The Amish have a worldwide reputation for crafting beautiful and high-quality solid wood furniture. Since the Amish use only solid wood, they produce furniture that is both strong and durable, built to last for many generations. Not only do they use the best quality wood, but their workmanship is unequaled. Amish furniture certainly stands out in a modern world where nearly every product on the market is mass-produced. The Amish craft these high-quality products, not so much because of personal pride, but more of a way of worshipping their God through action.
Amish craftsmen are particular in selecting the right wood for their projects. Even though oak and quartersawn oak are mostly used, there are also pieces available in cherry, maple, hickory, black walnut, cedar, and even pine. With its beautiful grain lines and honey coloration, oak has become widely distributed in the United States and Canada. But a craftsman might choose cherry when producing a Queen-Anne-style piece. The lovely scent of cedar makes it a great choice for making storage chest for clothing. Notable for their extreme hardness and light coloring, hickory and maple are two other popular choices.
Amish furniture designs range from artfully simple to ornately curved, with the most recognizable styles being Mission, Shaker, and Queen Anne. Other common styles of Amish furniture include: Traditional/Heritage, Contemporary, Bavarian, Bunker Hill, Carlisle, Hampton, McCoy, Modesto, Slat Mission, Shaker Hill, Spring Hill, Rio Grande, Royal Mission, West Lake, Southwestern, Rustic, Cottage, and Beachfront. For a simple square design, look for styles such as Mission and Shaker; others, such as Queen Anne and Bunker Hill, offer much more curve and ornamentation. Styles will vary from area to area; however, most furniture is made by Amish woodworkers from the Lancaster and Indiana communities. With each woodworker adding his own individual touch to his furniture, each finished piece is unlike any other.
Whatever room you need to furnish—bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room, or home office—there are a wide variety of Amish pieces to choose from. The most popular items tend to be beds, dressers, and dining room tables. Whatever the room, a matching set will complete a distinctive room décor. More unique pieces include heirloom-quality baby cribs and rocking chairs. Outdoor pieces for your patio or deck are also now available. Whatever your needs, there is definitely something for everyone.
Despite the popularity of their furniture, the Amish remain free from electricity, relying on diesel generators to power pneumatic or hydraulic tools to mill and construct their fine pieces. Diesel generators remain under Amish control, which correlates with a belief system that sees electricity as being supplied and controlled by the outside world. What’s nice about the generators is that they allow more time for the final finish detail work to be done by hand. This also gives a craftsman more time to handpick each piece of wood so that the colors and wood grains work together to create and eye-pleasing effect. When formal schooling is completed, a father will train his son in all the intricacies of woodworking, thereby passing his expertise on to the next generation.
Amish furniture used to only be available in antique stores and local shops. But today many of these shops are online and thus Amish furniture has become accessible to the world. Now “English” businessmen either buy directly from the Amish and do their own distributing, or they work with them to establish and manage an online storefront.
