The Stickley brothers burst into international prominence in the early 20th century with their Mission Oak designs. These were based on the notion that furniture should be “honest”—a reaction against the fake joinery, unnecessary gaudiness, and shoddy workmanship of many of the pieces created in the early days of industrial furniture making.  The Stickley Brothers used solid construction, what-you-see-is-what-you-get joinery, and the highest quality woods. Finishes were not thick gums, but clear dyes that allowed natural grain to sparkle. In the 1920s, Leopold Stickley honored the traditions of early American craftsman in his colonial-inspired Cherry Valley Collection earning Leopold the title “Revered Dean of Cabinetmakers”. The Stickley brothers showed a genius for design by creating hundreds of new forms that were beautiful, practical, exceedingly strong and long-lasting, and perfect for the new ways American families wanted to live.