Every home has one thing in common….furniture. The furniture that a homeowner chooses will depend upon the style, material, craftsmanship, quality and cost. In most cases, furniture is purchased to last, not to be replaced every few years. When looking for furniture that will be durable, enhance your home, have versatility and is easy to care for, handcrafted wood furniture is an exceptional value and choice. Handcrafted wood furniture has been setting trends and lasting generations.
Handcrafted wood pieces are constructed to last and transcend time, whereas factory-made pieces serve an immediate need to the consumer and will more than likely be discarded and repurchased within a few years. Quality and materials used to construct a piece of handcrafted furniture will initially cost more, and may even give the consumer “sticker shock”. However, if a comparison of the cost to repeatedly purchase factory-made pieces over and over, the handcrafted piece will far outlast those that are manufactured at a lower cost and have a higher value in the end.
Factory-made furniture offers the consumer the ability to purchase pieces for their home. The trade-off for this decision is that the product will be mass-produced and will more than likely be assembled by the consumer. The materials are mostly pressed wood, also known as particle board, which is sawdust and wood particles that have been “pressed” together to create the furniture pieces. And the quality and craftsmanship are virtually non-existent given that they are not constructed by a knowledgeable furniture maker. These factors will cost the consumer in the end because factory-made furniture has to be replaced more often.
An excellent example of quality, custom made furniture is that which is crafted by the Amish. Their techniques and attention to detail create pieces that are treasured and passed down through generations. Wood furniture is a staple in any home and brings warmth and beauty to any decor. The Amish Handcrafted wood furniture is sourced and constructed from only the finest woods available. Every piece of wood is inspected for any flaws or imperfections. If any are found, the wood is then evaluated as to whether or not the imperfection can be removed. Otherwise, it is discarded and another piece is selected. This high standard of material only adds to the quality and durability of your handcrafted wood furniture.
There are a few distinct benefits of choosing handcrafted wood furniture versus the factory-made pieces. These benefits are durability, versatility, sustainability, maintenance, and style. When making an investment into the furniture of your home, these are the benefits that consumers are looking for. The cost of goods are continually on the rise, but if a product will provide all of these benefits and withstand the wear and tear of a family and daily use, it is an investment worth the price. Handcrafted furniture has a way of melding into the decor of your home and becomes a part of the history of your family. Even though styles may change, your wood furniture is versatile enough to bridge these barriers and become a statement piece of your home. The added bonus is that your handcrafted wood furniture is also easy to maintain and keep looking like new for many years.
Why choose Amish-made solid oak furniture for your home?
There are many factors to consider when choosing furniture that is Amish-made. The quality, materials, and craftsmanship are undeniable. But the durability of an Amish-made solid oak piece of furniture is the most outstanding feature of them all. The Amish take such care and attention to every little detail of each piece of furniture that is produced that, when finished, it is a work of art.
Amish-made furniture has a classic and timeless style that will go with just about any decor. It is built to last and will transcend generations. Consumers that choose to incorporate Amish-made furniture into their home will discover that the durability of the pieces are far superior to their factory-made counterparts. Because they are made from high quality woods, the longevity of these furniture pieces will last for many years. These pieces are meant to be passed from generation to generation. They are treasured pieces that will tell the story of your family, while showcasing the beauty and detail of each individually produced piece.
Although the most popular, Amish-made furniture is more than just rocking chairs. Their beautifully crafted beds, side tables and sofas will add style and elegance to any home. Amish-made kitchen cabinets bring a warmth and beauty that mass produced cabinetry can not match. The styling and durability is an investment into your home. And the best part is that wood is a sustainable source in furniture production. The Amish replace trees that are harvested for furniture by planting new trees. This promotes the protection of the environment and not the destruction of the planet we call home.
Furniture that is mass produced uses composites, plastics and wood residuals that are not sustainable or decomposable. The price point may be the attractive and driving force behind the decision to purchase a factory-made piece of furniture. But this decision will result in discarded pieces and having to repurchase the same or slightly different piece for what is needed in the home. This becomes a frustration to consumers and many times will lead to the decision to purchase handcrafted furniture that will last and is easier to maintain for families.
How to identify genuine Amish-made furniture
You walk into a friend’s home and see a beautiful rocking chair or dining room table. But do you ever really stop to think how it was made. In a day and age where so many furnishings are mass produced and quality takes a back seat, to see a handcrafted, solid wood piece of furniture will make you stop and appreciate the time and craft that went into the production of such a fine piece.
