Historically, when the first Amish arrived in the United States, they settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Today there are many settlements in the U.S., the largest being in Holmes and adjoining counties in northeast Ohio, and northeastern Indiana’s Elkhart and nearby counties. The forests that surround this community are abundant with White and Red Oak, as well as Cherry, Maple, Hickory, and Black Walnut. Self-sufficient from the beginning, the Amish have taken full advantage of this bounty of wood to build their furniture.
As the past century unfolded, the primary Amish occupation of farming has become increasingly supplemented by woodworking. In the beginning, Amish furniture was only available through direct purchase from Amish shops or nearby retailers.
The timber is first harvested and then processed carefully. The wood is first plain sawn or quartersawn, either in an “English” or Amish mill. The plain-sawn technique is the faster of the two. It produces a wide and long open grain effect, accentuated by long dark lines revealing the growth rings. Since they are rough to the touch, these growth ring lines create a wonderfully textured surface. Typically, plain-sawn oak is used to craft most Amish dining tables. Quartersawn oak, on the other hand, is preferred by Amish furniture makers for its gorgeous ray flakey flake grain designs. It’s also really resistant to the effects of atmospheric moisture. This cut of white oak is thus very durable. It will likely not rot, decay, cup, twist, or crack if properly finished.
Quartersawn milling techniques are unfortunately very labor-intensive. First, the entire log is cut lengthwise into quarter rounds. Then those quarter-round lengths are cut perpendicular to the growth rings, rotating the length back and forth 90 degrees with each cut. This process creates a feathered or furry grain that is at once beautiful and strong. This process has become easier with the use of saws powered by diesel generators in contemporary Amish mills. These generators are an allowed form of electricity in that the Amish retain control of the power source.
The Amish craftsman then carefully goes through the mill offerings and chooses the perfect lumber for making each unique piece of furniture. With design in mind, he selects pieces that will work together to create a lasting masterpiece for any home. Each custom piece is carefully crafted using generations-old techniques. Slats and support pieces are joined in the mortise and tenon fashion, while dovetail joints are used for drawers. Every Amish creation is carefully finished, with multiple sanding and finish-application steps. When properly cared for, an Amish piece of furniture will retain its original finish for a lifetime.
In contrast to the traditional methods employed by Amish craftsmen in their solid wood furniture construction, mass-produced furniture imported from overseas is usually made of particle board and veneer. Many of these imitation Amish-style furnishings are on the market today, so be sure to carefully inspect any prospective furniture. Purchase of genuine Amish furnishing constitutes an investment that will grace your home for generations to come.
One of the longest-known forms of furniture styles, Amish mission furniture has a historic background and a fairly romantic history. The origins of the style lay within the well-known Arts and Crafts Movement in England during the mid-nineteenth century, which showcased a long list of sturdy furniture that is known for its straight lines and simple feel.
The Arts and Crafts Movement is reputed to have been influenced by the simple designs used by the Japanese during the same period. Focusing on the functionality of the furniture first brought the focus away from the design and allowed the crafters to apply their efforts to the durability of the pieces.
It’s also said that the style was used most in furnishing the missions that were cropping up during the period to spread the word about the growing Catholic faith. The churches needed simple furniture that would be reliable for their parishioners, and this clean style was the perfect answer for their needs. It is said that the style became an image of simplicity, strength, and beauty and that any home furnished with this type of furniture could use it as a backdrop for the theme of the home.
Since the time of Amish mission furniture, Amish furniture, in general, has been known as much for its long-lasting quality as it is for its beauty. When selecting your pieces, keep in mind that each facet from the table and dresser top, legs, beds, seats, and spindles are all handcrafted, carved, and sanded by a skilled and detailed Amish craftsman to ensure not only some of the most beautiful furniture on the market but a durable and furniture sets that will last for generations.
The Amish are noted for putting their heart and soul into everything they do, and this includes building sheds, homes, barns, and the like. Our modern society not only pressures us to move at faster and faster speeds but it pushes us to get more and more stuff. The more stuff we get, the more space we need to store it, and soon we may find ourselves needing a storage shed to put it all in. Modern storage sheds can be erected quickly but may give the feel of a lack of quality. Since Amish folk do not share our need for stuff and hurry, an Amish storage shed will be made with patience and quality over quantity.
Just like non-Amish-made sheds, sheds built by the Amish are made with vinyl, metal, or wood, alone or in combination with each other. Amish storage sheds tend to look a bit more bucolic and pastoral than modern sheds and the preferred construction material is wood. Woods commonly used in making Amish storage sheds are pine board N batten and dura-temp, T1-11 siding, and these woods can be cut and fashioned in different ways to achieve specific looks. For instance, knotty pine board n batten wood will have many knot “scars” from the trees that can be seen in the wood panels, making it look more rustic. Sheds can be made to look like mini log cabins or be fashioned into more modern board and batten designs. Many kinds of wood used in making Amish storage sheds are pressure or chemically treated to give them more longevity and resistance to insects and rot.
