Posts Tagged ‘Shaker’

The Influences of Amish Furniture

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Not surprisingly, Amish furniture reflects influences from historically traditional styles. They all share the elements of simplicity and functionality. However, each style is distinct and can add a different feel to your home décor. The Shaker, Mission and Queen Ann are three basic styles that influence Amish furniture.
Shaker
Shakers are known for their neatness and [...]

Keeping The Faith in Furniture with the Shakers and the Amish- How Religion Influenced Designs in America (part 2)

Monday, July 27th, 2009

 The Amish arrived in America around 1730. A group of the descendants of the Anabaptists, which include Amish and Mennonites, settled near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  William Penn had began a ‘holy experiment’ in religious tolerance and welcomed these European immigrants. Although the most popularized, the Pennsylvania Amish are not the largest group of U.S. In [...]

Keeping The Faith in Furniture with the Shakers and the Amish- How Religion Influenced Designs in America (part 1)

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

 Historians following the trends of the furniture industry can attest that furniture styles and their designers are virtual archives of an era. The economy of the time, the availability of supplies and tools and most surprising, the politics and religion of the time all influenced home décor. Religion and the organizations that formed around each [...]

Amish Solid Wood Furniture: A Brief Education on Veneer and Veneered Furniture

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

Wood veneer is used to give furniture a fine wood grain appearance less expensively than using a solid piece of that wood. Wood veneers are produced in very thin, 3 mm or less, sheets. It is most often used on less valuable woods or materials in order to give them an outwardly attractive appearance. Most [...]

Honest Shakers: Why the Shaker Craftsmen Did Not Use Paint or Veneer on Their Solid Wood Furniture

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

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 [...]

A Brief History of the Evolution of Chest or Chests of Drawers

Monday, October 13th, 2008

 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 [...]

Going Green: How To Recycle and Reuse Like the Shakers

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

 
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. [...]

Understanding Maple Hardwood Amish Furniture

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

  In the genus known as Acer there is a group of trees that produce a distinctive wood used in high quality Amish furniture, more commonly known as the hard maple, sugar maple or just maple. Grown in many places in the Western Hemisphere, the maple tree loves cold weather. In the North the sugar maple [...]

DECORATING WITH AN AMISH DESIGNED GRANDFATHER CLOCK

Wednesday, August 6th, 2008

You’ve wisely invested in your home and lifestyle by acquiring high end Amish furniture that will last a lifetime but did you realize you can include an heirloom Amish timepiece, an alternative to traditional Grandfather Clocks, to match your décor? While still as collectible as antique clocks Amish clocks require less maintenance and have just [...]