Amish Heirloom Furniture

What is Victorian Styled Furniture?

2010-10-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

…..and how is it different than Queen Anne? Victorian style furniture was named for Queen Victoria of England and was developed 1840-1910. The Victorian style draws its influence from gothic forms with heavy proportions, dark finish, elaborate carving and ornamentation.

Queen Anne Furniture was named after Queen Anne of England who reigned from 1702-1714. This styling is a refinement of the early Dutch and Chinese influences and is characterized with a moderately proportioned, graceful appearance. It has cabriole legs terminating in a pad or drake foot, fiddle-back chair back and bat wing shaped drawer pulls.

Whether you’re looking for Victorian styling or Queen Anne, Amish Workbench Furniture has the largest selection at www.amishwbf.com:

• Queen Anne Collection: extravagant curves, sharp accenting and ornate panels; these pieces are ideal for dining space that must double as formal and informal

• Regal Collection: lush with exquisite detail, it luxuriates in the formal accenting like dramatic curves, fine scrollwork and carving, and luxurious upholstery

Step into a different place and time when grace and ceremony were reflected in the elegant embellishments applied to everyday items. This furniture will bring back the days of white roses and cotillions with the same kind of furniture found in formal dining rooms of a gilded era.

What is Country Style Furniture?

2010-10-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

…..there’s a lot more to country style furniture these days. Many cosmopolitan trendsetters are finding that a dash of that homey feel can liven up a space.

Whether you’re pulling up a chair for a cup of coffee with friends or gathering the clan together for Friday pizza night, Country styled collections will become part of your family and make your house a home.

View the largest collection of Country styling at Amish Workbench Furniture at their website: www.amishwbf.com:

· Traditional Collection: the name says it all. The ultimate dining set straight from the country kitchen; instant warmth of hearth and home.

· Andover Collection: top of the line construction techniques and the best finishes allow this collection to be used and loved for generations.

· Canted Collection: elegant yet informal, this is ideal for the active family that enjoys spending time together.

· Lancaster Collection: cosmopolitan flourishes give this collection a decidedly urban feel.

A step back in time may actually be a step forward (“less is more”). Enjoy the simple, utilitarian American country style of furniture with a Pennsylvania Dutch quality for furniture to last a lifetime.

AUTUMN EQUINOX

2010-09-23T11:35:00.001-07:00

One calendar says the Marigold is the flower for October. My marigolds are eaten alive by the snails and slugs long before October. Someone must have been able to keep them looking bright and cheery until the chill of October comes. On the east coast, it’s often more than chill, but snow that will last until Easter.

A change of season, a change of a new school year, perhaps a change in your décor. Especially for the holidays. Time is running out to order for holidays. The Amish builders receive many orders at this time of year. Don’t be disappointed and find you’re too late to order. Remember, it takes a minimum of 6 – 8 weeks to build, and a week to deliver to our warehouse for inspection before being released to you. Often production will be delayed because of the increase in orders. Like flowers, if you don’t get to the nursery early for your selection, you’ll be without and very disappointed.

THE POOL IS CLOSED

2010-09-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

That kind of sign would be a wonderful sight for Professor Harold Hill to see. To the rest of us, it means summer is over. Young ‘uns goin’ back to school, including Amish children. No more bare feet. New tennis shoes, new lunch pail with thermos, the smell of new books, new friends to make, old friends to see, ahh. And a quieter house for parents. Some parents will find time to assist in the classroom at school. Amish parents do this too, taking pre-school age children with them.

The new Nickel Mines Amish school will be open for its second year.

Is It Mission or Arts & Crafts Furniture?

2010-09-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

…..are they antiques or are they new furniture pieces? Whatever you want to call them, they are some of the finest heirloom quality pieces made in the USA today.

The descriptive name “mission furniture” was first coined by Joseph McHugh, a New York furniture manufacturer, to describe his line of straight line rustic style furniture that he began producing about 1895. The mission style furniture design was based on a chair that had been designed for a church in San Francisco circa 1894-1895. The mission chair was a simple chair, the design of which was influenced by the Spanish missions of the area, thus the term “mission furniture”.

Mission furniture caught on as a generic term for the style of furniture and also the European term “art & crafts” was used to describe the American craftsman furniture. About the same time, Gustav Stickley (Stickly) was developing his own mission furniture designs. Many of the pieces had transitional designs that combined both Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau styles. But by the 1900’s, the mission designs became more straight lined and developed into the familiar mission style, as we know it.

For the most complete selection of mission style (Arts & Crafts) furniture check out the Amish Workbench Furniture website: www.amishwbf.com where you’ll find collections to satisfy every period preference:

• Classic Mission Collection: clean lines, subtle curves and dramatic height

• Grand Mesa Collection: pub table height for evening cards or afternoon tea

• Liberty Mission Collection: an upscale spin on the American Arts and Crafts movement

• Mission Collection: an American classic of unpretentious grace and simple sophistication

• Santa Cruz Collection: intricate cutouts and sloping angles define these show-stopping pieces

• Santa Fe Collection: instant sophistication confirms the classy Mission style of the southwest

…..so whether you call it Mission or Arts & Crafts this timeless styling is at home in both traditional and contemporary settings.

Who are the Shakers?

2010-09-03T17:27:00.001-07:00

…..and why is their furniture, styled in the late 1700’s, still popular today? Shaker furniture, elegant in simplicity, functional and durable, is a timeless style at home in both traditional and contemporary settings.

Like the fine antiques produced a century ago by diligent Shaker craftsmen, today’s classic designs are hand crafted one at a time in solid cherry, maple and oak.

The Shakers are a small Protestant religious denomination founded in Manchester, England in the mid-1700’s as a dissident group of the Society of Friends (Quakers). Derisively called “Shaking Quakers” because their meetings included both singing and dancing. Their manner of worship stirred up “rage and enmity” and they decided to leave England.

The first group arrived in a small hamlet near Albany, New York in 1774. By 1824 the Shakers had 19 self-sufficient communities from Maine to Indiana. The essential principles of the Shaker faith, as it developed in America, included celibacy, equality of sexes, community of goods and withdrawal into their own communities from the “World” (their term for all non-believers).

Shaker furniture evolved as simple, functional pieces of solid hardwood hand selected by the craftsman for color and figure. For the most complete selection of shaker style furniture, check out the Amish Workbench Furniture website: www.amishwbf.com where you’ll find collections to satisfy every period preference:

• Dutch Creek Collection: solid construction and clean lines to make a statement in any décor

• Heritage Collection: efficient design with two-tone highlights

• Modern Shaker Collection: softened rustic features for a versatile interior design

• Valley Shaker Collection: rustic and homey reminds of a simpler time

• Warren Collection: simplicity with a twist provides some unique design variations

…..you don’t have to be a Shaker to enjoy furniture that will last a lifetime in both traditional and contemporary settings.

