Hardwood as a natural resource that has helped shaped not just communities but the evolution of societies in to countries such as the United States. Natural resources have always been a major factor in determining how well an environment can sustain people but wood has an influence that runs deeper than everything but food and water. Wood supplies shelter, furniture, wheels, toys, fencing, tools, weapons, a heating resource and even medicines and foods. How America was settled would have been drastically altered if hardwoods were not readily available.

Early settlers realized that wood at different stages of dryness could be used for different things more effectively. Whether choosing green wood or seasoned or cured wood was dependent on what it was being used for. When wood is fresh cut it is still green and full of moisture but as it dries it shrinks. Tool handles, for instance would have to be tightly fit for serviceability, so dry or seasoned woods would be the best choice. Rough hewn furniture or fence posts could be green because shrinkage and tightness of joinery may not be an issue. 

Woods were cured in several ways. From kiln dried to boil cured the early settlers learned to tame their natural surroundings. Wood could be placed by a fire, tending them to prevent burning and warping. This was especially good for small pieces like tool handles. Small pieces of wood may also be boiled for hours, drawing out the woods sap. Once the wood dried out the wood pieces were cured and ready to use. A more industrious way to dry wood is to build a kiln. A platform was built a few feet off the ground with small fires underneath. There may even be a covering or roof over the top and even walls. Wood is laid on the platform to allow plenty of air circulation. The fires must be tended to constantly. The other, less practical way that wood could be dried was simply time. By carefully bundling and storing wood workers could avoid the dreaded warping when stored in a dry place.

North American hardwoods are not only highly sought after for their beauty but for their durability. Some of the hardwoods enjoyed by the Amish woodworkers today are:

 CHERRY –

Cherry is fairly hard, with a deep richness in its color and a slightly wavy grain. The bark was used for cough syrup and the wood for fine furniture.

MAPLE –

Maple is light in color with a wavy grain that is great for carving and lathe work. Kitchen tools were often crafted of maple. Musical instruments use maple since it can be thinned without splintering. Baby furniture is often made of maple.

 OAK –

Easily worked, oak is a very hard wood. White oak is a used in basketry. Oak is used for everything from flooring to whiskey barrels. Once considered a poor man’s furniture wood it had a resurgence in popularity and in value in the last century. Green, unseasoned oak, is famous for its ability to hold a hot fire.

 WALNUT –

An easy wood to work and is considered very warm and beautiful. While it was used for fences and even paneling it is highly prized in fine furniture.

 HICKORY –

Slightly wavy grains are characteristic of hickory. Hickory is notoriously hard to work with but is desired because is flexible and durable. Like oak, hickory burns well and is often used for smoking meats. The ash from hickory is used to make lye soaps. The bark could be chewed like gum. Hickory was highly favored for wagon parts because it could take the stress.

 Each of these North American woods is used for their special characteristics. Few craftsmen remain who know and understand the personalities of each wood like the Amish. The survival of this skill is dependent on the trade being passed down to young Amish crafters in each community who will create heirloom custom designs for your home that you can enjoy for a lifetime and pass to your next generation.        

 

There may not be a better known or more duplicated wooden chair in the world than the Windsor. The Windsor is well recognized for its bentwood back frame and its pegged legs going directly in to its wooden seat. The Windsor is differentiated from other styles of chairs because of this styling that normally are framed with an apron. 

Somewhere around the beginning of the 18th century, not surprisingly around Windsor Castle in England, this chair was conceived. Although it was the custom that chairs were crafted by cabinetmakers, this chair seems to have been crafted by turners and wheelwrights. This may indeed explain the spoke-like design of the Windsor. 

The chair in fashion at the time was the fine Queen Anne and it is likely the wheelwrights tried to fashion a chair but because of more rustic tools and skills they used the round backs and splats of the Queen Anne but incidentally created the Windsor. The English Windsor is in fact well known for its pierced slatted back. A Windsor chairs legs are invariably splayed outward and some even had the fancier cabriole leg rather than the turned. Throughout the 19th century the legs stuck into wood instead of framed with an apron. In the U.S. especially, the style began to be the front two legs only were joined in this way.  

It took no time at all for the Windsor to make its way to the New World; first appearing in Philadelphia after 1725 and within a half a century they were the most popular chair in use. The lightweight Windsor had everything a good chair required – strength, beauty, easy to construct, and highly comfortable. The variations they were created in were various and included fan, hoop, comb back, and bow back.

