Mission furniture offers clean, crisp lines that work well for many home decor styles. It can make the most of beautiful wood and show off good woodworking skills. Mission style pieces are also easy for the home woodworker to construct, using lumber that is readily available and shapes that require only basic workshop tools. If you want to add beauty, style and a personal touch to your home, consider building your own mission-style furniture pieces. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Plan the piece. If it is your first attempt at building Mission furniture, consider a small side table. Plans can be purchased or found in a number of books on the subject. Mission styling also works beautifully for dining furniture and office furnishings and can even be used for chairs and couches.
2. Prepare your supplies. Harder woods will be more durable and stay beautiful longer than softer, less expensive choices. Organize your building plan, whether you have purchased one or designed it yourself. You may want to cut all of your lumber at the beginning of the project and label each piece for ease of construction. Organize your tools and hardware before beginning your mission furniture project.
3. Construct your project. A small Mission style table may be an afternoon's project, but a larger hutch or dining room set may take several weeks of work when you have time. Consider keeping notes if you will be working on your project on multiple occasions.
4. Take the time to finish your work properly. Countersink all screws and use washers to protect the wood where appropriate. L brackets can be a good addition to add sturdiness and security to your new piece. A bit of additional time at this stage can make the difference between a beautifully crafted piece and one that is not.
5. Sand and finish your piece. You may wish to stain the wood before applying polyurethane. Oak or another dark, rich wood may not require stain at all. If you prefer to avoid chemical finishes, the wood can be oiled or waxed if it will be used indoors.
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