Most Comprehensive Amish Furniture Site on the Web

2010-08-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

Tualatin, OR- For generations Amish craftsmen, principally in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio, have custom made heirloom-quality 100% solid wood furniture generally considered among the finest in the industry. But since the Amish restrain from the use of modern technology, such as phones and computers, they are limited in their ability to convey information about their furniture to consumers. Until now.

On July 22nd, a Tualatin-based company, Amish Workbench Furniture, launched a new website, amishwbf.com, that is by far the most comprehensive resource devoted to Amish made furniture in cyberspace or print. Consumers can currently view thousands of items from 14 of the largest Amish furniture manufacturers. 35 Amish companies are expected to be included by the end of the year.

The easy to navigate site allows customers to search by product type, room or manufacturer. Although the Amish are famous for Mission and Shaker pieces, they also handcraft furniture in a wide array of other styles including French Provincial, Early American, Queen Anne, Tuscan, Santa Fe, Victorian, Traditional, Craftsman, Windsor and Aspen among others. After deciding on a style, amishwbf.com customers may also view swatches of woods, stains, fabrics and leathers.

As convenient as it is for consumers, amishwbf.com isn’t intended to reduce old fashion customer contact. Visitors to the site are encouraged to call a toll-free number to speak directly with Amish Workbench Furniture staff 12-hours per day, 7 days per week. That’s because purchasing custom-made furniture requires a dizzying array of decisions that are far easier to make when talking to an expert. Customers can discuss the merits of different woods, finishes, edges and options. They can also have their furniture made in custom sizes.

Although pricing varies by craftsman, furniture purchased through amishwbf.com is always sold at prices significantly below MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail prices). The furniture is then made to order and delivered directly to the customer’s home, typically in four to six weeks. All furniture is constructed from sustainable reforested lumber and customers can learn about Amish environmental practices while visiting amishwbf.com.

Launching a major national website was certainly not the plan when Carol and Jay Titsworth first visited the Amish countryside more than 20 years ago. The couple fell in love with the simplicity of the Amish life style and began collecting Amish furniture and art for their own home. Returning several times each year, they forged long-term friendships with Amish craftsmen and artisans. In (year), they opened their first retail outlet offering Amish furniture and handicrafts. Today, Amish Workbench Furniture has stores in Tualatin, Salem and Troutdale and has helped thousands of families obtain custom built heirloom-quality furniture from the Amish craftsmen the Titsworths represent.

Planning and constructing amishwbf.com took almost a full year. After extensively studying all online competitors, the site was designed by Lutes Advertising, a Newberg based agency which has served a diverse client base of northwest companies for 27 years. Brian Cox of 4threalm.com was the web developer. Prior to going live with the new site, Amish Workbench Furniture extensively retrained their veteran staff so that they could recreate the in-store experience of buying custom-made furniture for online customers. Results to this point have been exceedingly positive and the company expects to be adding additional infrastructure to keep up with the increased demand.

Local Business Actually Benefits from Global Economic Crisis

2010-04-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

The order arrived by email and it was exceptionally large. But what was most interesting was the shipping address – Bungendore, NSW, Australia. As the owners of Amish Workbench Furniture’s three retail stores and website, Carol and Jay Titsworth were used to shipping furniture all across the country, but international sales were rare, especially of this magnitude.

The customers, Margaret Coaldrake and Gary Tamsitt, had fallen in love with a handmade Mission sofa that they’d seen at Amish Workbench Furniture’s Troutdale showroom while visiting the States last October. Margaret, a business consultant specializing in governance risk compliance, and Gary, who directs the legal workshop department at Australia’s National University in Canberra, had visited the Northwest to see their daughter, a student at the University of Washington.

After returning home to Australia, Margaret began watching the exchange rate between the Australian and US dollars. Because the global financial crisis was felt more mildly in Australia than in the US, the value of Australian currency began climbing rapidly. In fact, by the time Margaret and Gary placed their furniture order, the Australian dollar was worth about 30% more than it had been when they first considered the purchase. That more than paid for the additional shipping costs of transporting the furniture from Ohio, where it was handcrafted; to Tualatin, where it was thoroughly inspected by the Amish Workbench Furniture staff; to Long Beach, CA, where it was packed onto a container ship; to Sydney, Australia, the port where it will arrive; and finally to Margaret and Gary’s home outside the village of Bungendore, about 50 kilometers from Canberra, the Australian capital.

With the last of their four children recently off to college, Margaret and Gary had decided to celebrate their new found status as “empty nesters” with new furniture (their old furniture was passed on to the children). Using the Amish Workbench Furniture website, they ordered two sofas, an end table, coffee table, TV stand, sofa table, dining table, six side chairs, two arm chairs and a separate pedestal table, all handmade in the Mission style by Amish craftsmen using solid quarter sawn white oak with a fabric reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright designs. Gary praises the “simple dignity” of the Mission style and the “outstanding craftsmanship” of the Amish artisans. The couple had searched extensively for similar furniture in Australia, but had not found the quality or “unity of design” they were looking for.

Returning to the Northwest this week to visit their daughter and attend some academic conferences, Margaret and Gary traveled to Amish Workbench Furniture’s Tualatin headquarters and visited Carol and Jay, who they now consider friends. They’re excited about their new furniture (which is slated to arrive in Australia in early May) and already considering additional pieces and Amish crafts. “We’re planning several dinner parties to show off our new furniture,” commented Margaret. “I told Carol and Jay to expect more orders from Australia, we think our friends will fall in love with Amish made furniture just like we did.”

xxxxx

Photo Caption: Margaret Coaldrake and Gary Tamsitt of Bungendore, NSW, Australia visiting Amish Workbench Furniture’s Tualatin showroom. Because of highly favorable exchange rates, the couple had recently placed a large order of handmade Mission style furniture to be shipped to their Australian home.

The Wizard of oz

2010-02-21T06:38:00.000-08:00

We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto. But the Land of Oz found its way to the Pacific Northwest.

Last Fall, a couple from Bungendore, Australia, visited our Troutdale showroom on First Friday. Seeing furniture that would fit their home perfectly, they made notes. Upon arriving home, they checked www.amishwbf.com on the Internet than contacted us by email, jayandcarol@amishwbf.com. The world economy was doing its roller coaster ride, the Australian dollar included. They chose to purchase from Amish Workbench Furniture, saving money, even with shipping from the Northwest, customs and taxes in Australia. Emails filled cyberspace as arrangements were made to complete the transaction.

First to arrive at the Tualatin facility was the dining room furniture. Following came the living room pieces. A local moving company, who has and international division, packed it into a sea worthy shipping container. And its journey had begun to Bungendore, New South Wales, Australia.

Margaret Coaldrake and her husband Gary Tamsitt have a daughter at the University of Washington. On their most recent visit to see her, they stopped at the Tualatin showroom to see where it all started, and to meet us. The weather was more than typical rain. But that didn’t bother them. They agreed to an interview. While visiting with us, serendipity called: the international shipping company, to let them know the ship would sail on Good Friday, arriving in Australia in early May.

