The Amish arrived in America around 1730. A group of the descendants of the Anabaptists, which include Amish and Mennonites, settled near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  William Penn had began a ‘holy experiment’ in religious tolerance and welcomed these European immigrants. Although the most popularized, the Pennsylvania Amish are not the largest group of U.S. In fact there are Amish living in as many as twenty-four states, Canada, and Central America. Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio do have more than two-thirds of the Amish population.

Today’s Amish communities are as entrepreneurial as the Shakers, helping to support and build their communities using their gifts as honest artisans. The world appreciates the unique custom designs that contrast so obviously from the mass produced disposable furniture offered in most showrooms today. These solid wood designs are premium heirlooms that showcase the integrity of a community very much like their brothers and sisters in the Shaker villages.

Like the Shakers the Amish live every part of their life based on religious principles. This includes the quality of their work, whether at home or in the workshop. Today the Amish wood worker in Northern Indiana crafts the same designs with the same quality of materials and skill as their ancestors. The same principles and beliefs held by the earliest Shaker furniture designer and builder are still honored by the Amish woodworker. With traditional designs like the traditional Burlington table or the neatly lined Bungalow chifferobe, chest, bed, dresser and nightstand you can bring the same warm style to your home.

 Historians following the trends of the furniture industry can attest that furniture styles and their designers are virtual archives of an era. The economy of the time, the availability of supplies and tools and most surprising, the politics and religion of the time all influenced home décor. Religion and the organizations that formed around each group or denomination has left a deep a mark on design styles and history, particularly in America. Groups like the Shakers and the Amish have deep footprints in the sands of history and home furnishings.

The Shakers were always a small group whose self-imposed abstinence insured their demise. At their zenith the group held about 4000 members spread among nineteen self-sustaining communities. The Shakers lived the example set forth in the Holy Bible about living in the world without being a part of it. The community’s business sense was astonishing, especially for a small nineteenth century religious organization.

Although not part of the world it is obvious that Ann Lee, the group’s founder who had arrived the New World pre-American Revolution, was influenced by the Federal design style of that era. The Shakers had taken the Federal template and created a less formal and more rural design based on the needs and ideals of the farming communities they settled in. The influence of their religious beliefs and their country settings brought forth functional furniture with clean and simple lines. This was especially appealing to those who were suffocating under the opulence and gilding that was the Victorians.

The Shakers not only opened the door for the Arts and Crafts Movement in America but actually inspired some of its founders. The cousin of Arts and Crafts, American Mission and its father, Gustav Stickley, were quite possibly more warmly welcomed because of the influence of the Shaker ideals and products.

The years surrounding Civil War was not just a separation of tastes politically but one in interior décor. The last part of the 19^th century in North America saw the blending of many very strong interior design tastes within one home. Many consider this to be the Eclectic period in American history. This eclectic collecting may have resulted from the easier access to more thanks to the Industrial Revolution. Machine made products kept products flowing at a much less expensive rate. Large scale manufacturers in Grand Rapids, Michigan were pumping out furniture to the common man at easy to pay for levels.

BRIEF INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE LATTER 19TH CENTURY ECLECTIC ERA-

• In rapid sequence designers birthed first Gothic then Elizabethan and finally rococo. While these co-existed in popularity in the mid-century they did not co-exist under the same roof. All three were used and admired but not blended.  
• The latter half of this century saw even more design styles, like the Renaissance style, emerge but none truly retire.
• This was the era of the kings; from France to England and from Louis to Henri.
• The big English furniture designers Chippendale, Sheraton and Hepplewhite shined brightly in the Victorian days. Colonial, Centennial Revival and Empire became common by the turn of the century.
• In large part thanks to William Morris and his Arts and Crafts philosophy and followers furniture was being influenced by far away lands like Turkey, Japan and Persia.
• Charles Eastlake agreed with Morris and Lewis Day on their discrimination against mass produced furniture and wrote a book touting the belief that home furnishings should be made by hand or machine workers that truly took artisan pride in their work.
• During these decades many felt a prejudice towards keeping it American and a cry went out to create a style distinctly American.
• Very distinct designs and designers emerged during this time and many published books that became hard and fast bibles used by designers, cabinetmakers and other furniture builders.
• Almost always if a design style became popular the wallpapers, rugs and accessories  appropriate to that style became available.
• No matter how modest the home it was believed that there should be a library, a sort of retreat for the family.

