Mexican Mission Style Furniture

The Mexican Mission style furniture was first made in California and other southwestern states. This furniture style was common in the Spanish missions, which dotted the countryside in the early sixteenth century.

Origins of Mexican Mission Style Furniture

The Mexican Mission style furniture was made primarily of oak and other woods that were commonly found in the southwestern United States. Some of the other woods that were customary include:

• Redwood
• Douglas Fir
• Western Red Cedar
• Birch
• Maple
• Cottonwood
• Larch
• Hemlock

The Catholic missionaries building this type of furniture were creating items that would be utilitarian, which explains the straight lines seen in this style. The furniture craftsmen built furniture out of any woods common in the areas that they were building the missionaries in. The large pieces of furniture, as well as some of the enormous doors found in the southwest, had obvious gothic influence. It was unlikely that the missionaries brought any of their own furniture with them when they arrived from Spain.

Mexican Mission History

If you are interested in learning more about Mexican Mission style furniture and its history, collectors enjoy the following titles by authors on the subject:

• A Sense of Mission: Historic Churches of the Southwest by Deborah J. Baldwin
• Artifacts: An Archaeologists Year in Silicon Valley by Christine A. Finn
• Indians, Missionaries and Merchants by Kent Lightfoot

Modern Mission Furniture

Today, reproduction Mexican mission furniture can be found from many retailers on the Internet and in stores throughout the western United States. Some great places to find examples of this furniture style include:

• FincaHome
• Pops Furniture
• LodgeCraft
• Mission Living
• Home Decorators

Other places to find antique or reproduction Mission style furniture include antique stores, eBay and estate sales in your area.

Decorating with Mission Furniture

Using Mission furniture for decorating can make any room seem airy and comfortable. The clean lines of this furniture type make it easy to accessorize. Decorating in this style can be easily accomplished with items found in local retail and import stores. Things that compliment this room style include:

• White, ecru, pale pink or pale yellow painted walls and ceilings
• Tile floors, tabletops and fireplace walls
• Wood floors
• Cast iron accents such as sconces, candleholders and drawer pulls
• Decorations that utilize geometric designs
• Rugs with complimentary linear designs
• Mexican pottery
• Arts and Crafts style lamps
• Religious paintings using earth tones

Rooms that are commonly decorated in the Mexican mission style are the bedroom, home office and living room. Depending on the architecture of your home, this decorator style may work very well in other living spaces as well. Gothic, Prairie style and adobe style homes are a perfect compliment for Mission style furniture.

If you are trying for an air of authenticity in your decorating, avoid using Aztec accents on your furniture pieces or room decorations. Catholic missionaries would not have used any Aztec symbolism in their architecture, decorations or on their furniture pieces.

Decorator Tips

If you aren't sure where to start with decorating in the Mexican Mission style, a little research may be in order. Luckily, a lot has been written about this particular art form, as well as contemporary Mission style furniture. Books on this topic include:

• Romance of the Mission: Decorating in the Mission Style by Elmo Baca
• Red-Tile Style by Arrol Gellner
• Identifying American Architecture: 1600 – 1945 by J.G. Blumenson
• Mexican Country Style by Joe P. Carr
• Frommer's Arizona 2002 by Karl Samson

Conclusion

Decorating in the Mexican Mission style is an easy way to create a room that exudes warmth. Using colors found in the southwest is one of the best ways to create the right ambiance for your room; earth tones, pale rose, pale yellow and white are perfect colors for walls and ceilings. Room decorations should help to create a southwestern feel, such as cast iron lamps, candleholders and sconces. Complete the look with large area rugs and lamps that utilize geometric shapes or linear lines in the design.

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