Besides saving money, we learned Australia doesn’t have an abundance of wood for furniture production. Second, to buy furniture for one room to match furniture in the adjoining room, isn’t possible. Margaret was thrilled her two rooms were going to be the same style – Mission. Third, they were impressed with the quality of our product. Simply the best, not the most expensive.

Wood is green

2010-02-14T06:37:00.000-08:00

With the emphasis on being environmentally conscious and the adverse economy, the Amish presented and educated retailers about their products at the Hardwood Furniture Builders’ Guild in Walnut Creek, OH.

Hopewood (occasional tables: end tables, coffee tables, sofa tables) added a wedge shape end table. Occasional tables do more than hold lamps, magazines or coffee mugs. Often they serve as a regular dining surface for family movie night, a sturdy place for homework and a prop for laptops. Hopewood added poplar to its large selection of woods.

A brief explanation of foam used in sofas and chairs by Country View Woodworking and Quality Fabrications: HR, high resiliency/density, in a range of 2.2.5 in foam standards. It bounces back better, slower to dry out over time versus conventional foam. 2.2-2.5 is standard usage among furniture manufacturers.

Amish Workbench Furniture has always been green with paper bags for small purchases.

For those of you interested in being green, let us know if you prefer to receive your newsletter via email, rather than snail mail. Contact us at jayandcarol@amishwvf.com with your email address. You will be kept on our mailing list, have less mail in your postal mailbox, less paper in your recycling bin; share with friends, family and neighbors by forwarding the newsletter on your computer, save a tree…let’s hear it for green!

Celebrations at amish workbench

2010-02-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

Each month our Troutdale and Salem stores celebrate firsts: Troutdale celebrates First Friday at 255 E. Columbia River Highway. Dates for this year: April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 1, November 5 and December 3. Bring your friends and family to enjoy the evening and people. Neighbors are welcome too. You’ll want to return each month; see art or listen to music. Rosie and Donna will greet and assist you, 5 PM to 9 PM.

Salem celebrates First Wednesday, 6 PM – 8 PM, at the Reed Opera House, corner of Court and Liberty Streets, NE. Dates for this year: April 7, May 5, June 2, July 7, August 4, September 1, October 6, November 2 and December 1. Park in the Chemeketa Parkade, make the rounds. Don is waiting with a warm welcome to meet your family, neighbors and friends you bring with you. Make an evening of it. Celebrate!

SAY AHH...SAY AWESOME! Say amish

2010-02-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

That describes the beauty of Amish made Furniture. The recent Hardwood Furniture Builders’ Guild of Holmes County, Ohio showcased dozens of Amish builders with new ideas for furniture. There are more than 400 Amish woodworkers in Ohio building different parts of the chairs, tables, cabinets, cedar chests, hall seats, desks, etc. or the whole item. We were fortunate to see so many of them at the show. We hope to bring samples to our showroom floors for your enjoyment. You’ll need to come in person to see. No cameras allowed on the showroom floor.

Snow on the ground, barely 30 degrees, hot chocolate to warm us, friendly builders anxious to share the beauty of their work; traditional styles, plus new contemporary ones; delicious lunch; a very enjoyable trip.

Being winter time, the streets weren’t crowded with tourists. That made it easier to travel up and down the back roads to visit the builders who were unable to participate in the show.

Of course a meal at Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen is a must every time we return to Holmes County. Fresh homemade bread with Amish peanut butter or apple butter is always on the table. Oh! Dessert is never passed up. Fresh homemade pies…ahh, Amish. From state route 39, turn north on county road 77, about five miles of up and down, and you’ll be there. Watch out for the buggies!

Remember, wood is green and the furniture is made here in the USA. Ahhh…Amish.

MR. ED, THE HORSE, OF COURSE

2009-08-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Name the Horse Contest has come to a close. The winner of a $50 Gift Certificate to Amish Workbench Furniture is Barbara Sumner of Portland who suggested Amish Apple Andy. Many good names were contributed to the entries. Hard to choose. The horse, who comes from Berlin, OH in Amish Country, pulls the velveteen lined, steel wheeled family carriage of the Ray Yoder, Jr. family. It was heated with a propane heater. The rear sports an orange fluorescent triangle, the front and sides have lights, providing safety at night along the unlit roads of Holmes County, OH. Amish Workbench Furniture buys gliders from “Junior”. The most comfortable block of wood you ever sat in.

Arrow back glider by L & J Woodworking

Ten Years!

2009-08-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

“That’d make a cute country store.” Those were the words, ten years ago, said in unison, by Jay and Carol Titsworth, when they first saw the building to become The Mohler House 1865 in Aurora, OR. Jay was one week into retirement and already bored. After several trips to craft shows and antique outlets, the merchandise started coming. Priced and put on the shelves with help from family members, The Mohler House 1865 opened Labor Day weekend in 1999. Stonewall Kitchen jams, Annie Harlin bears and hooked rugs, Paul Rung Shaker furniture, scherenschnitte, Rock Riffle Run pottery, Trapp Private Garden and Sunshine candles, Arawjo hand woven baskets, Rebecca Esh handmade quilts, placemats, hot pads, wall hangings, hand embroidered flour sack dish towels, antiques from Hearts of Ohio and Our Country Home, metal sculptures, embroidered art, original oil and watercolor pictures, note cards, books, everything Amish. Soon new Amish made furniture could be ordered. Historic moments in Aurora were the installation of a sewer line and the fire destroying Impressions Antiques. The business grew, moving to 3rd and Main in Aurora, then a chain was established with a second store in Salem at the historic Reed Opera House. New employees, more buying trips, making new friends with Amish builders, trips to pick up furniture people ordered, and the chain grew to historic Troutdale. On a roll, a fourth store opened in Tualatin with a receiving dock and more show room space. Although Aurora has been consolidated into Tualatin, there’s no question of what to do with retirement time for Jay. Come see us at any of the stores and wish us happy anniversary.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

2009-08-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

When you upgraded your TV, or computer recently, it was frustratingly complicated, wasn’t it? No simple, bring it home, take it out of the box, plug it in. Extra this and that were needed, at additional expense, to make it work just the way you wanted.

Aha! Amish Workbench Furniture is NOT complicated, but simple. You pick it up, or have it delivered, put together with no need to buy extra screws or attachments, no confusing assembly instructions, and voila, it’s ready to use. You ordered the wood, stain color, fabric you wanted, it matches your décor; what could be more simple? Well, you might want to order a table pad to protect your new table. Holiday dinners are coming up.

Dovetail Drawers

2009-08-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

Dovetail describes how the drawers of a furniture piece are jointed together. The best quality furniture is manufactured using dovetail construction like in our Borkholder, Millcraft, Valley View and Manasses Henry hutches, buffets, servers, dressers and nightstands.

Dovetail construction consists of a series of small “V” shapes that are cut from one surface with the opposite surface consisting of “V” shaped cut outs of the opposite shape. These pieces are locked together in such a manner it is almost impossible to separate them.