The Amish community have a few core values that are very apparent in their craftsmanship: simplicity, hard work and harmony with nature. The traditional methods of Amish furniture makers have been passed down through generations. They take pride in their work and never take shortcuts. The Amish do not utilize electricity in their workshops or homes, which makes it even more impressive that they can produce such solid pieces of furniture.
Amish craftsmen start by hand selecting each piece of wood that will be used to complete a furniture project. They will only use solid wood and never a wood substitute like particle board or veneers. The most common woods that will be found in their workshops are oak, cherry, hickory and maple. They are extremely particular about the wood that they choose for your furniture. If a piece of wood has too many flaws, it will be rejected. If there are just a few flaws that can be carefully sanded, it will be considered suitable. Careful consideration is given to grain and cracks, as this will determine the overall appearance of the final piece.
Amish furniture is created to fit into just about any style. The most popular styles are Mission and Shaker styles. They have straight lines, clean design and are functional while being extremely durable. Because Amish furniture is made specifically for each customer, each piece is completely customizable to fit your exact needs. Certain embellishments and carvings can be added to pieces to give it a unique, one-of-a-kind feeling. As there are no two fingerprints that are alike, there are no two pieces of Amish furniture that are exactly the same. Each piece becomes a story that will live on in your family’s history for years to come.
The Amish community takes pride in the workmanship that they produce. It is a craft that is easily recognizable to those that proudly display these pieces in their homes. But these pieces aren’t for show, the Amish-made furniture is very functional, easy to maintain and keep clean, fits any style or decor and will last for many generations. They believe in creating an heirloom piece of furniture that one can proudly say belonged to their grandmother. This is the type of history that the Amish put into every piece of furniture that they create.
What makes Amish furniture unique
The traditional methods of Amish furniture makers have been passed down through generations. They take pride in their work and never take shortcuts. The simple lines and solid construction of Amish furniture first took America by storm in the early 1900s. They began making furniture out of the need to outfit their homes. With very little contact with the outside world, they relied on themselves to craft furniture that would last for decades.
Amish furniture is unique because the construction maintains a high level of quality, durability, and sustainability. These are traits that you will not find in mass produced, factory-made furniture. The Amish intend for their pieces to be treasured and used by families for many years to come. These three attributes set Amish made furniture miles apart from their nearest competitor.
Quality – When you examine a piece of Amish made furniture, you quickly begin to see all of the intricate detail and unique joinery techniques, such as mortise & tenon and dovetail, that are used to create strong and sturdy pieces of furniture that will withstand everyday life. These amazingly beautiful pieces of furniture are built with such precision that there is no need for nails, screws and glue. Because these solid wood items are made by artisans and not machines, there is the flexibility to customize your piece to fit your design style. You have the ability to choose finishes, hardware, choice of wood and even select details.
Durability – The biggest advantage to buying Amish is the one-time investment into a piece of furniture that is going to last. Amish furniture is typically on the higher end of the investment scale. But the durability and longevity of your piece is worth every penny. Amish furniture is meant to be lived in. It is the dining room table that you use for meals every day, the rocking chair to rock your children to sleep, and the coffee table that friends gather around for an afternoon chat. And in years to come, it will tell the story of your lives.
Unfortunately, these are not the qualities that you are getting when purchasing a piece that is mass-produced. You are purchasing particle board and veneers. These will mar, scratch, dent, and eventually, fall apart. This will result in having to purchase a replacement piece of furniture. Your Amish furniture will not only be durable in the physical sense, but it is durable in a stylistic sense as well. The simple, straight lines blend into many décor and home styles.
Sustainability – Amish furniture is solid wood that is crafted from land that they have maintained for many generations. The wood used to build your furniture, is the wood that they grow and nurture. When you see a “Made in America” sticker on your piece of furniture, you can believe that it is 100% made in America. From the tree to the craftsmanship, all American made. You can have confidence to know that there was no outsourcing of labor and materials. The Amish culture manufactures their furniture pieces without the use of electricity. While most of the work is completed by using hand tools, they will occasionally use water or air-powered tools. These forms of energy are far more efficient and environmentally friendly.
By choosing Amish furniture for your home, you are opting to incorporate a timeless style that will transcend from generation to generation. Your furniture will take on a life of its own as it tells your story to those who will inherit your priceless treasures.