Although the Amish try and stick with the natural world and its materials, you can find Amish building storage sheds made of vinyl or metal. Vinyl sheds are desired by many folks because they are resistant to most weather conditions and damage from insects. The vinyl will not rust or deteriorate but it is susceptible to dents and cracks. Like wooden storage sheds, Amish storage sheds made out of vinyl will likely look more agrestic than their non-Amish counterparts.
Metal Amish storage sheds are not as common and are made more often by non-Amish manufacturers. Metal sheds are susceptible to rusts and dents which can often be remedied by a solid paint job.
The countrified look of Amish storage sheds is exemplified in the way they can make their sheds look like little buildings of the days gone by. Sheds that look like little barns or cabins, adorned with shutters, lanterns, and pretty eaves, with or without porches, railings, windows, and curtains are examples of ways they accomplish this. Sheds are typically thought of solely as storage units but can also be used as little workshops or even as a playhouse for children.
Where can you find an Amish storage shed builder? There are companies online or in the phone book that act as mediators between the consumer and the Amish builder; this allows the Amish to retain their non-technological ideologies yet enables them to compete for business in the modern world. If you live in or can travel to an area of the country where Amish colonies are concentrated, you can ask people in this region to connect you with an authentic Amish storage shed builder. A storage shed can be made by anyone but if you want one made with that extra special something, consider having Amish storage shed built. The construction and design will feel more personal and will enable you to safely store your goods for a very long time.
Furnishing and equipping a nursery for a new arrival can be a very exciting and enjoyable project. Also, if one gives it some thought and invests in careful planning, the nursery could well be a very comfortable asset for you and your new bundle of joy.
If you are one of those parents who want to make no compromises when it comes to their child, then Amish nursery furniture is something you are likely to be considering. Amish baby high chairs are probably something that you may want to leave off for a little later because they will come into use when a baby is old enough to sit up and start solids, which is usually at about 6 months or more.
What you will probably need to furnish your nursery are the things that a newborn will need immediately such as a crib, and there are many options of Amish baby cribs, you can choose from. These make a lot of sense for a multitude of reasons: for one Amish baby cribs, like all Amish furniture, are made the old-fashioned way using solid wood and few chemicals and none of the toxins that a newborn may well be sensitive to.
Another reason why Amish baby cribs are a great idea is their versatility: many of these cribs are designed in a way that the crib can be converted into a day bed for use when the baby is not sleeping. Also when the baby is older and does not sleep as much during the day, this will come in very handy. Other cribs may be limiting in that the baby will shortly outgrow them. An Amish baby crib however is a great investment for the future, since many have the option of being made to expand as a child grows and can even accommodate your child till he or she turns into a teen!
You can buy a set of Amish baby furniture or you can buy individual pieces such as Amish chests that are an excellent storage option for a nursery. Some Amish chests come equipped with a surface that can double as a changing table so that you don’t have to incur the extra expense of a changing table which is so essential for the first couple of years of a baby’s life.
Another excellent option for a nursery is Amish gliders: not only do they add a lovely cozy touch to the nursery, but they are also a practical option for rocking a baby to sleep or even for a tired parent to grab forty winks while their baby is having a nice nap. Amish gliders are beautiful, comfortable, and may even be ideal for a bottle or breastfeeding a baby, or just cuddling and talking with the baby for some great quality bonding time!
To all of these, you can choose to make other additions such as a nightstand or a dresser or a hutch or an armoire, and you have a warm inviting nursery that is also practical and handy for the job of looking after a newborn baby!
Amish mission furniture follows the strong traditions of mission styles of furniture that have been around since the latter part of the 19th century. Mission Style is a design that highlights the simple horizontal and vertical lines and flat panels of the most elegant and timeless furniture styles. This design style tries to accentuate the grain of the actual wood that is used; which may be oak or other hardwood that is preferred for the making of this kind of furniture.
In Victorian times, there was more emphasis on overly ornate and elaborate furniture varieties. The mission style of furniture has developed as and by way an answer to people who were looking for relief after the excesses of Victorian times. At the time there was also an influx of mass-produced furniture from the Industrial Revolution, and people were looking for something more individualistic and distinctive. The furniture maker, Gustav Stickley was known to be the progenitor of the Arts and Crafts style furniture of the period. This kind of furniture was typified by plain and solid oak furniture that was handcrafted, with great attention to strength and sturdiness rather than any elaborate ornamentation and unnecessary frills.
Simple, sturdy, and practical are the bywords when you talk of Amish mission furniture, whether it be Amish dining room furniture, Amish office furniture, or indeed any furniture for any part of the house or the outdoors. Since the tradition of mission furniture is an age-old one, how this furniture is crafted and created is also age-old.
For one the material used is none of the convenient but soulless plywood or particle board that is so often used in modern furniture. Here solid wood and only solid wood are used! The wood chosen is of the slow-growing variety, which makes for strong, long-wearing, and high-quality furniture that will last, quite literally, a lifetime.
