For most of the last century American furniture was made in Chicago and the South using American raw goods. As the EPA tightened pollution laws, many furniture manufacturers have found it much cheaper to move their factories overseas than to upgrade their American ones. Now, most furniture sold in the United States comes from China, Vietnam, Indonesia and many other similar countries.

While many people see this as just another aspect of the ever expanding process of globalization; the effects on our country, the environment, and work force are devastating. When you buy furniture you should consider more than just the sticker price!

The True Price of Cheap Furniture

Jobs

With many furniture factories closing down around the country and more furniture companies relying on imports, the domestic furniture job market has been decimated. Dozens of towns and communities that were centered around these furniture factories have been completely devastated. To make things worse, raw materials from around the world are sent to these overseas furniture factories completely bypassing the American logging industry and others.

The Environment

Furniture companies moved overseas to avoid compliance with the EPA’s tough emission and pollution restrictions. It’s simply cheaper for them to find a country with lax environmental laws and set up shop there. Many of these countries don’t care about the use of harmful chemicals or unsafe work conditions so large manufacturers can take the cheapest route possible to deliver that end table to Wal-Mart’s loading dock.

Furthermore, raw materials are being taken from delicate ecosystems like the Amazon’s rain forest and then shipped all around the world to the factories. After being constructed the final product is shipped around the world, only to be put on trucks and shipped even more. The effect of all of these greenhouse gas emissions expelled during the shipping process has a huge impact on our environment.

Made in America?

The Federal Trade Commission only mandates that U.S. content be disclosed for automobiles, textiles, wool and fur. If someone uses the “Made in America” tag it only has to be assembled here and have a certain percentage of the manufacturing costs spent in the U.S. This means a furniture company could have most of its product’s parts made in China, shipped here and slapped together before sale and still be considered “Made in America”.

The Solution? Buy Local

Once you factor in the environmental, economic, and human costs of that piece of cheap furniture it’s not really that great of a deal. The good news is that our country still has a thriving local furniture manufacturing industry. Some of the most notable furniture, in both quality and environmental friendliness, is made by the Amish.

These skilled craftsmen have been producing quality furniture from American wood and products for centuries and are the best examples of “Made in America” furniture you can find. Reasonably priced, these pieces will last you a lifetime instead of being landfill matter within a year or two like most big box store furniture.

We know that not everyone has easy access to Amish furniture, so that is why we work hard to bring you only the best pieces from the best craftsmen around the country. If you’re interested in buying furniture that is made from real wood, by true artisans and in an environmentally sound way then please take a look at our wide selection, here at Amish-Furniture-Home.com.

Formaldehyde

Pressed wood is used in many mass produced pieces. In addition to being a lower quality product, pressed wood contains urea-formaldehyde that is used in the adhesive. Pressed woods include particleboard, hardwood plywood used for panels and medium density fiberboard.

The formaldehyde is a gas that, when used throughout a home, can cause irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat as well as tiredness, asthma symptoms and rashes. People who are sensitive to the formaldehyde may experience more severe symptoms.

The concentration of the chemical in the home increases with the number of pressed board furniture pieces. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises limiting the number of pressed board pieces in the home in order to reduce the risk of formaldehyde contamination.

Polyvinyl Chloride

A chemical used in many plastics is also used to coat many low quality wood furniture pieces. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is considered a serious threat to human health and the environment for several reasons.

• The material uses or produces chemicals like vinyl chloride that are linked to cancers.
• Production of the material leads to groundwater and air pollution.
• Additives like lead are used in production and can become a hazard to your home.