The importance of hand tool in modern Amish furniture making
One of the finest craftsmen of solid wood furniture is the Amish carpenters. The Amish furniture first took America by storm in the early 1900s. The simple lines and solid construction set the Amish made furniture apart from the elaborate and ornate styles of the late 1800s. They began making furniture out of the need to outfit their homes. With very little contact with the outside world, they relied on themselves to craft furniture that would last for decades.
While it is true that the Amish do not use electricity in their workshops and homes, they are not completely against technology. They have found that compressor-powered tools have helped to save valuable time and maintain their values. By using a mix of hand tools and powered tools, the Amish are able to achieve beautiful furniture pieces. The utilization of hand tools allows the carpenter to define the minute details that make each piece of furniture unique and essentially a work of art. With these tools, they are able to customize each piece to the needs and wants of the consumer.
Often families have different trades that are their specialty. It takes great skill and dedication to learn how to create Amish-made furniture. These skills are taught at a young age and perfected over time. They are taught how to sand, shape and finish the wood by hand. The techniques that are used to achieve the final product are the same techniques that were used a hundred years ago. The Amish do not use nails, staples or glue. Instead they use joinery techniques that create a strong joint that will last decades. Drawers are assembled using the dovetail method that interlocks the wood together forming a joint that cannot be pulled apart. Chair and table legs are connected by the technique of mortise and tenon. This method joins two pieces of wood by utilizing a mortise hole and tenon tongue. These are cut to fit exactly, therefore there is no need for glue, nails or staples.
Handcrafted wood furniture is timeless. It is more accessible than ever before and more prevalent in most homes today. Handcrafted furniture comes in many styles and will easily fit with any decor. From contemporary to modern to traditional, solid oak wood furniture is an investment worth the cost. The construction, materials and overall attention to detail makes Amish-made furniture a purchase that will appreciate in value versus the factory-made alternative that will disintegrate within a few years of purchase.
The Options Available in Amish-made Furniture
Handcrafted wood furniture is customizable. Consumers are able to choose the type of wood, the finish and style of the furniture or cabinet piece that is being constructed. A major advantage is that individuality can be incorporated into each piece. If there is a detail that you would like added or removed, it is possible because each piece is specifically designed for the purchaser. Factory-made pieces do not have the flexibility or options to be custom made for each consumer. This is just another benefit of purchasing handcrafted, Amish-made furniture.
A common misconception with wood furniture is that it all looks the same. Simply not true. There are so many options when it comes to wood furniture. Two pieces that are constructed in the same manner can look completely different because of the options that are available to consumers. The type of wood can have an impact on the look of your piece. Whether you choose oak or maple, walnut or mahogany, your piece will have a different look and durability. Once a wood is determined, the finish is next. Some pieces are stained, some are varnished, and some opt to have the piece painted. Again, this will change the way your piece of furniture looks compared to the exact piece purchased by another consumer. Being able to choose from so many options makes the piece unique for you and your family.
Handcrafted wood furniture is perfect for every room in your home. Every room can benefit from wood furniture. A solid wood side table that perfectly compliments the solid wood sleigh bed, or the perfect rocking chair for the nursery, an exquisitely crafted coffee table in a sitting room, or the family dining room table that everyone gathers around at holidays. No matter what the piece, the quality and craftsmanship never goes unnoticed and is a compliment to the home over the years. Time may change the decor and the style of the home, but the solid wood furniture completes the home and creates the warm and inviting environment that every homeowner is trying to achieve.
Conclusion
As furniture trends move into a modern style, handcrafted solid wood furniture is still an element that will meld into this design style seamlessly. Integrating vintage and old wooden furniture into a modern and sleek style has become increasingly acceptable. Finding new uses has given new life to these otherwise extinct pieces. A dresser can be a TV console or a beverage station, a bedside table will work perfectly as an entry table in the foyer. This is a perfect example of the timelessness of solid wood furniture and how it never truly goes out of style. It is easy to update these vintage pieces by painting them or accenting their wood tones to highlight the beauty and history that these furniture pieces hold.
Your story can be told in the furniture that adorns your home. It lets all that enter your home know your sense of style, your sense of caring, the history that you hold dear and memories that are made as you gather around a table or share a coffee and a chat. The furniture in your home speaks volumes about you. The choice to include handcrafted wood furniture brings nature and warmth into your home and creates an inviting space for family and friends to gather. As the years go by and history is written into the wood grains of your furniture, your heirloom pieces will be handed down to generations in the future that will enjoy the same memories and gatherings that brought such joy to you and your family. The choice of handcrafted wood furniture over factory-made pieces will begin your journey to furniture that will last a lifetime. m