By jointing the drawers at the very end of each board gives maximum storage capacity. In addition to increased drawer capacity, jointing construction adds to the strength and longevity of the drawer and in turn, the entire piece of furniture.

At Amish Workbench Furniture even our specialty cabinets (hoosiers, pie safes, jelly cupboards and desks) use dovetail construction.

Mixing It Up

2009-06-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

Sharing decorating successes with furniture purchased from Amish Workbench Furniture are the pluses of our business. Note the photo at right. A table and chairs, purchased at a different time than the buffet/hutch, blend in this customer’s home. This is an example of mixing it up to have finishes and colors that compliment each other, not matching exactly.

Furniture is often purchased one piece at a time, causing fits to those who want every piece to match exactly. Remember, it’s okay to have variety. Other accessories can tie the room together. Find the focal point in the room, then work around it with cherished treasures. Rotate items from storage (a.k.a. the attic, garage, under your bed, junk closet) to your walls and tables. Decorate with what you have: trying a new arrangement of pictures on the wall; grouping items by color or similar theme. Imagination, let it rise. What a pleasant surprise awaits when mixing things away from the routine arrangements. Or adding a new piece to adorn your living area: a sign, hand hooked or quilt wall hanging, an original or framed print, ceramic or pottery vase, pitcher, pewter candlestick holder, braided rug, scherenschnitte, carved swan or loon, a number of special art choices are available at Amish Workbench Furniture.

Hangin' In There

2009-06-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature has certainly let us know what she can do with the sun here in the Pacific Northwest. Did you find a drawer to stuff the heavy winter blankets? Wouldn’t a quilt rack be more attractive, let the items air out? Quilt racks are great for your table runners, table cloths, or ...the kitchen towel, instead of the refrig or oven doors. Available in a number of styles, solid oak or cherry wood. No, they aren’t good for hangin’ the wet beach towels or sleeping bags!

Also available are black metal hooks, heart or ram’s head shapes, strong enough for the kitchen towel, bathroom face cloth or the winter jacket you’re not wearing this season; three sizes.

For decorative plates, there are black metal single, double or triple plate hangers. Get those pretty dishes out of the cupboard and show them off now, wowing your friends.
Wood peg rails are super by the door, where kids come in, to hang backpacks, etc. In the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, wherever you need a handy peg for hangin’. An umbrella, for those summer showers, an apron, hot pad, sweater, even a pencil on a string.

Room With a View

2009-05-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Some folks are fortunate to have a view of the majestic Cascade mountains. Others, a stream, lovely garden, or the neighbor’s yard. Whatever your view is, enjoy it with a gentle gliding Amish made porch glider. Available in oak (for protected outdoor areas) or treated pine. A gliding footstool completes your comfort. Gliders come in four and five foot lengths. Some have a center section that flips down to put your cups. Our grandchildren love to eat their lunch on ours, and the divider keeps Russell on his own side. Also matching gliding chairs, and end table. Perhaps you’d prefer a swing, picnic table, benches, or an Adirondack chair. Remember, 20% discount from Amish Workbench Furniture. A short turn around time from date of order. Our Amish manufacturer has no phone or fax so he receives his order from us via US mail. Then uses the public phone at the end of his road to call letting us know it’s ready for pickup. Imagine an evening, gentle breezes, your favorite crossword puzzles, happy sounds of children playing, chatting with the neighbors, finishing your dessert coffee, fighting off yellow jackets because you forgot to hang your yellow jacket trap. Sounds like an evening in Amish country. So get busy and make a space for this glider. You’ll be glad you did

Monster Mash

2009-05-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

We were so delighted to have dinner in one of our Amish manufacturer’s homes on a recent buying trip to Holmes County, OH. Laura Yoder, our hostess, has been gracious enough to share her recipe for mashed potatoes. We love Amish mashed potatoes! We forget the “waste” line when visiting Amish country. Adjust to your family size. The recipe is for 7 people. I used it for 11, and it really needs the milk for creaminess.

Mashed Potatoes
Boil potatoes (around 9 nice ones). When soft, mash well and add: 1/2 stick real butter, 1/4 stick cream cheese (I used the 8 oz size), 1/4 C sour cream, salt to taste, milk till right consistency. Heat till hot, stirring constantly.

Our Amish cookbooks haven’t been researched to see if this recipe is in any of them. However, there are many mouth watering recipes in the Amish cookbooks available in our store. Wanna try Scrapple, Shoo fly Pie, dry corn or a sugar free recipe? Some of the books have charming snippits of Amish life. Remember, these books are available at Amish Workbench Furniture.

Sea of Brown

2009-04-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Furniture shopping to some people is a chore. Upon entering a store, they are greeted with a sea of brown, from one end to the other, brown, brown, brown. But wait! Have you noticed the subtleties of brown? Blue tones when Ohio Certified Stain Seely is applied to solid cherry or oak; orange red tones on quarter sawn white oak with Michael’s Cherry stain; strawberry blond tones with natural on red oak, or S-2 stain; more rich reddish tones of natural cherry darkening with exposure to light. Gorgeous! And the grain of real wood, so varied (to die for!)and interesting, versus the sameness in pattern with veneer.

Such complexity in solid wood, that suddenly it’s not a sea of brown; far from plain. Touch the wood. It will seduce you with its beauty. Matte like hand rubbed oil finish, hand rubbed urethane finish or low sheen finish, plus high sheen finishes are your choices for your furniture, to give enormous pleasure for years to come. To the right is our miniature sea of brown in our booth at the Portland Spring Home & Garden Show. Notice the variety of brown.

When we receive your furniture, 4-6 of us inspect it, and always end up oohing and aahing over the beauty of the wood. Then we wipe the drool marks. Mother Nature done good. Other items such as placemats, pottery, pewter, fused glass plates, or pictures are accent colors in the sea.

When ordering a table, Remember— a McKay table pad.

Crossing Bridges

2009-03-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

We’ve come to a bridge, we don’t know how long the bridge is, yet things will be different on the other side. How many times have you heard that analogy in the past few months? Annie Harlin of Leesport, PA, past president of the PA Guild of Juried Handcrafters has crossed many bridges as an artisan. Active in the Guild, she made the most wonderful teddy bears, then crossed to hand hooked rugs/wall hangings. Even appeared with Lynette Jennings on the Discovery Channel.

We’re fortunate to have several of her original hooked wall hangings in our stores. A piece for a riser (you know what part of the stair that is?) has a patriotic theme. The “risers” don’t have to be put on a stair, but over a doorway, any section of a wall that needs something special. For each piece, she cuts the wool into strips, dyes them for the color she wants, then creates gorgeous scenes. Annie has had her own program on the Berks County, PA community cable TV channel, introducing Ned Foltz and Kim Ostramara.

We’ve known Annie for almost 20 years. Naturally when we opened our first store, we knew it was a must to have her work; a rarity outside of Pennsylvania. She has introduced us to other Guild artisans, for which we are very grateful. Along with other people who make hand hooked items, she calls herself a hooker. No further comment. Just come in and see her work. Maybe the sheep, a pussy cat, speckled bird or traditional heart will catch your eye. I would never walk on them.