The chairs were usually marriages of different woods; each known for its strengths in the area it was chosen for. The turned parts worked best with maples, oaks, ash, birch or beech. The seats, shaped in a saddle were easier to carve out in pine and birch, or in England elm. The bentwood frames were best suited for birch, beech, hickory or ash. An interesting note about the recognizable saddle seat design – if you find one with a flat seat, especially with tack marks, authorities believe these were originally upholstered.

Today Amish craftsman bring sturdy and exceptionally handsome and functional Windsor chairs to grace any room in your home of office. Built from the finest American hardwoods and stained in your choice of colors, these chairs can be an heirloom treasured for generations.   

BOTTOM LINE – WHY DO YOU COLLECT? -

What motivates you to collect what you collect? Some people collect because of nostalgia, some as a way to make a décor statement, some collect in a more calculated way, as an investment. Does your collection trigger emotional responses or are you waiting for the day that you can turn it into cold cash? Understanding this will also help you to understand what triggers the decision to reach for your wallet and to fill that space on those custom shelves with another item. An investor cannot let his sentimental side play in to a decision to purchase while a collector of nostalgia will not really consider resale values if they really want it.

WHEELING AND DEALING -

While it can be a bit wearing for dealers to hear from every customer “Is this the best you can do?” they are aware that it is part of the business. Don’t sell your deal short by not making an inquiry about price, especially if you are buying more than one item or are a regular. The golden rule should apply here as well as common sense. Treat the dealer like you would want to be treated. Learn the rules of shopping etiquette and buyer bewares before shopping.

BUY THE BEST AND LEAVE THE REST -

Beginner mistakes can cost you time, money and valuable shelf space. Examine each purchase well and unless you are certain that there is no other one like it and it’s so rare that damage is not an issue, leave it! We have been in the machine age for 150 years and chances are good that they made one right behind that one and in this internet world things are easier to acquire. Patience, dear collector…patience. On the other hand, don’t be so fearful of mistakes that you miss out on great finds.

EDUCATION PAYS FOR ITSELF-

Whatever you feel is worth collecting should be worth educating yourself on. There are websites, books, clubs and magazines on any subject. Auctions, flea markets and antique malls make great hands-on experience playgrounds. Price guides are great tools but do not rely on them for up to the minute or even regional prices. Instead use them as references.

HAVE FUN WITH IT -

If your collection is something worth spending time and money on then why not enjoy it every day? Investing in a great and very sturdy hardwood bookcase, shelving unit or curio customized for your collection by Amish craftsman will insure that you can.

George Hepplewhite (abt. 1727 – June 21, 1786)

The late 1700s saw England and France changing, causing a drastic change in American furniture tastes. George Hepplewhite, a London cabinetmaker and chair maker, began designing pieces that became very popular in not only Europe but in America. Hepplewhite style is characterized by straight leg forms, refined curves and painting and high quality inlay work. While the richness of mahogany woods is most associated with Hepplewhite designs he also used rosewood, satinwood, and tulipwood on the inlays. Dining room furniture began seeing sideboards and is associated with Hepplewhite furniture. Hepplewhite chairs often sport a shield shaped back. Pieces that were upholstered featured fabrics in designs like small birds and floral that carried down over the entire frame. The upholstery fabric was then finished with ornamental upholstery tacks.

Featuring many similarities, it is often hard to quickly discern Hepplewhite from Sheraton styles. To make matters more complicated there were no exclusive copyrights or patents in America at that time so wood workers could freely use each other’s design ideas, especially if they were marketable. There are no pieces of furniture made by Hepplewhite or his firm known to exist and some critiques and historians question the existence of George Hepplewhite. His style took hold posthumously, and not until after his wife Alice published design books she insisted were drafted by her late husband.

Thomas Sheraton (1750-1806)

British born Sheraton, like most furniture makers of his time was another cabinetmaker. Thomas Sheraton also stood out because he was a publisher and preacher. His furniture designs were widely popular and greatly influenced American furniture. Sheraton was well thought of as a superb draftsman and many of the designs are based on classical architecture. Sadly, although he wore many hats, was overworked and highly acclaimed he was barely able to earn a living, dying destitute.

Sheraton style is square, straight lined, solidly constructed furniture with slender legs that were either round or square and tapered toward the foot. His chair backs were square and often had a central panel above the top rail with high “S” shaped arms. Like other designers of his time, Sheraton used mahogany as the preferred wood. As Sheraton’s career was winding down the French Empire style became popular in Europe and he tried his hand in it. Sheraton found God was in the details and usually decorated his furniture wherever possible. His heavy embellishments of carving, inlay, and painting left few plain surfaces. A piece designed in the style of Sheraton will be adorned with urns, fan shapes, leaves, stars along with brass hardware and round glass knobs.

