Safety
Safety is the foremost concern in looking for childrens’ furniture. Parents look for things that will be sturdy, and not harmful to the child’s health.

• Consider pieces made of real wood, with no ply-board pieces added.
• Also look at U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website to find any product recalls on wood furniture. This way, you will know what pieces to avoid during your search.
• When shopping, ask about the type of paints and finishes used on the furniture. Look at the furniture company websites to see what types of finishes and paints that they use. Stay away from chemicals that are toxic or that contain formaldehyde.

The right size furniture
Size is a great issue, because most wood furniture is constructed for infants or adults. Choose beds and bookcases that are easy for your little one to access. For example, the BonBelle Chest is a five drawer chest that a toddler can use, as well as a teen. Even baby furniture like the French Country Changer/Chest is one that the child can use at any age.

Heirloom Quality
That brings us to the next point, timeless furniture. Look for functional pieces that the child can use as he grows. Try not to outfit the room with pieces that will be irrelevant before the child is even old enough to use them. The real wood construction makes the pieces sturdy. Find a piece that isn’t too short or tall for the child and his room.

Color considerations
Parents are tempted to paint everything, even the furniture, a pastel color when planning the nursery. While this is fine for the walls (which can be repainted inexpensively), furniture is too expensive to replace in the two years it takes a child to leave the infant stage for toddlerhood. Furthermore, children like bold colors while teens tend toward darker contrasts. These preferences will result in several furniture changes.

Instead, look for real wood pieces in natural colors that will integrate well with pastels, bolds or neutrals. The Bow Mission Bed in hickory is an example. It is a color that will complement the pastels and not overshadow the bold toddler colors. It will stand against the dark teen years as well.

When picking out the furniture for your child’s room, whether it’s a new nursery or a teen’s room remodel, seek out real wood pieces like those from Amish Furniture Home. They are safe, sturdy products that can grow with your child and can be used at any age.

 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

Cherry has long been a coveted wood and when used in the creation of Amish furniture designs it is a stunning choice. The Amish always choose native hardwoods for their furniture and cherry is one of, if not the, finest hardwood in North America. The elegance of hardwood cherry furniture is showcased in tables, cabinets, china cabinets, chests and baby furniture by today’s Amish furniture experts.

Because of the beauty of the cherry tree’s wood it seems poetically perfect that the cherry tree belongs to the rose family and is labeled Prunus serotina. American Colonists found the cherry a useful and tasteful fruit and used in food and medicine as well as in interior furnishings. Early printmakers created their engraving blocks from cherry. Early American joiners created tables, highboys and chairs that endure still today.

Once called American Mahogany by Early American cabinetmakers it was sadly stained to resemble the non-native mahogany used in English furniture of the period. Ironically, cherry is actually stronger than mahogany and most woodworkers appreciate it more. Whether the cherry wood is finished naturally, to showcase its unusual beauty, or stained to make its figure pop, it is considered by woodworkers to be an exciting wood to work with.

The cherry tree is found in the Midwestern and Eastern United States like Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and New York. The tree usually reaches a height of 60 to 80 feet and can live to the age of 150 to 200 years. Cherry has heartwood of various rich red to reddish browns. Cherry darkens with age or over-exposure to light. Cherry’s sapwood is a velvety white. Characteristically cherry has a fine uniform, straight grain with a satiny, smooth texture. Occasionally a naturally occurring brown pith flecking occurs and small gum pockets.

Cherry is easy to work with and assemble. It holds stain well and develops an excellent smooth finish, especially in the hands of an Amish craftsman using the RESISTOVAR finish. Fine furniture makers and cabinet makers have long sought out cherry wood for their furniture. Often used in moldings, paneling, flooring, doors, boat interiors and musical instruments it is also available in Amish furniture design. 

                                          
You’ve spent months selecting the perfect solid hardwood baby crib by Amish craftsmen. You’re comforted in knowing you’ve bought the best for your newborn. This heirloom quality investment will last your child through many years, as it converts to their first big kid’s day bed, then later a single bed with designer head and footboards.

Whether the crib was an Amish traditional or contemporary design the crib mattress deserves to be given careful consideration, especially as the child grows and your Amish baby bed converts. Youngsters in their early development spend the majority of their days and nights lying in or playing in their baby crib. Since most crib mattresses are used for at least 2-4 years, growing bones need the best support you can afford.

The most common types of crib mattresses sold today are foam and innerspring. While a good quality foam mattress will last as long and give as much support as an innerspring crib mattress, the tie breaker is quality. Buy the best your budget can afford whether foam or innerspring.Today’s technology has developed a high grade of foam for mattresses. Foam’s resiliency is important and your mattress regaining its original shape quickly after weight is removed is essential. The next quality standard in selecting your child’s foundation is firmness and weight. With foam baby beds weight means density and the denser the better.

When considering any mattress the layers, and quality of layers, matter. The innerspring layer and the insulator pad layer and not the number of springs or coils is what makes the difference. The mattress border rods, or frame, are very important since they provide the edge support, where most children tend to stand and even bounce. A good mattress for your Amish crib should have a lower gauge of steel because it adds thickness. A good guide to buying an innerspring is:

150 coils. 

13.5 gauge carbon tempered steel coils.

 9.0 gauge steel border rods. 

A baby mattress should be covered in an easy to clean vinyl cover that is hospital grade and double or triple lamination. Remember to read the mattress label for specifications of the components. Better quality bedding will also include a warranty even if limited. Since you are buying a hand crafted heirloom from Amish craftsmen, buy a mattress that matches your valuable investment.

A rocking baby cradle is a wonderful and useful gift for any new mom and her baby. A cradle is great for keeping baby comfortable, calm, and near mom in any room of the house. She can keep it next to her bed for those late night feedings, near the sofa in the living room while watching TV, or in the kitchen so the family can eat their meals together and in peace.

A hand carved wooden highchair would be a great addition to any kitchen or dining room. Many of the Amish made highchair designs will match perfectly to any standard kitchen table or dining room set. A highchair is also an affordable and very useful gift that any new mother would love.

Of course, what new mother wouldn’t love to have a comfortable and beautiful new glider or rocker to relax in while feeding or rocking her new baby to sleep every night? Amish rockers and gliders come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and styles that they can fit into any home décor style. In fact, Amish made rockers and gliders can easily be moved from the nursery to the family room as the child grows and remain a furniture staple throughout the years.

Handmade Amish cribs are crafted from solid hardwoods that are beautiful to look at and will last a lifetime. Many people worry about how secure manufactured baby cribs are, but Amish cribs are always handmade from skilled craftsmen, so you never have to worry about baby’s safety. You can even get Amish cribs that convert into toddler beds and then full-sized beds that grow with your child.

One of the most useful furniture items you will need for your baby’s room is a baby changing table. These tables are great for changing baby’s diaper while also having plenty of storage below to keep essential items, such as clothes, diapers, towels, powders, or toys. Amish baby changing tables are solid and sturdy, so you never have to worry about collapse.

Finally, for mom, no baby room would be complete without a glider or rocker for those late night feedings. Amish gliders and rockers are great because they are sturdy, comfortable, and come in a wide variety of styles and fabrics. The best part is as your baby outgrows his or her room you can move the Amish glider or rocker into any other room of the house. It will easily blend in with any home décor because of its contemporary style and classic appeal.