.
• Influenced by Morris and his followers, Stickley's aim was "to substitute the luxury of taste for the luxury of costliness".
• After a visit to England in 1899, he set up his Craftsman Workshops near Syracuse, NY and advanced his ideas through the journal The Craftsman.
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Mission Style
• Stickley's designs were reminiscent of the rustic furniture of the (Spanish) American South West with its exposed joinery and rectilinear lines. It thus became known as the Mission style.
• Function and decoration were integrated while influenced by traditional styles as the beautiful furniture produced by the Shakers.
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Outdoor Use
• Furniture in Stickley's day was typically made of oak and intended for indoor use. Today, a Canadian company - Ridge Cedar - has designed a collection of Mission chairs and dining furniture for outdoor use which shares the values of the Arts and Crafts masters.
• With its geometric designs, mortise & tenon joinery and sturdy construction it is made of Eastern white cedar. Its functional design and natural materials lend an air of stability, serenity and simplicity to your patio.
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