# Mission Style Furniture Questions



## JIMMIEM (Apr 4, 2010)

I am planning on building a couch tray table. The couch's end tables are Mission Style. I have read several articles on Mission Style and have a good of the elements. What I haven't found any info on is 'proportions'. I understand the Golden Ratio concept but that doesn't provide any help here. The end table tops are almost twice as large as the couch table so I'm specifically wondering about sizing the couch table's leg thickness, aprons, and, slats so they are proportional.
Would appreciate any help. Thank You.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

This site semed to have a little history and links at the bottom of the page to other sites Mission Style Furniture

What I notice is that legs in mission style always seem to be 2x2, oak, finished dark. I also see a lot of flat panels, or panels filled in with carefully spaced 1/2 x 1 pieces. I guess Mission style is pretty closely related to Craftsman, which incorporates tapered legs and parts. Mission panels are set stiles and rails that are square all round, whereas Craftsman have a slight angle on the inside edge of the panel's frame. 

I learned that there are two "golden means", one is a one third two thirds, the other is more modern, 3 fifths, two fifths. Pick the one you prefer and proportion the pieces by that ratio for Craftsman style. Mission is still proportional in that sense, but it is straifht up and down, without tapers--very simple. Both styles use mortise and tennon joints, strong, simple.

I did a lot of design work in my past lives, and those ratios cut across all disciplines.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Mission style furniture was a part of the Arts and Crafts era. The idea was to be able to go to a lumberyard and buy the material readily sized for what you needed. However, according to the parts lists included with some of the designs it is apparent that lumberyards would do more then than they will now. If you we search H. H. Windsor you may find free downloads of his 3 books. I have a paperback copy and they are usually cheap because the copyrights expired decades ago. 

The dark color Tom mentioned was usually from fuming the oak with ammonia.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Jim..

A pencil, grid paper and a tape measure is all you need here. Use what you got to base the design of what you want. Mission design is more about right angles, flat work and quality craftsmanship.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

I like the looks of Mission and Shaker furniture.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

hawkeye10 said:


> I like the looks of Mission and Shaker furniture.


I agree.. in the right setting extremely attractive.


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## JIMMIEM (Apr 4, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Mission style furniture was a part of the Arts and Crafts era. The idea was to be able to go to a lumberyard and buy the material readily sized for what you needed. However, according to the parts lists included with some of the designs it is apparent that lumberyards would do more then than they will now. If you we search H. H. Windsor you may find free downloads of his 3 books. I have a paperback copy and they are usually cheap because the copyrights expired decades ago.
> 
> The dark color Tom mentioned was usually from fuming the oak with ammonia.


I just found some H.H. Windsor books online. I'll swing by the library or bookstore and check them out. Thank You.


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## JIMMIEM (Apr 4, 2010)

The end tables have tops that are 23" X 28" and square legs that are 2 1/4" X 2 1/4". The couch tray table that I am building will have a top 14 3/4" X 24". The legs will be square but I'm wondering if they should be scaled down a bit to maybe 2" X 2" or 1 3/4" X 1 3/4". What do you folks think?


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Just my opinion, but I'd scale em down to 1 3/4..


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## JIMMIEM (Apr 4, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Mission style furniture was a part of the Arts and Crafts era. The idea was to be able to go to a lumberyard and buy the material readily sized for what you needed. However, according to the parts lists included with some of the designs it is apparent that lumberyards would do more then than they will now. If you we search H. H. Windsor you may find free downloads of his 3 books. I have a paperback copy and they are usually cheap because the copyrights expired decades ago.
> 
> The dark color Tom mentioned was usually from fuming the oak with ammonia.


I located the free downloads of the 3 H.H. Windsor books. They can be downloaded in several different formats or you can just read them on-line.
Thank You for telling me about the books.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

While I wouldn't necessarily make anything exactly like the plans show, the designs provide a lot of inspiration and definitely worth having a copy of the books handy. As said, the idea was to buy lumber and make something from it. We have more tools at our disposal than was assumed when the designs were first printed 100 years ago. Feel free to embellish the originals and make them your take in on what they can look like.


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## JIMMIEM (Apr 4, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> While I wouldn't necessarily make anything exactly like the plans show, the designs provide a lot of inspiration and definitely worth having a copy of the books handy. As said, the idea was to buy lumber and make something from it. We have more tools at our disposal than was assumed when the designs were first printed 100 years ago. Feel free to embellish the originals and make them your take in on what they can look like.


I've seen several styles on various manufacturer's web sites and found one that is very close to the style of the end tables that I have....just need to make a few modifications to get it to look like my end tables....just need to get the right scaling so the design is the same and the proportions look right.


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## JIMMIEM (Apr 4, 2010)

Finally finished it. Thank You all for your help and advice. Here are some pictures.


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## Bob Adams (Jul 5, 2014)

Very nice!


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Nicely done Jim.... I think you captured the look you were after.
Great looking and functional is hard to beat


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I agree with Bill. Those could have been in the original books.


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## CharlesWebster (Nov 24, 2015)

Nice! Captures the Mission style very well. I have several (purchased) pieces of Mission Style and like it a lot. When I graduate to making furniture for the house, it will be in the Mission style.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Great workmanship, and finishing,just a great all around job on a very nice piece.
Herb


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