Like the Amish community members the Shakers were known for their integrity and honesty; not just in their personal lives but in their furniture designs. Even when the Shakers became aware of their profitable designs they did not let money take precedence over their morals and beliefs. The Shakers carried on business as if they […]

 
Armoire – An early french term for a cabinet, wardrobe or closet that is usually tall. The armoire originally was used for storing weaponry in medieval times rather than clothing. Usually double doors cover the interior which contains shelves, open space or hanging apparatuses.  
Wardrobe - A wardrobe is a cabinet intended primarily for the storage […]

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 […]

 Cheval mirrors became possible as skills and knowledge improved in mirror making. The cheval mirror, also called cheval glass, is a full length mirror inside of a decorative frame and swinging from a vertical, legged or pillared larger frame that is mounted on trestles or bars, standing on a pair of feet. This supporting frame […]

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 […]

 Today the Amish craft solid wood chest of drawers as stand alone pieces or part of a bedroom suite. The name Chests of Drawers is literally derived from the furniture piece that was a chest or trunk; a wooden box for storing clothing linens, books, documents and valuables of any kind. The earliest forms were […]

“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 […]