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How to Make Mission-Style Trim on Furniture

Gustav Stickley began designing Mission-style furniture around 1900. Simplistic, well-constructed furniture with clean, straight lines and medium- to dark-stained wood typifies Mission style. Fussy, ornamental trim and gaudy, glitzy hardware isn't a characteristic of Mission-design furniture. Adding minimal, simplistic trim to pieces of furniture reflects the Mission style, following the "less is better" concept.

Things You'll Need

  • Screwdriver
  • Hammer
  • Fine-grit sandpaper
  • Clean cloth
  • Ceramic tiles
  • Tile adhesive
  • Level
  • Leather
  • Leather adhesive
  • Furniture hardware
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove any ornamental trim and hardware from furniture with a screwdriver and hammer. Mission furniture is plain and simple without unnecessary ornamentation. This includes sculpted wood trim, knobs and handles.

    • 2

      Sand and smooth furniture areas where ornamental trim was removed. Use a fine-grit sandpaper and wipe furniture with a clean cloth to remove any sanding residue.

    • 3

      Apply precut tiles with ceramic adhesive, covering the area where ornamental trim was removed. For furniture that didn't have ornamental trim removed, apply tiles to a table edge or around the bottom perimeter of a cabinet, dresser or chest of drawers. Use a level to make sure your tile line is straight. Choose earthy-colored tiles with little or no design to reflect the simplicity exhibited by the Mission style.

    • 4

      Trim the edge of an accent table around its outer perimeter with a precut piece of leather. Bond the leather trim to the table's edge with leather adhesive, following the adhesive manufacturer's instructions for application.

    • 5

      Attach simple iron or copper hardware to cabinets or drawers. Avoid shiny copper or iron knobs, handles or hinges. Hammered copper and iron with a matte finish complements the simplicity of Mission-style furniture.