Bungalow Chest: a display of the Shaker style

Shaker

Shakers are known for their neatness and sense of order that permeates their art, work, and daily lives. This simplicity is found in their furniture style that the Amish borrow to make things like the Brookside Shaker Bed made by Amish Furniture Home.

Shaker furniture also has a functionality quality that requires every part to have a purpose. This means that there will be no faux drawers or decorative knobs on the piece. Just look at the Bungalow Chest; every door, drawer, and knob on the piece has a utility. There are no embellishments. Shaker furniture is simple, functional. This style is also known for the dovetail joinery technique, which can be seen here.

Mission/Arts and Crafts

The Mission Style can be traced back to the late 19th Century British Arts and Crafts Movement in England. This movement was a return to craftsmanship and artistry which developed as a rebellion against ornate Victorian design and mass production of the Industrial Age. The movement is characterized by simple lines, durable materials and the irreplaceable fine craftsmanship of the human hand.

American Mission Bed

The term ‘Mission’ to describe a rustic, clean-lined style of furniture began around 1895 and is attributed to Joseph McHugh, a furniture manufacturer from New York. The first design was for a straight lined, rush-seated chair which was influenced by and used in the Spanish missions of California.

Today the Mission Style is known for its simple, straight and solid design, emphasizing linear construction, exposed joinery, andmost of all craftsmanship. Look at the American Mission Bed for an example. There are no curved lines. Even the top of the posts are straight, cornered.

Queen Anne Bed: a tribute to classic Queen Anne style

Queen Anne

The Queen Anne style of furniture originated from Great Britain in the early 1700’s. It was revived in the late 1800’s and was a little more ornate than the Shaker and Mission styles, but more subtle than the Victorian style furniture. The subtle ornate look appeals to the Amish simplicity.

The cabriole legs characterize Queen Anne furniture, as well as the fiddle backed chairs and batwinged drawer knobs. The furniture utilizes curves, but keeps them clean. The Queen Anne Bed showcases this style of furniture perfectly.

When looking for your next Amish furniture piece, consider the influences that are at work in each piece and how they will work within the décor of your home. Built by craftsmen who pass on their trade from generation to generation, these artisans are building pieces the same way that furniture makers did over one hundred years ago. These pieces truly are heirloom quality!

Here at Amish Tables, we believe embrace everything about Amish Furniture. That includes the it’s timeless quality and amazing craftsmanship, but also the lesser known eco-friendly, sustainability factors of Amish furniture. There’s also the amazing creativity that goes into interior designs integrating Amish pieces.

For this, our second Blog Carnival, we have collected posts from around the web that reflect the many aspects and elements that make Amish furniture beloved by so many.If you’d like to see one of your posts appear in next month’s Carnival, email us at casey@amishtables.com or ping us on Twitter. Remember, each article can be found by clicking the red title before each summary.

Enjoy the Carnival!

Color Your Interior To Match Your Moods – 16 Million Of Them

As we have documented numerous times on this blog, the color of your walls plays a critical role in your interior design. This post from Inventor’s Spot highlights a neat idea to help you keep your interior design fresh, without all the paint brushes. With this Living Colors Lamp you can change the “mood” of any room to match your furniture or other lighting effects. Don’t let the color of your wall hold you back from refreshing your furniture palette either.

Bug Infested Wood Transformed into Sleek Modern Furniture

It’s not over ’til it’s over for furniture makers at Straight Line Designs. The effects of global warming have produced higher-than-normal levels of Pine Beetles living in woodland areas, which has led to a landscape of damaged wood. Whereas many woodworkers have thrown this wood to the curb, Straight Line has found ways to transform “garbage” wood into beautiful arrangements.

Family and Furniture Drive Yalie

Wood furniture evokes a passion and sentimentality unlike it’s metal and plastic siblings. At Amish Tables, we recognize that each piece of furniture has its own spirit and personality. This concept is shared by Kerry Triffin and his wife Elizabeth Orsini, co-owners of Fairhaven Furniture in Connecticut for the past 30 years. Kerry works with woodworkers from all over the country, specializing in quality and craftsmanship. This article explains how furniture is so special, it’s apart of you for life:

“There’s some furniture that’s like a wife or a husband: You’d like it to go down the stream of life with you”

We absolutely hold this belief and it’s apparent in all our lines of furniture, like the Batavia Bed that will last for generations.