Polyvinyl chloride is found in furniture made of faux wood and/or faux leather. They are inexpensive pieces, which appeals to families on a budget. However, the PVC can cause health problems that far outweigh the furniture savings. Buying real wood furniture is the only way to avoid buying pieces made with PVC as it is difficult to determine if the piece has been coated with the material.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Identifiable by the strong “new furniture smell” volatile organic compounds or VOC’s are a category of chemicals that include formaldehyde and also acetaldehyde, benzene, xylene, toluene and isocyanates. These chemicals are found in the stains, paints and furniture of a lower quality than real wood. Although formaldehyde is the headlining carcinogen in the group, the other compounds also buildup in the home environment, leading to allergic reactions.

Toxic Free Living

Buying real wood from a company known for using quality products is the best way to keep your home environment free of these harmful chemicals.  Many Amish furniture outlets like Amish Tables support chemical free stains and adhesives, resulting in eco-freindly, toxic-free furniture.

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.

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!

How to Choose a Wall Color to go With Your Furniture

Choosing the ideal room color for your new interior design project is never easy. Whether you’re decorating a new house, or just giving your living room a makeover, it’s difficult to imagine the final product.

This article from eHow.com points your interior decorating ship in the right direction with some tips to get you started. More often than not, choosing a wall color that goes with your furniture is personal preference, but there are a few rules you should abide to. Neutral colors are good if your furniture pops, but you can also use a color wheel to provide your furniture with complementary backgrounds. For instance, if you’re outfitting your bedroom with the deep browns of Amish frames and cabinets, you should paint your walls with a deep blue. More tips in the article.

Eco-Friendly Furniture Benefits both You and the Environment

We’re very proud to be a part of the “Eco-friendly Furniture” movement with our Amish products satisfying the terms of Green furniture. Amish craftsman avoid harmful stains and materials in favor of all-natural woods and procedures.

If you are looking to “Green-ify” your home with eco-friendly furniture, this article has tips and advice for finding your perfect couch or dresser. By going green you are reducing extraneous waste and saving the environment. Some manufactures even fight deforestation and global warming by donating portions of their sales to environmentalist campaigns and initiatives.

Two Similar Chairs, Two Different Price Points

At Amish Tables, we take pride in each piece of furniture that goes out our showroom door, and each piece that is sold through our website. As our testimonials point out, all of our customers have a deep appreciation for the heirloom quality and craftsmanship that make Amish furniture so special. Although many of our pieces are more expensive than dressers and bed-frames you’ll find at iKea or Target, it’s the details that make our pieces so loved around the world.

Which of these Adirondack Chairs do you think came from our showroom?

A recent post by Abbey Koplovitz on her blog, On Interior Design points out how two similar looking furniture pieces, like a chair from an Amish craftsman and a chair from a retailer can be priced differently. Abbey encourages a 360 degree analysis of furniture pieces and their ornateness to witness the beauty a higher price can bring.

Weatherproofing Your Outdoor Furniture

Spring is (almost) in full bloom here in Michigan and it’s the perfect time to start preparing for outdoor gatherings. Whether you’ve just purchased some new patio furniture, or you’re ready to shield your old furniture from this summer’s weather conditions, it’s important to protect your investment… especially if you just picked up your new outdoor Amish furniture.

The bloggers at Decorating Knowledge have put together their Spring guide to furniture weather-proofing in a recent blog post. Wicker, Wood, Metal and Upholstered pieces can all benefit from their tips.

Reused Wood in Eco Interior Design

It’s been shown that synthetic carpets are very damaging to the environment, both in production and elimination. These unnatural fibers leave their mark on nature for years and years. So why not just avoid these unfriendly fibers and go with the hardwoods look?

As Green Home and Design points out, the hardwood look is both sleek and sustainable. You can go one step further and use reclaimed wood pieces to refurbish your hardwood floors. These woods should be protected, but again, keep Green strategies in place and pick up some eco-friendly stains, varnishes or mattes.

This Years Bedroom Trends – Part 3 – Natural Materials

As a few posts in this Carnival point out, it’s important to consider your carbon footprint when shopping for furniture these days. You have the ability to make a big difference when you buy dressers or tables made of wood from well managed forests with replanting schemes. This post from Terry’s Fabric’s in the UK provides tips for finding the right tones to make your next interior design both homey and eco-friendly.