The Cadillac of Redware Potters, Ned Foltz

2009-02-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

On one of our visits to the PA Guild of Juried Handcrafters Fair in Lancaster, PA, there was a booth that was crowded all day long: Ned Foltz Pottery. Then customers started asking if we had any of his pottery. Publicity came from Southern Living, Country Living, Early American Life and Country Home magazines, public and cable television. However, there was a time he felt another lump of clay was unformed and purposeless. Then he taught art in Cocalico, PA schools and found the Lancaster County redware tradition was dying. It had a rebirth, and Ned became hooked with the traditional style.

He has dug the abundant red clay himself. He made a sgraffito plate for a former ambassador from Mexico and been invited to hang one of his Christmas ornaments at the White House. Sgraffito is accomplished by coating the redware with a slip, then scratching the semidry liquid clay to reveal the red clay beneath with its exquisite design. Some examples of this style are available in our stores.

Ned Foltz is now retired, making the pieces we have extremely collectible. Glazes are lead free. Pieces made by a couple who worked for Ned Foltz, Mayre Landis, are also available. Whimsical Easter eggs, plates decorated with rabbits, snowmen, Halloween characters, a flower pot and traditional pieces are waiting for you to add to your decorations.

Feasting is Over

2009-02-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

Now that the major holidays are over, even if you had to celebrate after the fact, how did your table top fair with the company and anxious hungry guests? Did it receive a few dings and scratches? Solution: McKay Table Pads. They are 1/2” thick, insulated and come in different colors for the vinyl top and suede bottom to closely match the color of your table. One price for any length table, plus leaves, up to 144 inches. We have the large paper for you to make a template of your table top. Send it off and voila, life time protection. Leaf bags are also available.

The catalyzed conversion varnish finish on Valley View Oak tables is resistant to about 2 dozen liquids. Be sure to wipe spills promptly. Other things affecting any table finish are dust: wipe the surface with a cloth dampened with a non-ammonia, non-silicone furniture polish or mild detergent; fingerprints, cooking fumes, smoking residue will take away from the original luster; wipe with that dampened cloth; excessive exposure to direct sunlight, high temps & humidity can cause changes to the finish and wood itself, as explained in the last newsletter. Heat: anything that’s too hot for you to hold in your hands needs a hot pad under it. Protect your table now.

Wishes May Come True

2009-02-10T07:32:00.001-08:00

How many of you wished for a white Christmas? Judging by the intensity of the weather we experienced in our area in December, it was quite a few, and you got your wish. That did put a wrinkle in our delivery and pick up system, but we tried. Two customers got their wish when they entered the Oregonian’s Furniture Fantasy contest and we’re bustin’ our buttons that they chose to use their winnings at our store. One customer thought it was just a marketing ploy. Your entry was not added to any mailing list, nor to try and sell something by phone. Our Kim Young was chosen Salesperson of the Year. There are at least 3 lines of dining room, bedroom, entertainment and office furniture from which to choose. Handcrafted by the Amish. Some pieces are made by Amish families after they’ve finished with their chores. When we visit them in Ohio, we can hear the portable generator providing their electricity, chug, chug, chug, chug. (Say it fast to get the effect.) Recently added to our office furniture has been River Woodworking, in northern Indiana, building computer, flat top and roll top desks from 1” solid hardwood in a variety of wood species. Paul Yoder learned the art from his father. Some of the desks have secret compartments. Any desk would complement your home or office interior. Consider brown maple: looks like cherry, has the price of oak. Then add a desk chair by F & N Chairs or Buckeye Rockers. It was our wish to have these beautiful items on our floor to show some of the finest furniture made in the USA

Scherenschnitte

2009-02-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

No, you didn’t sneeze while trying to pronounce this German word meaning paper cutting. Its origins are in China, 25 AD to 221 AD. Paper was an expensive luxury and paper cutting was highly prized by Chinese royalty. Soon it made its way over the Silk Road to Europe. Today paper cutting is not practiced widely in Germany, except in Canton Bern, but remains popular in Switzerland and other countries. Each of our stores has an example of scherenschnitte featuring one of five PA Guild member artists: Jupi Das, of Harrisburg, PA whose work displays an oriental touch; Sandra Gilpin producing colored scherenschnitte, Marilyn Diener with a Polish style; Marie Helene Grabman, internationally known and featured in the magazine German Life, Feb/March 2009; and Neil Haring of Womelsdorf, PA who was commissioned to produce a piece for Liza Minelli’s last wedding. Traditional artists used heavy scissors; today there is a variety of specialty scissors. Of the artists whose work we display, only Neil Haring uses a knife. The others use fine scissors; Marie Helen Grabman uses fine surgical scissors, to cut from one piece of paper. The large cutting above the mantel in Aurora was displayed in the Detroit, MI Museum of Art before coming to our store. She has won numerous art awards, as has Neil Haring. Themes of the art can be elaborations of nature, folk life, specific celebrations, hearts or flowers.

To make your choice of the lacy designs, you might need to visit each of our stores before making a selection to decorate your home. It’s more than the snowflakes you made in the second grade.

Peggy Karr Retires Patterns

2009-02-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

Peggy Karr Glass is the finest fused enameled glass for the table and home, handmade in the USA since 1987. She isn’t retired, but several of her patterns are now retired. Although, different pieces are still available in our stores waiting to be added to your collection, or ready to start a collection. My favorite is St. Nick, the crescent shaped head on a round 11” plate. Daffodils is a close second with bright yellow heralding the start of spring. The 14” platter is sure to put a spark in your home décor. Some seasonal patterns for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, patriotic holidays, Halloween, and Christmas are retired but still in stock in our stores. The above picture shows, left to right, Pastel Tulips, Rainbow Iris and Floral Branch. Hang in your window to catch the sun, use to serve baked treats, display on a shelf or table . Dishwasher safe and microwave safe for warming, not cooking. Your friends will be jealous!

An Amish Maze

2009-01-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

Traveling in Holmes County Ohio can be both amazing and a maze.

The pristine beauty of the well kept farms, the horse drawn plows, the fields of corn and the clip-clop of a buggy on the road is both peaceful and amazing. But if you’re looking for a builder, quilter or bed & breakfast location, it can be a maze.

The roads and signs aren’t freeway style. A little white sign with black letters may be seen or, perhaps the road number is on a white stake, slightly tilted from buggy or car traveling too close…hard to read.

But if you’re not in a hurry and take your time, it can be rewarding: both the simplicity and peacefulness of it all. And you will find that location you were looking for. This is how Carol and Jay travel when visiting their friends in Holmes County.

Catch a glimpse of this magic on our website: www.amishwbf.com; or take a look at one of our links about the Amish…you too will be amazed.

Caring for Your Amish Furniture

2008-11-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

Amish furniture is hand crafted by some of the finest Amish wood craftsmen in the Country. Your purchase will last for generations with a little care. Here are some pointers in caring for your Amish furniture.

