Stickley Furniture has long been a talisman of southwestern design. But don’t be fooled into thinking that’s the hardwood dynast’s only shtick. Founder Gustav Stickley was reportedly disentranced by the term “Mission,” which was coined to describe his firm’s battalion of magnificently sturdy oak furniture. Stickley, a first-generation German-American, preferred to think of his furniture as inherently Flemish, championing structural integrity and back-to-basics aesthetics like clear-coat finishes and mortise and tendon joinery. It’s not the most subtle furniture (some might even be inclined to call it fortress-like) and yet it’s never been fully debunked. Why does Stickley furniture continue to endure? In large part because of it’s remarkable mutability. Here, we spotlight four ways to style it that feel anything but Mission-centric.
Partner it with Art Deco
Stickley furniture rose to prominence during the early 1900s, not long before Art Deco took hold. Although Stickley was a precursor to Art Deco, there’s an obvious thread of stylistic homogeneity that exists between the two. Use the styles’ similarities to fashion a lair that capitalizes on architectural right angles and expert craftsmanship. Try a Stickley desk anchored by an Art Deco Klismos chair or flanked by two Swedish Art Deco lounge chairs. The wallpapers of William Morris, the Victorian-era Brit best known for his wild botanical prints guided by an underlying geometric framework, are prime for backing a mix of Art Deco decor and Stickley furniture, as are the prints of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Partner it with Monterey
Monterey furniture, developed in California in the 1930s and 40s to outfit the surplus of homes cropping up in the Spanish Revival style, pulled liberally from Stickley’s playbook. A focus on robust form and basic unadorned wood finishes means Monterey and Stickley furniture have a good deal in common. Use the two in tandem to furnish a home that’s southwest or Spanish in style. Especially in homes with features like terracotta-tiled floors and gridded windows, Stickley furniture’s 90-degree angles can be an enhancing feature. When it comes to Stickley seating, opt for chairs with less spindles to dial down the visual noise, especially if you do have a proliferation of gridded elements already.
Partner it with Rustic Modern
You might not initially think of Stickely furniture as modern, but consider its grid-like fortitude a little longer and you’re likely to come around. Rather than heading in the direction of laminate and Lucite, try partnering Stickley furniture with modern rustic pieces. Leather sling chairs, geometric wool rugs, hand-thrown ceramics, and modular beam chandeliers are all befitting stylistic suitors for Stickley furniture. Stump tables also make a fine complement to Stickley armchairs. For something a little more daring, try uniting Stickley furniture with Bauhaus furniture. When you consider Eileen Gray’s Adjustable Height End Table, for instance, its stylistic similarities to Stickley become readily apparent.
Partner it with Cabin Style
Stickley furniture’s plank-like construction makes its construction material—in most cases oak wood—the star. As a result, Stickly furniture makes a fine accomplice to cabin-inspired spaces. Consider using Stickley bedroom furniture in a bedroom with exposed log walls or stained wood molding, door casings, or window casings. Stickley bedroom furniture will enhance your wood built-ins without competing with them. To prevent the excess of wood from becoming bastille-like, take care when selecting upholsteries. Don’t skimp on the throw pillows, as well as quilts and window coverings. Textiles can help take the hard edge off of all of that wood. You might even consider draping a Stickley dresser in a bolt of fabric to break up the tyranny of wood.
Lead photo design by Lisa Gilmore Design / Photo by Seamus Payne
