Prominent since the late 1800s, the concept of mission interior design was originally developed to offer a less flashy alternative to the popular designs of the Victorian era. Mission design has a strong arts and crafts influence and introduced the idea of using natural, high quality materials combined with clean lines blended with simplicity. In order to capture the mission style in your home, you will need to take the simple approach.
Capturing the beauty of mission style means choosing upholstery in basic shades, such as neutral leather or beige cotton. If you are concerned about having a light-coloured sofa, try using a throw to protect it – remembering to keep to a soft colour tone. If you are considering new furniture for your mission-style room, look around for reproductions. Hand-crafted, dark wood furniture will make a simple but stylish addition to your room and is in keeping with the mission style you are looking to achieve.
Hardwood flooring will capture the crafty element of the mission style, again keep it dark and it will complement the pieces of furniture you have in your room. You can use large rugs and cushion covers to add a little colour and warmth to the room and prevent it from becoming too dark and gloomy.
Stained glass windows were extremely popular during the mission era however; however, this is not a practical option in a modern home. Stained wood shutters or window blinds, stained a similar colour to your floor so the windows complement it, are an ideal alternative. Shutters and window blinds will introduce a craftsman touch to your room, capturing the crafty element of the mission look.
Lighting is an important part of the mission design, because of the use of dark wood. Floor and table lamps should have iron or brass bases with coloured glass shades, to mimic the look of stained glass. Wooden lamp bases are also considered mission-style, however these do not always work in a room that already has a lot of natural wood on show, so use them sparingly.
‘Less is more’ when it comes to accessorising your mission-style room. When filling your room with accessories, bear in mind that simple lines and no clutter is important if you want to achieve mission-style interior design. Streamlined wall art, simplistic photo frames and art-inspired mirrors, will all help you achieve a mission style room you can enjoy.