How To Select Wall Decorations

Wall Decorations are a crucial element to any interior design plan. When you walk into a dining room or living room, the walls should complement the rest of the furniture in the room.  But what are your options when it comes to wall decor?  This post from TCN-Seven.com points out five brilliant methods to covering your walls with more than just dry wall.

Eco-designers Display Eco-friendly Furniture at Milan Expo

This post comes from GreenDiary.com and chronicles the highlights from the Milan International Furniture Fair in which designers created eco-friendly furniture. Some designers went the extra mile and crafted pieces in the shape of flowers, grass and leaves. Check out the post for some breathtaking pictures.

It’s Only Natural

In honor of Earth Day last week, this blogger collected furniture pieces from around the web and describes what each designer intended with their “Green” piece. Great ideas and a wonderful blog post.

That does it for this Blog Carnival! Thanks to all those that submitted and look forward to next month’s post. And remember to keep the discussion going on our Facebook page. We post daily and have a great group of followers that would love to hear from you! Talk to you soon!

Redecorating for the new wood furniture purchases is not necessary. However, if you plan to change your wall color palette after buying new wood furniture, finding the right color can be a challenge. The real wood pieces often had tones and hues that go unnoticed until a conflicting or complimentary color is nearby.

Wood pieces also change color a bit. Called a patina, the color tends to deepen with age. This can further disrupt your color scheme. Fortunately, there are some key things that you should know when trying to match wall color to the uniqueness of real wood pieces.

Three Tips for Wood Color Matching

Try some contrast

The best way to compliment your wood piece is to contrast the wood’s hue with the wall color. Cherry wood pieces like the Brookline Corner Cabinet and Bay Hill Dining Nook are dark hued pieces. To compliment or enhance these pieces, light wall colors are appropriate. Try the light color of your choice. Whatever it is, the light wall hue will sharply contrast with the cherry wood, making a bold statement in the dining room area.

Do the same with light wood pieces like the Alpine Hutch in Sawn White Oak will contrast nicely with darker wall colors. The lighter piece will still be the standout.

Look At the Tone

Another way to color-match the wood and the walls is to think of color combinations. Woods have orange, yellow, brown and even red tones that can be enhanced with the right color.

• The orange in the cherry and maple furniture (depending on the stain) is best enhanced using yellows, soft orange colors and even vibrant blues if you like the contrast.
• Yellow in the oaks and honey stained pieces is enhanced by soft greens like mint, yellows and pale green.
• Bring out the red in mahogany stained pieces and cherry with rich green and red or bluish green colors.
• Let the browns rule out with khaki, taupe, grayish tans and pale brown colors.

Consider Patina

Older pieces have a richer color that you must consider when choosing your paint color. The reds and orange in the cherry and red oak woods will deepen. The honey and yellow in lighter woods like white oak will become more golden, toasty. Try to choose colors on the wheel that will match these dominant hues and the walls will only enhance the piece as it ages.

Don’t forget to do the research before settling on a paint color. Snap a picture of your pieces and take with you paint shopping. Test the color on the wall before buying a batch. When you are finished, the new piece should look like it was made for the room.

Not all of these heirloom pieces are actually older. Many are sturdy, real wood pieces of furniture that will hold up for the next several generations. They are the large wardrobes, bookcases, china cabinets and buffets that are all a part of the traditional American household.

There is more than one way to accomplish the traditional-with-a-twist look. It combines current trends in furniture and interior decorating with the clean lines and simplicity that traditional furniture is known for. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Glam It Up

Use crystal vases, mirrors framed in chrome, and other things like chandeliers, metallic pillows, and drapes in your next interior design project. The idea is to add some elegant sparkle to traditional furniture looks. Floating candles in crystal containers, sparkly bowls of metallic stone, beads or marbles also work.

This look can be used in all rooms. For example, place a new crystal chandelier above one of our  Carleton Leg Tables. Lay a gray, shimmering runner down the length of the table, under a crystal vase and flanked by long stem candles in crystal holders. You’ve just turned your rustic Amish-made furniture into an elegant dining experience.

Pump Up the Cozy Factor

For some, making a room more comfortable is the ultimate goal. There is a way to accomplish “cozy” while staying trendy. Start with that traditional dining room table, maybe a Chancellor table (shown below) with Edmond Chairs, all from the Amish Tables catalog.

You can attain cozy by adding slip covers to the chairs. Bold colors are in this year. Try out reds, blues, and even orange. Creams, browns, and grays are also acceptable. Find slipcovers that cover the legs of the chairs. This will soften up the look. Set the center of the table with some large two or three wick pillar candles in colors that match the slipcovers. Add a large flower bouquet as you light the candles at dinner for a nice, cozy meal.