Keep your Amish Furniture out of direct sunlight and away from heat. Direct sunlight is the most natural element that destroys furniture finishes. Paste wax and polishes do not block the penetration of sunlight on furniture. Avoid polishes that contain silicones and dust the table ‘with the grain’. Clean the table with soap and water and dry with a clean towel or rag.

Maintain your home’s humidity in the 35% to 45% range. Rule of thumb: if you live in a high moisture area and have no ability to control your humidity level, give some thought to buying Amish furniture built from quarter-sawn white oak. White oak is naturally resistant to water damage and the quarter-sawing places the growth rings nearly vertical which cause the wood to ‘swell’ nearly vertical. This allows the wood to expand and contract with little chance of twisting, cupping or cracking.

Our quarter-sawn dining table and chairs, desks and entertainment centers are reminiscent of time past. They are built by Amish craftsmen and will last you a lifetime. See the entire collection on our website: www.amishwbf.com.

Jay and Carol

Amish Quarter-Sawn Furniture

2008-11-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

What makes an Amish built piece of furniture a superior heirloom piece. Obviously, part of the credit goes to the expert craftsmanship of the Amish. But one must also give credit to the harvested, dried and sorted lumber grade.

Quarter-sawn lumber is the uncontested winner when compared to plain (or flat) sawn lumber. It reduces shrinking and swelling in width and it reduces twisting, warping and cupping. It is less prone to surface checking and does not allow liquids to readily pass through it.

But the most notable characteristic of quarter-sawn lumber lies in it incomparable grain patterns. The revival of Mission style furniture is just one example of how today’s Amish furniture craftsmen are rediscovering the unique beauty of quarter-sawn lumber. Quarter sawing is a specialized technique requiring more time and greater skill to produce.
For most, the art of quarter sawing has been lost over the years, except for Amish furniture craftsmen. And, quarter-sawn oak is one of the most difficult woods to dry. It requires the longest amount of time in the kiln.

Our quarter-sawn dining table and chairs, desks and entertainment centers are spectacular. They are built by Amish craftsmen and will last you a lifetime. See the entire collection on our website: www.amishwbf.com.

Jay and Carol

Amish “Gluing and Sanding” in Building Table Tops

2008-10-21T05:53:00.000-07:00

“Amish Furniture” has the reputation of a “brand name” based on years of heirloom quality construction. The careful selection of solid hardwood lumber is the first step in building dining room tables.

Amish furniture craftsmen first select their lumber by color and grain pattern. They then use a wood jointer to smooth and straighten one edge of the board completely straight. The craftsman checks carefully to get a perfectly straight edge on each board. The boards are then “ripped” to different widths to yield as much lumber as possible from each piece of wood. The wider boards give a nicer grain pattern; and, although they are more expensive, they are worth the money.

After the boards are laid out in the correct order for gluing, the craftsman checks the end grain for the proper grain pattern. It is preferable to keep every other board’s yearly growth rings “opposite” from each other. This process helps control the wood from “cupping”.

After the glue is dry, the clamps are removed and excess glue is scraped off. The wood is placed into the wood planer and smoothed down to the approximate final thickness. Usually we begin with 5/4” lumber and plane it down to a solid 1” thickness.

The craftsman is now ready to run the board through a special machine that has a large sanding belt inside. This belt gives a uniform sanding to the board. Amish craftsmen then finish the process by using various grits of sandpaper by hand to complete the process.

Our dining table and chairs are built by Amish craftsmen and will last you a lifetime. See the entire collection on our website: www.amishwbf.com.

Jay and Carol

Amish “Joints” in Building Furniture

2008-10-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

Amish furniture craftsmen have built a “brand name” all their own. Most of the Amish furniture shops (often barns) are family owned producing small amounts of furniture each year. Each family takes pride in their work and produces a product that will last for generations. The “joints” used to build their dining tables, chairs, hutches and buffets and bedroom furniture use special joining methods to add strength to their fine furniture.

The most often used joint in Amish furniture building is the mortise and tenon joint. It has tremendous strength by allowing more surface area for glue to hold. Some Amish furniture builders use the blind mortise joint. The blind mortise still allows for superior strength in the joint, yet saves the craftsmen some time in building.

They use the dovetail joint for drawers. It gives superior strength in all directions due to the interlocking “fingers” of the joint. Each dovetail is machined within a few thousands of an inch from solid wood.

The dado joint is made with a special blade on the table saw. This allows a board to be “grooved” inside another board. It adds tremendous strength to the Amish furniture.
All of our furniture is built by Amish craftsmen and will last you a lifetime. See the entire collection on our website: www.amishwbf.com.

Jay and Carol

Amish Furniture = Intrinsic Values

2008-10-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Amish furniture is more than just wood products. Its quality and craftsmanship speaks to family and friends, telling stories of past gatherings and memories. The construction and finish tells a story of beauty, attention to detail, and a simple elegance that cannot be found in today’s mass produced furniture. Amish built solid wood furniture can define your home and the unique beauty it beholds.

For our Amish furniture builders in Ohio and Indiana it’s a testament to design, art and skills passed down from their fathers. Many of our Amish builders have invented their own unique tools and jigs to build their furniture. Their skills of woodworking with minimal tools and limited resources will impress anyone who cherishes heirloom quality furniture.

Feel free to use our website (www.amishwbf.com) to look at all our fine furniture to make informed purchasing decisions. Then call us to talk about how we can customize the furniture to suit your needs. For instance, many of the finishing shops work with companies that manufacture stains to get ‘color matched’ colors for clients that are trying to match existing furniture.

We’re always glad to assist you with particular requirements to meet your special needs. We try to be ‘simply the best, not the most expensive’.

Jay and Carol
Amish Workbench Furniture Co.

Decorating for Keeps

2008-09-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

I have a relative who is able to redecorate major portions of their home frequently. I always enjoy visiting to see the latest results. If you think the redo is done to keep up with the latest design trends, think again. The following timeless items are kept in mind:

• Buy what you love, as it is a part of your character; create your own style (we love Amish and juried handcrafts);

• Spend a little more for quality; you’ll have it a long time, and since you love it, you won’t grow tired of it (Amish heirloom quality furniture comes to mind);

• Be wary of trendy colors; decorate with the colors you love as they are part of what makes you unique;

• Stick to classic lines (Shaker and Mission styles are classic);

• Avoid buying everything at once; it’s more fun to shop around and add something just a bit different yet knowing it will blend with what you have because it fits your style; save for a favorite piece of art; collect interesting articles;

• Create balance between the elements, wood, stone, metal with fabric to soften the edges;

• And make the experience of buying a good one.

Even though this relative redoes the wallpaper and paint frequently, the basics remain. They are enhanced with one or two new items, not necessarily large pieces. A new lamp, wall hanging, candles, decorative florals, etc. Try it yourself. You’ll like it.

Carol

Elections

2008-09-02T05:59:00.000-07:00

The upcoming presidential elections are right in our faces these days.

