Everyone longs for a moment, or longer, to relax but the fact is that most of us don’t really know how to reach full relaxation. Also, the irony in relaxing at spas, retreats, etc., is that the cost alone can create more stress. By setting up a home environment that is conducive to relaxing we […]

Modern furniture buyers are both savvy and sophisticated consumers. Like Mission, Shaker and Arts and Crafts the Modern furniture consumer is not just a buyer but an investor and a collector. Many of these knowledgeable furniture connoisseurs have found the Amish craftsmen of Northern Indiana have held true to the Modernist’s ideal that human beings […]

Mechanical furniture like the Morris reclining chair have a long, interesting and well documented history thanks to great designers like William Morris and Gustav Stickley and important design authors like Sigfried Giedion. In these icon’s footsteps dedicated Amish craftsmen still produce mechanical furniture and recreate solid wood Morris chairs. The Amish Morris Chair recliners are […]

Home offices, whether for employment or home use, have always  enjoyed great popularity. Not all homes have the space required for a full office but even small spaces can enjoy the practicality of a home office space. Small spaces can be a challenge to work in but they can also be a challenge to decorate efficiently and […]

The truth is solid wood customized hand made furniture is not inexpensive. The use of quality hardwoods and individual craftsmen adds a cost to each piece not seen in mass produced cardboard framed, pressed board framed and particle board framed bargain furniture. The price difference makes the temptation to buy “bargain” furniture, especially when finances […]

“Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain,” wrote the legendary American furniture designer and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright was born June 8, 1867, just in time for the Arts and […]

Gustav Stickley (3/9/1858 - 4/21/1942) was the preeminent American Arts and Crafts Mission furniture designer and builder. Stickley’s designs are still collected and copied today and stand as a perfect example of America’s influence on England’s Arts and Crafts movement. Stickley led an interesting life of great influence in his field but Stickley did not […]

 
The Shaker community was not just famed for furniture but for their thriftiness and respect for resources. The Shakers were going green and recycling long before it was recognized as environmentally sound. The Shakers believed that if they respected what God gave them He would provide them with enough to share their abundance with the needy. […]

 
White oak and red oak are both used in the museum quality furniture created by the Amish. A very versatile hardwood, oak comes from the genus Quercus. The red oak is found in more abundance than its cousin white, and both have a natural beauty coupled with strength and durability. From medicines to leather tanning […]

 Walnut is one of the beautiful hardwoods that are used by Amish craftsmen in well-designed and elegant home furniture. This wood has been a favorite with carpenters for hundreds of years because of its strength and its deep brunette character. This chocolate brown wood stands out against other lighter woods, making a stunning contrast. This […]