Monterey Furniture - History

Monterey furniture features prominently in Clara Bow and Rex Bell's ranch house. In a convergence of culture, style and history, the Barker Brothers, a furniture retailer based in Los Angeles, reached out to Mason Manufacturing in 1929 in order to design a line of furniture that embodied and embraced the Spanish Revival Period that was sweeping through Southern California and Hollywood. The pieces are simple, homey, and reflect handmade craftsmanship. Mason Manufacturing created a line of furnishings that held a rustic, Spanish Mission spirit and feel. Later, father and son George and Frank Mason expanded their production for the many Spanish-style homes being constructed throughout Los Angeles. The Monterey Furniture was, at first, a creation driven by the entertainment industry, but it became more that, this was a furniture style that the State and Culture of California could call its own. The Masons created Monterey furniture as part of the Arts and Crafts Movement; while similar to Mission-style, Monterey furniture contains painted California tiles, hand-painted flowers, and the pieces are often finished with paint.