The 20^th century saw less desire for homes to be so eclectic. A yearning for something more simple in American homes was emerging. The birth of styles like Modernism had brought a sense of more efficient and less cluttered designs like the contemporary designs found from Amish-Furniture-Home.com.

 Sadly, the passing of Mike Tyson’s young daughter has brought to the forefront home safety issues.  Home can be one of the most dangerous places for a small child or infant and it is of major concern to safety and health officials. By following a few simple steps you can help to eliminate commonly overlooked areas in your home and increase your comfort and your family’s safety.

USED BABY FURNITURE - It is not just a sales gimmick crafted by the baby furniture industry to part you with your money. Used baby furniture may save you money but cost you injuries or even a baby’s life. A good rule is no furniture later than 1978.

1. The first step in insuring the safety of your infant is to check with the manufacturer or online to be certain that the item has not been recalled.

2. Obtain current guidelines for measurement such as distance between side rail bars. Currently they are 2 3/8 inches apart, with no large cut-outs on head and foot boards.

3. Is the paint loose or chipping and most of all child safe and lead free?

4. Cedar chests or toy chests should have hinge support to prevent the lid from slamming down on little fingers or heads.

Choosing solid wood handcrafted furniture protects your investment and your child. Solid hardwoods withstand generations of children and their teething episodes.

KITCHEN -

1. Kitchen chairs and stools should be positioned far enough away from stoves that if a toddler mounted them they could not reach hot burners or pots.

2. Have you put child locks on your pantries and custom made cupboards or cabinets?

3. Move all knives and sharp objects farther back in the drawers and cabinets.

LIVINGROOM -

1. Move all glass objects to the back of your Amish built tables. A heavy vase, object d’art or picture frame can be a deadly weapon when it’s pulled down on to a curious child’s head.

2. Cable all window shades cords and electrical cords up and away.

3. Be sure your big plasma or HDTV television is securely mounted to your custom built television stand or entertainment center. Home injuries to children have increased by a record 41% because of oversized televisions.

4. Are your bookcases secured? Solid wood bookcases are well built and steady but on carpet or uneven flooring an accident can happen. Simple wall brackets can secure any cabinet or book case.

5. Have you applied protective padding or rubber corners to your solid wood living room tables? The corners are sharp and can cause injury to a small child.

6. Have you protected your child from entering your fireplace area? Whether electric, wood or gas it is an obvious area that should never given easy access to.

BATHROOMS -

1. Amish crafted corner cabinets and bookcases make beautiful and functional bathroom furnishings to store prescriptions and toiletries in. Be sure to secure these items to prevent ingestion by a child. This includes prescriptions, mouthwashes, hair sprays, perfumes, etc.

HOME OFFICE -

1. Check for cords, whether from electrical or telephones. It is wise to unplug when not in use and wind up those cords. Dangling cords attract and easily go from playful toy to noose.

OUTDOOR FURNITURE-

1. Check for splinters that may have occurred with use and changes in the wood. While Amish outdoor furniture is finished by hand regular care and maintenance will prevent accidents.

GUN CABINETS -

1. Amish craftsmen build handsome gun cabinets complete with locking features. Remember -KEEP THE KEY HIDDEN AND AMMUNITION STORED SEPERATELY

 Art Deco-

Art Deco was born in 1925 at the Paris International Exposition and lived and evolved over a quarter of a century. Evoking images of nude nymphs, geometry-centric lines curves and shapes, early chrome and glass and caricatures of greyhound dogs, Art Deco has often been misunderstood.