The Amish face a different election, the selection of preachers and deacons in their church district. Selection practices differ among various churches, but they derive from the traditions of the first generation Anabaptists.

A brother, among other attributes, must be of strong personality to handle the responsibilities of this position. After it is announced at a church service, there is time for reflection and prayer for the brother who may be chosen, as he has a great burden to carry in this position. Ending days of consideration, there is an ordination service. Members pass an open door and whisper into the ear of a brother the name of the candidate they feel would be a good leader. This name is recorded. The candidates with the most votes come into the lot. This is a practice coming from the apostles choosing a replacement for Judas. Hymnals are produced with one of them containing a slip of paper with a Bible verse on it. The books are shuffled and each candidate chooses one. The brother who chooses the hymnal with the Bible verse in it, is then ordained for office. This office is held for life, unless the bearer of the office commits a serious misdemeanor, whereupon he is “brought to a stop in office”.

A standard voice for the Amish has never existed, meaning there is no main Amish church. Each church is autonomous. There have been gatherings of church leaders to discuss interpretation of the Bible and how to apply it to Amish life. Yet, each church decides for itself if it will follow.

Carol

Craftsman Style Furniture

2008-08-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

Stickley-esque in appearance; Amish heirloom in construction; 100% solid hardwood Quartersawn White Oak…craftsman style sofas, loveseats, Morris chairs, coffee and end tables, made by Amish builders, are a fantastic buy. This is a value not to be missed.

For example, the full-length (84” x 36”) sofa in quarter sawn white oak, priced at $2,588, will save you enough, compared to the branded product, to buy a matching chair or two end tables to go with it. And the Amish build using traditional dovetail, hand finished construction and provide a lifetime guarantee on the foam cushion material.

Quartersawn White Oak became popular in the U.S. in the late 1800’s when Gustav Stickley and other craftsmen began building Arts and Crafts for Mission furniture in quarter sawn white oak and has again shown a strong rise in popularity in recent years.

See the entire collection on our website: www.amishwbf.com.

Jay and Carol

Living Without Electricity

2008-08-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

But not without gasoline, even though they don’t drive a car. However, the Amish rely on the same fuel we use in our automobiles, to power their tractors, or diesel to power their tools. Home heat and home industries rely on portable generators powered by diesel, propane or gasoline. Thus the Amish are also feeling the pinch with higher prices of these commodities.

In addition, the cost of stains, finishes and lumber has increased. Their suppliers have higher expenses, which they pass on to Amish Furniture buyers, and the Amish manufacturers in turn have to increase their prices to cover their costs.

No one is immune to the economic situation including the Amish.

The Journey

2008-07-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

It isn’t often that we receive a visit from our Amish vendors. (Remember, that’s Ahhhmish, as in comfortable furniture) But the owner of the company who builds our Amish gliders came to visit this week from Holmes County, OH. A long journey by train. We were delighted to greet them at the train station on a wonderful sunny day. (Summer finally came to the Northwest) We rented a large van and drove to a high spot in town so they could see mountains, even though they’d passed through Glacier Park in Montana with magnificent mountains. Here, they could see the famous volcano, Mt. St. Helens, and our other snow covered peaks that surround the city of Portland. What a glorious sight of nature!

For lunch we went to a restaurant on the Willamette River and had waterside dining where we enjoyed the antics of the Canada geese and one duck with her ducklings. And delicious seafood too. We tried walked off our meal strolling by some of the shops along the waterfront. Some of us still had room for an ice cream cone. They will be making a scrap book of their trip, using postcards they’ve bought along the way. I took some pictures of where we ate lunch, the geese and bridges of Portland to put in their book.

It was too soon and back to the train station where our friends were to continue on their way to southern California, then Colorado and more mountains. We wish them a safe journey. We thoroughly enjoyed having them as our guests.

AHHH…mish Furniture

2008-07-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

It is so comfortable! Like an old shoe you don’t want to throw away. So many people come, have a “sit” in the gliders, or the dining chairs and find that the seat is carved just to fit their bottom. So comfortable. They could sit at the kitchen table and talk with family and friends for a long time after their meal. And well built too. The sales representative, for one of our lines of dining furniture, demonstrated how sturdy the dining chairs are. He turned one over and stood on it. And he’s had plenty of Amish cooking to fill his belt. One customer who bought a glider, breathed a big sigh of contentment before buying it. His biggest problem? Which color, or should he buy both. One for the porch, and one for inside. Ahhhmish.

Do The Amish Use Power Tools?

2008-06-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

The Amish value simplicity over comfort, convenience and leisure. Their lifestyle is a deliberate way of separating from the world and maintaining self-sufficiency. Amish people interpret linking with electrical wires as a physical connection with the world – and the Bible tells them they are not to be “conformed to the world. (Romans 12:2).

But can you imagine the heirloom quality production of their hardwood furniture without using power tools? Yes, some smaller builders still make their products by hand, but for the most part power tools are used to amplify their skills passed on from generation to generation.

Some will have a generator in their barn (not in the home) to run the power tools. Often an ‘Englisher’ (non-Amish) owner will manage the shop and the Amish will work in the shop plying their trade. In both cases the quality construction and techniques they use result in fine quality dining room sets, bedroom suites and furniture for the entire home.

Check our website at www.amishwbf.com to see many of the fine products they make.

Carol and Jay

Amish or Irish?

2008-06-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

To be green or not to be green. It’s not easy being green. Wear green on St. Patrick’s Day or get pinched. Certainly the Irish are “green”. But I don’t know whether Ireland signed the Kyoto agreement or not.

The Amish are “green”. I mentioned previously that the wood used for their Amish furniture is from sustainable forests. In the one man shops, electricity is provided by a portable generator. The larger plants, of course, have electricity from the power lines at the road.

The turnover of employees is low. Turn the business over to a son, nephew, etc. Not so with offshore furniture. Less time spent training new people.

The best “green” of all, is buying Amish made furniture which will last for years and years. If properly cared for, it lasts and lasts. The style is classic and will be fashionable for generations. No need to buy new every five or ten years. No worry about what you ordered, it’s coming by ship, with hundreds of other mass produced items, and will it still be “in” when it gets here.

Enjoy “green” Amish handcrafted heirloom furniture.

Carol

Secrets about Amish Furniture

2008-06-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

It’s no secret that Amish furniture is handcrafted from solid hardwood lumber and that with proper care will provide a lifetime of service.

But, here are little known secrets that may endear you to Amish heirloom furniture as it has Carol and me.

1. The hardwoods selected for making Amish crafted furniture are sustainable. There is more available and growing than there is being used on an annual basis!
2. When working with solid lumber, it is expected that there will be variations in color and grain. These characteristic qualities give solid lumber furniture its unique charm.
3. Hardwoods are a natural fiber. Because most solid woods are open grained, your solid lumber furniture will breathe, expand and contract with temperature and humidity. Care needs to be taken to control the furniture’s environment (25% to 35% humidity is ideal).
4. In fact, major changes in temperature and humidity will shrink or expand dining table tops and furniture.
5. Natural cherry will age faster than any other wood. The more sunlight that it is exposed to, the darker it will become.