Updating to Modern Times

If modern is your style, then traditional-with-a-twist has something for you as well. In keeping with the dining room makeover, begin with an Escalon Chair and Liberty Trestle Table from our website. Modern trends use light, bold colors against the dark tints, so place a white runner down the middle of the table. Pick out a chrome or metallic sculpture for the centerpiece. You can add more pieces to the room, like a rain suspension chandelier.

Make it Your Own

Traditional with a twist can be whatever you choose it to be. Just begin with traditional, sturdy pieces made of wood, pieces that are built to be heirlooms. The rest of décor is accessorizing to your favorite interior design style.

American-made Furniture

American made furniture makes up only half the furniture sold in the U.S. It is an industry that can greatly benefit from the Buy American mentality. However, finding such furniture may be a little difficult. Instead of checking the “Made in ____” stamp on every piece of furniture that you buy, tap into another movement that emphasizes the same ideals of the Buy America movement, but on a smaller scale. Buy Local.

To Buy Local is to buy American

We’ve heard politicians and economists alike proclaim that the American economy will find it’s resurgence in the fuel of independent, privately owned American small businesses. This initiative has been carried out in small towns across the country championing the “Buy Local Movement”.  We’ve been big supporters for our local business advocate organization, Think Local First.

Typically, local furniture showrooms are filled with furniture manufactured in nearby plants and warehouses. There is no need to turn over a piece or examine it for a country stamp. In addition, the pieces are handcrafted according to American standards and codes and therefore are both sturdy and stylish.

As we have pointed out in previous blog posts, buying local pieces transfers direct benefits to the community. With local workers selling goods to local homes, capital stays within the the local economy. Local taxes also come from the employees and the furniture company as added benefits for the local government and schools. Local artisans are able to find a larger market for their goods while the consumer takes home a one of a kind piece.

Buying Amish is Buying American

The Amish community of artisans makes and sells their furniture locally. These artisans are known for their craftsmanship and their simplicity. The pieces also adhere to American safety standards, something that has become very important through today’s frequent recalls.

The Amish community also creates their furniture from local materials. For example, the Red Oak Changing Table Wardrobe (shown right) is made from Northern Red Oak wood found in and around the Michigan, Indiana area. No rain forests are harmed or endangered trees are used in the creation of the pieces. The same can be said from all locally made furniture—if it is truly locally made.

Buy Local, Buy American

The point of both movements is to help the economy where you live. The largest benefits are of helping the community, the local artisans, and the employees of larger local furniture manufacturers. Those locally spent dollars get you a piece of furniture that is hand made by skilled people, not a fully automated process. Buying local and buying American can thus mean buying quality.

A surprising number of the wood pieces in stores are fakes disguised as the real thing. Amish furniture, especially, is often copied in non-wood materials. It is then sold at the higher price that sturdy, real wood pieces command.

The consumer is stuck with a piece that is of sub-quality material that will break or wear much faster than real wood. Fortunately, there is a way to spot a real piece of furniture.

8 Ways to Spot the Real Deal

1. Turn it upside down. Real wood furniture has unfinished wood “studs” that are a part of the piece’s construction. Look under tables. Pull out drawers and look at the back of furniture. If there are no studs, chances are this is not real wood.
2. Try to pick it up. Real wood furniture is very heavy, much heavier than the faux wood materials. If the dining table takes two men to heft, or that dresser must be moved with a dolly and an extra hand, you may have real wood on your hands.
3. Feel it. The wood grain texture is very difficult to fake. Run your fingers over the piece to feel the ridges. There should be peaks and valleys. Sometimes the finish fills in the grain, so don’t dismiss the piece if you can’t feel the grain.
4. Smell it. Furniture made of evergreens (pine and cedar) have a very strong and distinct smell. Other hardwoods like hickory, maple, and oak will also have a smell of earth and wood. Point your nose toward the unfinished portions underneath and inside of wood furniture pieces. The cherry wood often used by Amish Tables will also give off a wood-like smell.
5. Look for patterns. Planks form quarter sawn oak furniture. White oak has a tiger stripping effect, while red oak is characterized by it ring-like pattern (see the Charleston Chest by Amish Tables for an example).
6. Pay attention to the coloring. Cherry wood furniture should have light and dark pieces that aren’t uniform, as the wood’s color varies from the middle of a log to the wood located near the bark. See the Belmont Bed. Hickory wood color varies in a greater degree than cherry wood as does black walnut and cedar. The Heritage 4 Drawer Chest has this light and dark color pattern. Another trick is to trace the grain lines to the end of the board. The line should be continuous; forming a half ring where the wood was saw off to make the table edge.
7. Get a closer look at the detail. Real wood pieces have intricate detail that is obviously hand carved. You can see the imperfections with a magnifying glass.
8. Search for planks or pieces. Particleboard and veneers can be made in one long sheet. Thus Planking can be a sign of real wood. For an example, see the BonBelle Armoire by Amish Tables.