Within the genre of Deco there were several sub-categories. French Deco was opulent; using exotic inlaid woods along with leather and fur. American designers adopted the symmetrical curves of French deco and included in every detail of their designs in that era, from furniture to jewelry. Modernism was hot and vinyl coverings and chrome-plated brass was in vogue.

By 1950 Deco included black wrought iron and pink accent pieces and was so massively produced it is still easily found by collectors today. Blue tinted glass top tables and “Chase” chrome were hot décor items.

Art Nouveau-

Literally translated Art Nouveau means “New Art”. This often whimsical New Art appeared in every facet of decorative arts at the end of the ostentatious Rococo period of the 1800s. There was a famous shop on the Rue de Provence called “L’Art Nouveau”. This gallery was opened in 1895 by the German art dealer Siegfried Bing in Paris and its core focus was on modern art. After the “1900 Exposition Universelle” the shop was popularized because of the displays of Bing’s modern furniture, tapestries and objets d’art. So strong was the connection between these modern decorative displays and the store that the name of Bing’s gallery became a commonly-used term for the décor itself.

Just as William Morris’s Arts and Crafts Movement did, Art Nouveau maked art part of everyday life. Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who used Art Nouveau designs to create an empire. Tiffany worked in the decorative arts but is best known for his stained glass and lamps in the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements.

Art Nouveau held a fifteen-year peak in the decorative arts world. It fell out of favor with the arrival of 20th-century modernist styles.

Arts and Crafts-

The final quarter of the Victorian era, the late 1800’s, saw the entrance of machines in the field of manufacturing. It also saw the revolution against in the way of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Born in Britain it soon spread to the United States via designers like Elbert Hubbard and Gustav Stickley. The Arts and Crafts Movement itself gave birth to Craftsman and Mission designs.The Arts and Crafts Philosophy subscribed to the idea of purifying art. These artisans and philosophers believed that designs should follow the function. Simplicity and craftsmanship were highly held virtues.

Expert metalworkers like Albert Berry and Dirk van Erp found a name for themselves in this genus. Their work is still sought after and collected by Arts and Crafts devotees today. Furniture in this style is usually heavy, squared, highly functional and usually made of a sturdy hardwood like oak.

While we may collect things from sports cards to furniture simply for the enjoyment of the hunting and the gathering, most of us collect knowing that there is a chance if needs arose, we could sell that collection. Many a handcrafted Amish built bookcase holds the world’s most prized collectibles. It is a fact that people who love the high quality of Amish design are usually people who admire beautiful and interesting objects of art. It goes without saying they collect anything from handmade quilts to high end art glass. In fact many collect, what else? – Amish furniture.

Whatever your obsession for collecting was routed into there may come a time to part from it. Even in the best of times life changes, money is tight, tastes change, space runs out, you marry someone who finds your beer bottles from around the world clashing with her doily collection…Whatever the reason, time may have come for you to lose the collection and gain the cash. Educating yourself away from the consumer thought process and towards the vendor end of the deal is wise.

The first step to selling your possessions is to determining your market. Ask yourself, where will you get the most money for your valuables? Today the availability of avenues to sell your collectibles is vast. From the old fashioned ads in your local paper to yard sales to online auctions, quite literally the world is your storefront. Decide what venue will give you the greatest access to the people who collect what you do? If you have in your collection any rare items the World Wide Web can pay off best. Bidding wars caused by auction frenzy and world wide monetary value differences can only benefit you the seller. A seller can only win when the world is your bidding audience. Include the auction fees when deciding whether to use an auction service.

A very specific target audience is the collector clubs. You may be able to buy and sell to members who obsess over what you have collected. Collector clubs can be reached through member specific publications or online sites and boards. True collectors are members who take the subject seriously. This is evidence of true passion and a truly passionate collector will come up with the cash if you have what they need to complete their collection.