Another point of import when you talk about Amish mission furniture is the techniques that are used to make this furniture: the beliefs of the Amish themselves preclude modernly mechanized and automated methods of furniture making. This furniture is made in about the same way that it was made more than a hundred years ago! This is handcrafted furniture made using tools of a bygone era, and techniques also of a bygone era. And all this in a mechanized age where we trust machines to do all that we don’t want to do by hand!
It may be a contradiction in terms, but this furniture, whether it is Amish office furniture you speak about or the highly prized Amish dining room furniture, is both functional and a work of art as well. Because it is unique, exclusive, and individually handcrafted rather than mass-produced, each piece is a work of art. Because it is such good quality and so sturdily built, it is both practical and functional; it is a sensible investment that will stand you in good stead for literally a lifetime!
It is perhaps a paradox that Amish-made furniture is as commercially successful and popular among people as it is. For it is the very society that the Amish seek to separate themselves from that greatly values the solid, durable, and beautiful craftsmanship that has become synonymous with Amish-made furniture, and more particularly Amish handcrafted furniture. Amish furniture includes dining room furniture, living room, bedroom, and every kind of furniture that you may require. The Amish craftsmen, because of their beliefs, are prohibited from running websites, however, people now enjoy the convenience of ordering Amish-made furniture online. The websites are usually run by dealers or retailers rather than the Amish craftsmen themselves.
Amish dining tables are especially valued for their longevity and classic and timeless styles. Many Amish craftsmen offer dining room furniture in different styles such as traditional, contemporary, and mission styles as per one’s preferences and tastes.
Unlike other varieties of furniture, Amish handcrafted furniture uses no particle board or laminate; natural and unprocessed wood is usually used to handcraft furniture using a minimum of technological aids. The wood is generally selected specifically keeping in mind the piece of furniture to be made. Also, the kind of wood used is very important; generally, hardwoods are used to make Amish dining room furniture because these varieties of wood grow more slowly and are more durable thus furniture made from this kind of wood (such as oak, cherry, and maple) is more long-lasting.
The history of Amish-made furniture goes back nearly a hundred years when dealers, as well as historians, noted that this kind of furniture was of very high quality and was also aesthetically very pleasing. There is the Jonestown School of furniture which is characterized by floral designs on the panels. Then there is the Soap Hollow School of furniture, so named because it originated in Soap Hollow, Pennsylvania.
Henry Lapp was one of the first to design Amish furniture in the manner that we find so distinctive and easily recognizable today. It was he that started to make furniture that was undecorated and plain in the manner that so characterizes Amish furniture.
There are some articles of Amish-made dining room furniture that have a historical connotation, such as the jelly cabinet or the jam cupboard, which are generally used for storage in the dining room or the kitchen. There is a historical significance to these articles of furniture first used in the early 19th century, which reflect the rural tradition of preserving fruit from the summer harvest into and for the long winter months ahead. These cupboards, earlier made to fulfill the requirement to store, jams and other fruit preserves would now evoke a sense of nostalgia and are very much in demand.
Part of the reason that Amish furniture is so distinctive is that it is largely handcrafted. So while some automated aids may be used to make a dining table, the detailing and the finishing of the table will usually be done by hand, which is why there is an assurance of the highest quality.
Amish chests are handcrafted wood furniture, designed to enhance the ambiance and functionality of your home decor. These large and sturdy chests are used for storing clothes, blankets, toys, and other personal belongings, which generally remain scattered throughout the home and need to be stored more neatly. Besides making the rooms in your home more organized and clutter-free, these chests are a great way to add a bit of style and flair to your abode.
Amish chests are meticulously designed and assembled by a dedicated team of skilled craftsmen, who use woods like aromatic red cedar, oak, maple, and cherry from which they carve the many intricate components of these precious chests, each one boasting the poetic bravado of these master craftsmen. Our chests come in a variety of finishes and colors, from lightly colored chests in red or brown to cherry or tanned brass chests to suit your room decor. The wood can be stained to create any color you may desire.
Amish chests are available in an array of forms and sizes. Keeping in mind your current needs, various online stores offer a wide range of handcrafted Amish chests. Their product lines typically include hope chests, cedar chests, reproduction chests, waterfall chests, shaker chests, mission chests, toy chests, and many more. The nostalgic steamer trunks, constructed from solid oak and oak veneers, feature genuine leather handles, brass plated hardware, and a sliding cedar tray, bringing an antique touch to any room. Our waterfall chest offers a classic design with a rounded top and scalloped foot; whereas, our toy chests help in storing toys. In addition, Amish blanket chests help in storing all your oversized blankets, pillowcases, and linen sheets neatly. In all, these Amish chests are designed to suit any anyway of your needs.
Amish chests may be purchased online at affordable rates. Many online furniture stores sell a wide range of Amish chests. If you are looking for an online furniture store, just browse for Amish handcrafted chests and obtain the information about the store that provides the best quality Amish handcrafted chests.