Thomas Chippendale (June 5 1718 – November 1779)

Chippendale was the first style of furniture in England that was named after the designer and not after a ruling monarch. Chippendale had something in his background that the other two great British designers did not. Thomas Chippendale was much more than just a cabinet maker, he was an interior designer. Like the other two, Chippendale was a published and popular author of furniture design. Working with the upholsterer James Rannie and later with Rannie’s assistant, Thomas Haig, Chippendale maintained artistic control of his well-appointed furnishings.

Not to veer from the popular, the finest Chippendale style pieces were usually crafted from mahogany but walnut, cherry and maple were used for less expensive versions. Many Chippendale pieces have cabriole legs and have a shell motif. American cabinetmakers often incorporated the claw-and-ball foot into their versions of Chippendale designs. The style of claw-and-ball feet was already passé with English furniture craftsmen but in America the feet were still being used.

Unlike Hepplewhite who has no surviving pieces, Chippendale has twenty-six documented commissions in estates, castles and in the original aristocratic houses for which they were created. The workshop the elder began was continued by his son, Thomas Chippendale, the younger (1749-1822). Young Chippendale was fond of working in the later Neoclassical and Regency styles.

With the Arts and Crafts Movement reaching its zenith from 1900 to 1915 by 1901, Stickley had turned “mission” furniture into an American living room standard. Suffering from an over-exposure to the gilded machine age of Victorian England, social reformers such as William Morris and John Ruskin founded the Arts & Crafts movement in Britain during the late nineteenth century. Their literal philosophy declared that a return to simplicity was needed to protect society from the growing inhumanity of the Industrial Revolution.

After traveling to Europe, Gustav Stickley was deeply inspired by these European social reformers. After his return to the States Stickley constructed an organic philosophy of simplicity and function that became famous world round. His take on the Arts and Crafts philosophy came to life in his radical and functional furniture style. Furniture was not the only thing Gustav cared about when creating an organic environment for the American home, and in fact he soon began designing the actual homes. Stickley published the famous Craftsman magazine, hosting the Craftsman Home Builders Club, through which tens of thousands of blueprints for homes were free to subscribers.

Today Amish craftsman, many like Stickley of German ancestry, bring the same honest, integrity that Gustav Stickley sought when he designed his American idea of Arts and Crafts called Craftsman. Solid native American hardwoods, fantastic stain choices and durable construction and finishes, are all available now in Mission, Craftsman and Arts and Crafts designs; thanks to the honorable woodworking Amish artisans, keeping Stickley alive today.

Frank Lloyd Wright believed in organic lifestyles and environments. His thought was that “The good building is not one that hurts the landscape, but one which makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before the building was built.” In the early part of the twentieth century Wright and other organic minded Arts and Crafts and Mission designers, not only created in less invasive design shapes but with organic materials drawn entirely from nature. By using siding that was unglazed brick, roofs made of clay tile or un-planed woodwork and ignoring the use of paints it appeared to create simple, healthful, and close to nature environments from the outside inward.

Today we hear the term organic used to describe everything from vegetables to meat to milk to clothing and designs. While in today’s society of commercial competition advertisers may have watered down the true definition of organics in order to sell more product, and not necessarily to save the environment or to create a happier living space, once upon a time great architects like Wright’s mentor Luis Sullivan believed that “form follows function.” Wright himself took it a step further in his argument that “form and function are one.” Either way, their mission was to achieve a form that while appealing to human’s esthetically was useful and not so abrasive on the natural landscape. It also meant bringing the outside indoors in the theory that it made for healthy indoor environments.

If your home is not organic but you long to have a place that brings you home to nature it is achievable. Like all great journeys your home can begin its conversion to organic designs one step at a time. Creating an open space that flows together is essential when organizing your organic environment. Window views are essential. Use natural colors, shapes and textures in textiles and potteries. Using recessed lighting also helps to create a more natural lighting effect, like sunlight through treetops.

Replace your mass produced furniture a piece at a time to eliminate toxic and unnatural elements, such as pressed or particle board that give off dangerous fumes called outgases. If you cannot afford to actually build unassuming built-in shelves and cabinets to conserve space, organize and minimize clutter then consider buying pre-made but high quality cabinets. The Amish woodworkers of Northern Indiana create organic designs in home furnishings from Native North American hardwoods. Never using veneers or press woods these products honor the vision of organic purists. Like Wright you can begin one detail at a time to make your home seem “handcrafted like a fine piece of furniture”.