Determine whether you want to offer the collection in bulk or individually. Ask yourself if selling as a whole or selling individually will bring the greatest yield. If you are in a hurry, selling as a whole is a quick route but, remember that selling separately or in smaller groupings can bring the highest amount. There is more time and effort in separating the collection. You also run the risk of being stuck with the less desirable pieces.

Showcase your collection in its best light, whether with pictures and description in print or online, or by insuring that it is in its best condition. Take the time to research your audience, pick the best marketing venue and display your valuables to your advantage. Caring for your treasures while you own them insures that their value is not diminished by improper storage. Investing in solid hardwood Amish designs like cedar chests, shelves, hutches and storage units not only create an amazing showcase but also help protect your investments.

Food, water, clothing and a place to give you shelter is the necessities to live a decent life. While it is true that you can make do with the most minimum of furnishings in order to create the shelter that protects you we are fortunate enough to be able to create a warm and welcoming environment in which to spend our lives. If we are careful in our planning we can create this environment with an eye to visual beauty, cost effectiveness, comfort and high quality.

ANALYZE YOUR ENVIRONMENT- By reviewing your space and determining what design style and function you need for each room of the home you have begun your plan. Take in to consideration each member, including pets, guests both long term and short, along with future addition to your family when determining best usage and style for your space.

Ask yourself honest questions about yourself and fellow house mates. Are you really going to need a formal living room or is your lifestyle more of comfortable casualness? Are you private sort and creating a very personal home environment or are you a social family creating a home theater and game center for friends to pop in and relax? By asking these questions you can develop an accurate plan for investing in your personal atmosphere.

INVENTORY YOURSELF- While buying furnishings and accessories will be necessary, one cost effective tool is working with what you may already have, or what friends or family may be willing to donate to your home. By carefully documenting every piece of furniture and accessories you have to work with you have effectively warehoused your collection like a designer inventorying their stock for the client.

INVENTORY YOUR WANTS- Next list the reasonable wants that fit in to your newly analyzed design plan. While many people believe they must buy more furniture for cheaper prices, in fact the opposite is true. The bulk of your furniture should be considered an investment. Are you investing in furniture that can grow and change with your life? A well furnished home is one that can grow and change as you and the family do.

Remember that wise home design means choosing a few high quality pieces that will last rather than disposable furnishings that must be replaced in a few years. By carefully choosing pieces that you can live with and that will last your investment will pay for itself. Quite simply, as your tastes change over the years you can change out paint schemes, accessories, rugs, art, lamps, etc and effectively and inexpensively create an entirely new back drop to your high end investments like hand crafted Amish furniture.

Whether you are limited on space in an apartment or house, just trying to give a room a streamlined and well organized look, furnishing a commercial living space like a hotel or setting your parents up in a scaled down residence, a pier bed wall unit is the most efficient piece of bedroom furniture in the world. The very essence of form following function, a philosophy held by Mission, Arts and Crafts, Modern Contemporary and even the Shaker furniture designers, is held high with the flawless design of an all-in-one pier bed unit.

Anyone can “make a bed” but to truly make your bed into an elegant, comfortable place on which to lie down actually takes quite a bit of thought, design and craftsmanship. The pier bed crafted by the Amish has all that combined with the common sense of plentiful storage, solid native hardwood beauty and the good looks of well thought out design. Sizes range from double to queen to the much coveted king-size beds and these large and graciously proportioned bedroom suites are everything a well appointed boudoir needs.

The Pier Bedroom Suite literally includes everything you need for your bedroom. Each side of the bed has a “pier”, which, in fact, are actually side armoires that are 22 1/2″w x 22 1/2″d x 81″h. Each pier comes with a set of three dovetailed, full extension, drawers for books, writing implements, socks, underclothes, etc. Above each of these roomy and well-constructed drawers is a pull-out shelf to be used as a night table, desk, or even a snack table. There are two more adjustable shelves behind the door of the side armoires.