Our Amish builders use time-tested construction techniques handed down from generation to generation. They strive to make each and every piece of furniture to the best of their ability for a ‘higher authority’…a practice that we all can enjoy with the purchase of each piece of heirloom handcrafted hardwood furniture at Amish Workbench Furniture. Visit www.amishwbf.com to view the entire collection.

Jay

Custom Heirloom Quality Furniture

2008-06-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Our solid hardwood Amish Oak Furniture, Amish Cherry Furniture and Amish Maple heirloom furniture is made by Amish craftsmen in La Grange County, Indiana and Holmes County, Ohio. Their standards for workmanship with attention to the finest of details have been applied to creating a line of furniture that is designed for a lifetime of use and pride of ownership.

To keep up with the demand for this high quality furniture at such a reasonable price, we have a 53’ truck deliver to our west coast warehouse, at no cost to you, the finished pieces every-other Tuesday. Carol and Jay personally inspect your orders to insure delivery in mint condition.

We have highlighted some of our best selling furniture on our website: www.amishwbf.com. We welcome you to imagine and experience the beauty of Amish Workbench Furniture in your home.

Jay

What Is Amish Furniture?

2008-06-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

“I don’t know what Amish Furniture is….” That’s the comment that I occasionally hear as people walk by a store, and see the Amish Furniture sign in the window.

The “style” of Amish furniture is “whatever is handed down to us”. That could be something handmade by family members. But it doesn’t designate a particular style such as Shaker, Colonial or Mission. Shaker is not Amish, Amish is not Shaker. Two different groups of society.

Amish furniture today is a wide variety of quality furniture that is amenable to décor in 21st century homes. Plain and simple with straight lines, as in Shaker styling, can be used in homes with colonial, contemporary, or country décor. Other styles are also available: Mission (think Frank Lloyd Wright or Stickley), or traditional with ornate turnings and dentate moldings, or something in between that is distinctly different.

Most people, when they walk in the store, are pleasantly surprised to see the range of styles available, all quality made in the USA, by people dedicated to making the best they possibly can.

Carol

Did You Know?? What we learned at the NIWA….

2008-05-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

Our recent trip to the Northern Indiana Woodworkers Association Exposition reminded both Carol and Jay were reminded why we proudly present 100% Made-In-America Amish handcrafted furniture. At that event there are hundreds of Amish woodworkers who contribute to the production of quality solid hardwood furniture using the best techniques in building their products to produce the finest furniture on the market today!

All Amish Workbench Furniture is solid hardwood: kiln dried Northern Red Oak, Cherry, Maple and Quarter-Sawn White Oak. Kiln dried wood provides a more stable wood graining keeping imperfection to a minimum. Dining table tops are 5/4” solid tops that are milled to a 1” thickness. This and state of the art construction eliminates splitting and warping.

Sustainable Woods

Amish handcrafters build their Amish Dining Tables and other products using sustainable American hardwoods that renew and regenerate themselves abundantly. Some species have been and will continue to be relatively more plentiful than others because that is how they occur in nature.

Red Oak is the most abundant hardwood species in the USA. It is widespread throughout the Eastern U.S. and comprises about 37% of the total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.

Cherry is readily available and grows primarily throughout Midwestern and Eastern U.S.

White Oak is readily available and widespread throughout the Eastern U.S. It is the state tree of Connecticut, Illinois and Maryland. White oak is impervious to liquids and has been used extensively for ship timbers, barrels and casks. It accounts for about 17% of U.S. hardwoods commercially available.

Hard Maple is widely available and grows abundantly in Mid-Atlantic and Lake States. It is a cold weather tree favoring a more northerly climate.

They incorporate the finest in design and construction and their finishing techniques provide the final touch. All necessary ingredients in building heirloom crafted quality dining room furniture and bedroom suites. Check out the up-to-date styling on our website: www.amishwbf.com.

Amish Handcrafted Furniture

2008-05-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

A Little More About Wood...

Before attending the Northern Indiana Woodworkers Association Exposition in Indiana, we attended the first meeting of Ohio Wood Builders Guild in Holmes County, at the Flea Market in Walnut Creek, OH. The same confidence present in Indiana, that the best furniture is made in the US, was present in Ohio.

Seminars presented in Ohio included a forest service representative talking about sustainable wood. It is in Ohio, he assured the audience, that there are more trees growing in Ohio today, than at the beginning of the 20th century. Trees can’t be cut fast enough, they just keep growing.

Even though there are plenty of trees for making Amish furniture, there are new ways of using more of the tree that is cut. Rustic cherry and rustic hickory are examples. Less of the tree is trimmed away, giving more character and interest to the wood. Places where the limbs meet the trunk, or wood knots are left in place. Less waste. Waste not, want not.

A Trip to Amish Country, Northern Indiana

2008-05-20T05:39:00.000-07:00

It takes awhile to unwind from our hectic “Englisher” lifestyle, but driving north from Indianapolis to Middlebury,IN helps. Thus begins our recent trip and visit to the Northern Indiana Woodworkers Association Exposition.

There are hundreds of Amish woodworkers who contribute to the production of quality solid Amish hardwood furniture in the USA. Many of them met early and exhibited for 3 days at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds. Not only the men, but women and children too; it’s a family affair. Carriages with horses are parked next to 21st century horsepower.

A short way into the exhibit hall, we knew we would be seeing quality workmanship. No irregulars, just the best they can produce. Many of them work their farms before doing their furniture making. Their products are purchased nationwide, and in some foreign countries. No offshore contracts, where the majority of furniture makers in High point, NC have turned.

We were treated to a scrumptious dinner, Amish style: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, salad, rolls and the biggest pieces of homemade pie! Several flavors to choose. No Costco here! The post dinner speaker gave a very informative presentation regarding colors and finishing of hardwoods.

We returned, three pounds heavier.

Northern Indiana Woodworkers Expo

2008-05-20T05:38:00.000-07:00

Carol and Jay recently attended the Northern Indiana Woodworkers Exposition at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds in LaGrange Indiana. Hundreds of Amish furniture builders attended to introduce their newest creations and share their quality craftsmanship with prospective new dealers throughout the U.S.

For us it was a chance to visit with many of our friends and look at their new models. They are a hard working lot tending to their farms early in the morning before working in their shops and barns making furniture for our customers who appreciate the finest in solid hardwood heirloom furniture quality.

John Otto showed us his newest hickory rockers fit for any porch or den; the Richard and Henry Yoder brothers proudly introduced us to their sheaf back chair now available with a choice of leg styles to match your décor; and we met Paul and Ida Yoder (no relation to Richard and Henry) who make the finest quality desks (roll tops and executive desks) we have seen. They incorporate the finest in design and construction and their finish is to die for.

Watch our website for updates coming soon.