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 are tight, seem like a reasonable one to give in to. After all, aren’t you saving money on items that you need a lot of? Isn’t being a savvy shopper who is saving money a good thing? When it comes to buying furniture – items that we use and abuse every day – the purchasing of bargain furniture now may not be such a bargain later.

For example take the kitchen table and chairs, items that are heavily used. Unless you have invested in a durable, high quality design then the table and especially the chairs will warp, break and be unusable after only a few years, sometimes less. This not only detracts from the aesthetical quality of your living space but requires replacement over and over again, usually at a higher cost as inflation increases. This is a wasteful practice when considering you could have purchased it one time and it would have lasted both you and several generations.

If you know what to look for in furniture, regardless of your budget, it will help you get the most for your money. Thanks to books and online blogs and websites furniture makers and furniture retailers are willingly sharing their expertise. While it is certainly important to buy furniture that is comfortable, functional, and fits your lifestyle and budget, it is also important to buy quality, well-built designs. By buying even one piece of investment furniture at a time you are saving thousands over a lifetime and insuring estate heirlooms for future generations.

Be a smart and savvy shopper. Educate yourself on the products you are putting your money into. By learning a few tips your next furniture venture will not just be a purchase but a valid investment:

How is it made and where did it come from?
The quality of furniture depends on what it is constructed from and how well it is assembled. Knowing who made it and what their philosophy on furniture construction is can ensure a long term relationship with your investment. 

Also important in this transaction is your retailer. Are they easily reached by phone and email to help with your decisions, orders, delivery and any future repairs? By having a retailer who cares you are adding extra insurance to your investment.  

Furniture Components - What is it constructed from?

Hardwoods – North American hardwoods like maple, oak, hickory and cherry are renewable and natural materials. This is the only building material used in high end Amish furniture.

Particleboard - Wood shavings are held together with a formaldehyde-based resin that emits fumes called outgas. The wood shavings are throughout the board and are visible on both the flat side and the cut side. There is a strong odor, especially when new. Particleboard contributes to indoor air pollution for at least a decade and should be used with caution around young children. This is never used in Amish furniture manufacturing.

Pressboard – Made from smaller wood fibers these boards are held together by a process using pressure and steam. This is a thin, brown board, with one smooth side and one textured side. Common “peg board” is made from pressboard. Pressboard is completely odor-free but low in quality. This is never used in Amish furniture manufacturing.

Furniture Coverings – Is there a wide range of high quality choices?
While texture and color affect the mood and attitude of the room, lifestyle directly affects the choice of fabrics and coverings for furniture. Be sure to select robust coverings like leather or durable fabrics.Take into account who lives in and visits your home before settling on a fabric. Cheaper, low quality fabrics are thin and wear easily and are not stain resistant.

 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 contrast has been highly sought after in parquetry, marquetry and inlay. An ancient tree found from Italy to Europe and in North America, the walnut has enjoyed use for thousands of years. In many cultures the tree and nut has been heralded in folklore and superstitions. The name walnut is actually from Old English and meant “foreign nut” because it was introduced from Gaul and Italy. England’s Queen Anne’s reign on the throne was often called The Age of Walnut.

Grown in North America in mainly the Eastern and Central United States the tree averages a height of 100 to 150 feet. The “Juglans nigra” or walnut tree produces some of the world’s most highly revered hardwood. This versatile tree is a producer of delicious nuts, high in nutrition and health benefits. Even its simple shell is used in paints as thickeners, oil well drills as lost circulation material, dynamite as filler and abrasives from commercial metal cleaners to home laundry soaps and facial cleansers. Walnut tree timber is used in furniture, cabinets, and architecture elements like doors, flooring and paneling and in weaponry like gun stocks.

The best walnuts are considered the peer of the finest mahogany woods. Walnut develops sapwood that is creamy white. The heartwood is a milk chocolate brown that ranges to a chic dark chocolate brown. Some walnut when exposed to different moisture levels and soils displays variations in color like an occasionally purple tinge with darker streaks. The walnut is famed for its graceful aging and patina qualities which gain a rich luster. Walnut is straight-grained, but has a reputation for some wavy, curly, striped, mottles, crotched and burled grains. The walnut produces more of these figures than any other tree and these specimens are highly sought after by craftsmen and artists.

Pennsylvania, a state renowned for its Amish communities, was the largest consumer of walnut in the 1700 and 1800’s. Amish furniture builders have always found the tough and durable walnut to be an exceptional wood to work with. Despite its elegant look walnut can withstand moisture and insects better than most wood. The walnut holds stain very well and looks exceptional when finished with ARESISTOVAR.