“Don’t Call it Brown” Furniture Makes a Comeback

Despite our sputtering economy, furniture sales are picking up according to those in attendance at Antiques in Charlottesville, a furniture show held in January. Antiques and fine furniture isn’t the draw it once was, but handcrafted, American-made wood furniture still has a quality beloved by many.

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!

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.

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!

Furniture stores are chock full of “hand made” and “American Made” goods. The spirited “Buy American” campaign has always been apart of the American retail market, spurring US shoppers to support the economy and their neighbors.

Due to a variety of patriotic issues in the past decade, the authenticity of “American-Made” claims were rarely questioned. However, that was before the cribs started breaking.

A Revelation in a Recall

The American furniture industry, along with the National Consumer Safety Commission, set rules and guidelines for manufacturing safe furniture products. Unfortunately, these are rules that other nations tend to forgo. Usually, costs and time constraints prevent routine checks and safety measures. This leads to shortcuts in manufacturing and eventually an injury or (God forbid) death from use of that product. It also reveals that the furniture pieces were not truly made in the U.S.

The Year the Cribs Started Breaking

The large crib recall of 2009 is an example of how the safety issues can lead to the unimaginable. A number of deaths resulted in a large-scale recall of the baby furniture. More than one U.S. company imported and sold cribs that were not made to our nation’s furniture industry standards. One problem was a gap between the mattress and the wooden rail on the side of the crib. It was large enough to injure the infant.

Crumbling Slats

The slats themselves were also an issue. They were made from materials that could not withstand the daily crib use. Many of the cribs suffered broken slats, another hazard for small children.

The slats on many of the cribs were also too far apart to meet the furniture industry standards. The baby could get his head through the gap and have severe difficulty getting out. The subsequent crib recall revealed that the cribs were really manufactured in China, contrary to what their advertisers would have you believe. These cribs, like many other recalled furniture pieces before them, came from a nation that did not adhere to the same set of furniture-making standards and regulations as all U.S. furniture companies would have.

Truly American Made

A true American Made product is manufactured here in the U.S., using materials from American farms, forests, rivers and other natural resources. The true companies also adhere to standards that have consumer safety and product quality in mind. Family owned businesses like Amish Tables, LLC augment each new standard to the workmanship that the company has used for decades. The result is a truly American Made, safe, and gorgeous crib for your baby.

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.

What’s a Blog Carnival?

A blog carnival is a type of blog event that is easily compared to print magazines (thanks Wikipedia!).  They’re published according to a regular schedule and revolve around a central topic with content coming from multiple sources.

Blog carnivals are a fun way for bloggers to provide their readers regular collections of recently published, high quality resources. With these blog carnivals, web communities can begin a discussion and get a high standard of information on a certain niche.

In addition to AFH’s carnival, you can find a wide range of carnivals, or even start your own, at BlogCarnival.

The Amish Furniture Home Carnival

Our Carnival will be posted every third Wednesday of the month.

If you’d like to submit your post for inclusion, entries will be due by the Sunday preceding the third Wednesday of each month. That means that submissions for next month are due by Sunday, February 14 (Happy Valentines Day!), with the first carnival going up on Wednesday, February 17.

Submissions can made in one of two ways:

1. Complete the form on our BlogCarnival page
2. Contact us directly at @amishhome on Twitter with the URL, title and a brief description of your post

Please only submit posts that fall within the following topics:

• Interior Design
• Amish Furniture
• Green Furniture
• Sustainable Living
• Bringing the Family Together
• Ann Arbor
• Michigan Furniture

The articles we accept will be rewarded with a do-follow link from our blog and will have the honor of being included with some of the best content on the net.

Please limit your submissions to two posts per month.

Thanks for reading and we look forward to your posts! Let’s have some fun, it’s a carnival after all!