Up Close and Personal

The only way to know if the piece that caught your eye is real wood is to get a good look at it. Bring a flashlight and magnifying glass to help you get up close and personal with the pieces. Look beyond the beautiful surface and you may just save yourself the cost and headache of buying a fake disguised as the real deal.

5 Reasons Why Fine Furniture is Eco-Friendly

1. Recyclable. True heirloom, fine furniture is recyclable in an unconventional way. Several owners can reuse the piece before the end of that heirloom is carted off to the landfill. Long after their original use, some furniture is reclaimed or the accessories (like handles, knobs and hinges) are used as interior decoration. Accessories are also placed on other functional furniture to add character.
2. Durability. Although the original pricing on fine furniture can be quite expensive, the pieces end up lasting much longer than other types of furniture. In this way, the fine pieces end up saving you the cost of replacing them every few years (sooner if made of inferior materials). Furthermore, broken furniture goes into the trash–unusable. Like all durable goods, fine furniture’s longevity equals one less tree that has to be cut down.
3. Natural. Fine furniture that is similar to the pieces made at Amish Tables isn’t made using plastics. The plastics and other materials contribute to the nation’s petroleum dependence and to global warming. There are also no veneers (wood or synthetic filler) to inhibit quality or particleboard, known to release small amounts of toxic formaldehyde into the air.
4. Pesticide free crops. The fine furniture makers that supply Amish Tables and a few other distributors prohibit the use of pesticides on the new cotton grown for use in its upholstery.
5. Transported efficiently. Family furniture makers, including those working with Amish Tables, custom make each piece. They then ship it from the showroom direct to your home. There is no distribution center and thus no need for the additional freight. That and the ship-on-demand-system cuts down on unnecessary freight emissions.

No Need to Suffer When Going Green

Everyone can contribute to the green effort, without sacrificing style in your home. However, the change to eco-friendly living does require you to research not only the furniture that you intend to buy, but also the company making it. Make sure that the manufacturer supports environmentally conscience activities from the material acquisition to your doorstep.

This first posting focuses on some common themes on our blog, such as Going Green, Woodworking, Interior Design, and Amish innovations. If you’d like to see one of your posts appear in next month’s Carnival, email us or ping us on Twitter.

Enjoy the Carnival!

Furniture from Recycled Wine Barrels

You can go Green in so many ways these days. Most of the time, going Green involves mindfully conserving energy, but there’s also the “reusable materials” route. This post on Makezine.com showcases handmade furniture that has been recycled from oak wine barrels.  Charming, sturdy and GREEN furniture for your next design project.

Affordable Ventless Fireplaces

Sorry, chimney sweeps. No more soot and clean-up with these fireplaces.  You can find plenty of traditionally charming fireplaces in our catalog, but if you’re looking for a modern look, a ventless fireplace might be your best choice. These stunning models install right into a wall and burn bio-ethanol for a warm, yet eco-friendly ambiance.

TV Cabinet Buying Tips

This post comes from a fellow Amish Furniture distributor in Indiana. As the post accurately points out, shopping for TV Cabinets is an overwhelming task these days.  First, ask yourself what your needs are for your TV Cabinet and then move on to the purchase.

Design*Sponge 2009 Gift Guides: Under $100

Design*Sponge is a great interior design/crafty blog that we follow regularly, with advice to fill your interior design with personality and flair.  This post, while a bit dated, has great ideas that can freshen up your decor for cheap.

Learn Woodworking With Megan (a Real Teacher)

This post goes out to our readers in Indiana especially. Woodworking Magazine is a valuable resource for any craftsman that know their way around a workbench. Their blog is just as valuable, producing daily hints and tips about their latest projects and pieces. If you’re looking to get started with woodworking, check out this post announcing a great class to start this May in Indiana.