Centered above the bed as a sort of headboard, is a beveled mirror highlighted by two touch lights placed strategically in the bridge of the pier. There is even more storage in the headboard for books, glasses, laptops, etc. Unbelievably, there is even the well thought-out option of adding additional under the bed storage drawers for winter clothing, shoes or whatever you treasure.

The pier bed wall unit has the Amish collection’s signature form and construction. With more option than the famous Murphy bed any apartment dweller could benefit for a lifetime by a single purchase of a pier bed wall unit, especially with the additional under bed storage options. This bed can be disassembled and moved, if needed, yet give any room the appearance of a custom built bedroom. Hotels, motels, efficiency long term stay dwellings, assisted living facilities could also benefit by the durable bedroom choice of a pier bed wall unit built ingeniously by the Amish.

No matter how well designed your home is poor lighting can have a negative impact on the ambience and even paint scheme. Misplaced lighting, as well as a poor choice of bulbs, can cause squinting and color schemes, and even things like food, to appear to fade into unwanted shades. One lighting source in use, and in controversy, today is the newer compact fluorescent lights called CFLs, or other wise known as “green” lighting. ‘Low-energy’ light bulbs are smaller version of the fluorescent tubes that are used in commercial settings.

In theory, CFLs use up to 75 per cent less electricity than the ‘light equivalent’ incandescent bulb, although many experts believe that even used in the correct manner, the direct energy saving may be more like 25-30 per cent than 75 per cent. Also CFLs may last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Whether you decide to switch out a few bulbs or the entire household, indoors and out, here are a few points to consider about the new green bulbs.

LIGHT LEVELS – A CFL bulb that uses 13-18 watts supposedly produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb, but this is in controversy. In practice, to replace a 60-watt incandescent you need a 20-watt CFL to achieve about the same lighting level.

LIGHT QUALITY – the illumination quality from a CFL is truly a judgment call. The light is different than that of an incandescent. CFLs may appear gloomy, yellowed or dull to some people while to others it is described as soft, warm and even.

HEAT SOURCE – When considering removing all incandescent bulbs remember that incandescents actually contribute a very noticeable amount to the ambient warmth of your home. A surprisingly high 85-90 per cent of an incandescent bulb’s energy is converted into heat. Consider how many bulbs you have in your home and you can quickly deduce that a very high amount of heating is produced in the evenings when everyone is home. This additional heat can affect the air conditioning costs negatively and the heating costs positively.

ACCURATE LIFE SPAN – Since a number of factors can drastically reduce the life of your CFL bulb, thus reducing any cost advantage, it is advantageous to educate yourself on the nature of the bulb. Some things that reduce its life expectancy are:

• Turning the bulb on and off too frequently
• Using the bulb upside down because the light rises and overheats it.
• Using it in a recessed or enclosed position because of the overheating issue.
• The cold (they also take a few minutes to warm up so may not be optimal if you need quick access to a garage, chilly basement or stairwell.
• Using an incompatible incandescent dimmer system, electronic timer, motion detector or light detector
• Using them anywhere that vibration affects them

TOXICITY VS. GOING GREEN – Ironically, some of the controversy over these “greener” alternatives is caused by the fact that they contain environmentally dangerous toxins. Some people even believe they cause headaches. Because of the toxic elements they must be disposed of properly and with some inconvenience. CFL bulbs contain 5mg of mercury or approximately a pin head‘s worth of mercury. Old thermometers contained 500 mg. The instructions for clean up if you should break a CFL bulb seems ominous when you read you must open the windows and leave the room for 15 minutes, don rubber gloves and not vacuum a hard surface because it will spread the fumes. It also advises that you pick the pieces up with duct tape then wipe everything with wet towels, followed by a double-bagging ceremony. You must then drive them to a specialist recycling center.

UV RAYS – CFLs emit a small amount of ultraviolet light that should be considered when using around people with medical conditions that make them highly sensitive to UV light.