Making Furniture with Sawdust

Here’s some inspiration for our “Do-it-Yourself” and crafts readers. After reading this post, that leftover sawdust won’t seem half as annoying. Lea Bogdan of Inhabitat.com, profiles a handcrafted coffee table crafted from sawdust scraps.  The table was recently honored in Designbloom’s Intelligent Hand competition. Make sure you check out the cool pictures posted on the blog. Now that’s recycling!

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for some excellent posts coming up this week and we look forward to bringing you next month’s Blog Carnival on everything Amish Furniture has to offer!

Trying to keep up with yearly trend changes can get expensive. It could also leave you with uncomfortable, useless furniture and unattractive pieces that are too fragile to have around children. Fortunately, there are other ways to keep up with the trend without breaking the bank, sacrificing comfort, or relegating the kids to their bedrooms until next year’s trend.

5 Ways to Go Trendy while Staying Family Friendly

1. Durability – You should begin any redecoration with quality furniture that can serve the family, and withstand it. Also look for storage — the necessity in family furniture. AmishFurnitureHome.com’s vast inventory of furniture provides tons of extra storage with additional (sometimes hidden) spaces. Amish craftsman build with sturdy woods, which are perfect for family use.
2. Slipcovers – This handy fashion accessory is your friend when trying to chase the trends. They can change the look of a sofa, loveseat, and even dining room chairs. Slipcovers are a fraction of the price of a new piece and they come in all colors and patterns. The slipcovers can be long or short, made of spandex, cotton, or fabric blends. You can easily argue that the best quality of the slipcovers is their durability. Spills are inevitable so why not make the cleanup easier?  Simply pull the cover off the furniture and toss it in the wash. Change them as often as you like without breaking the bank.
3. Pull the shades. A lampshade is another fix for a room. Change it as much as the slipcovers because they are similar in variety and pricing. The decorating possibilities are endless.
4. Stained Wood – Put a little hard work into the decorating by stripping and staining or reupholstering your furniture pieces. Stains can change the look in a matter of hours. Upholstery works in the same way. All it takes is the price of the stain, upholstery nails, fabric, and tools.
5. Covers – Cover up your table, cabinet and buffet tops for a different look. Take a trendy pattern and make it into a runner, tablecloth, throw or mat for a vase, decorative basket, candles or any other accessory. This is better than buying new furniture for a different look.

The Trendy Family Rooms

A family doesn’t have to relegate you to scuffed, scarred, mis-matched or damaged furniture. Pick your furniture today, knowing that, even on a whim, your family room could be transformed into Trendy, without losing the comfort and family friendly atmosphere.

The Furniture

This formal room usually held the family piano, upright chairs to accommodate guests and sofas that matched the chairs. A table, small figurines or statues and a few works of art completed the room. The typical American parlor was the most elegant room in the house and usually held the most expensive furniture pieces.

The Rise of the Living Room

As the 19th century rolled into the 20th, many people could not afford the matching furniture, large piano or even a room that was used only for special occasions. There was an issue of waste in an era when luxuries were scarce (two world wars and The Great Depression). In addition, families began to turn away from the parlor’s associations with death.

The Parlor Transition

Sitting room furnishings were much less formal than those found in the parlor. They included sewing machine, fireplace and less elegant or expensive furnishings like the wooden rocking chair and upholstered chair or two, area rug for the children and a small table or two. The room also contained the family library in the form of a series of bookshelves or an actual bookcase. This facilitated the family’s gravitation toward the room.

The User-Friendly Living Room

The introduction of the television into the American household made the sitting room a place for the family to congregate more often. It became more convenient to let the children bring in their toys. Meals were even eaten in this room, like the TV dinner, smaller meals or snacks that were consumed in front of the television.

Furniture took on a more comfortable character. Fabrics became more durable to accommodate the increased use. Reclining chairs began to appear on the furniture scene. By the 1980’s, formality had been replaced by function. The sitting room had become the living room. Comfort had won out over formality.

A Resurrection?

The television shouldn’t bear the brunt of the blame for the death of the American parlor. The culprit isn’t even the funeral image of the early parlors. Instead, the desire for a parlor declined as convenience overcame formality in American society.

The idea of “wasted space” is an interior design concept that grew out of this move toward convenience or user-friendliness. It is used to describe rooms, and furnishings, that aren’t used by the home’s occupants and thus serve no purpose in the modern home. However, the parlor may stage a revival in the future as homeowners buy, and look to restore, old 19th century homes. The American parlor may rise from the dead in the long run.