BLACK FRIDAY SAVINGS! Get from 10 to 15% off your Entire Order. ***Discounts do not apply to shipping costs or outdoor furniture!***

Blog

Benefits of Choosing Amish Furniture

Benefits of Choosing Amish Furniture

Buying new furniture is a big investment, so you want to choose pieces that look great and last. The quality and durability of a piece of furniture is an important factor in a furniture purchase for 91 percent of consumers, according to a study from Furniture Today. Sorting through all the furniture options to find the best type takes some research to find the perfect blend of style, durability and longevity.

Quality & durability of furniture is an important factor in a furniture purchase for 91% of consumers.

Amish furniture fits the bill in all areas. The handcrafted furniture carries the quality reputation many people trust and expect from a furniture purchase, but you may still have questions. Will it fit with your home’s style? Will it last? Are there different style options, or does it all just look the same? Is it safe to use in your home and healthy for the environment?

Whether you already own Amish furniture or are just beginning to explore the style, knowing the benefits of Amish furniture can help you make your buying decision. Keep reading to find out why you should consider furnishing the rooms with quality wood pieces and reap the Amish furniture benefits.

Shop Amish Furniture

Support Amish Workers with Furniture Made in the United States

Americans want American-made products. In fact, about 8 out of 10 people would prefer an American product over a product manufactured in another country, with about 60 percent of those people saying they would pay 10 percent more for an American-made product. It’s not always easy to determine if a piece of furniture is truly made in America, even if it bears a “Made in the USA” label. All Amish furniture comes from the United States, from materials to manufacturing, so you never have to wonder about its true origins.

8 in 10 Prefer American-Made Products

Many mass producers of furniture outsource the construction to China, Vietnam and other countries where production costs are significantly lower. Those countries often allow poor working conditions and pay workers extremely low wages. That means big companies make big bucks from your purchase, while taking advantage of workers.

Amish furniture offers you an American-made product, worthy of display in your home. Buying furniture made on American soil makes many consumers feel better about their purchases. The American-made label gives you a feeling of confidence in your purchase with the guarantee of quality.

You also know exactly who benefits from the sale of the furniture. The hardworking Amish communities that craft the furniture from quality materials sustain themselves with the sales. Your money goes to compensate the people who handcraft the pieces instead of to a large corporation churning out piece after piece. By supporting the Amish communities in America, you ensure those furniture makers have the means to continue producing quality pieces for all to enjoy.

Choose Quality Furniture Pieces for Durability and Natural Beauty

The Amish artisans who build furniture hand select the best pieces of wood to create quality, beautiful furniture. They wait until the wood reaches ideal maturity to maximize the strength and quality of the material, which translates to higher-quality furniture. You won’t find veneer, particle board, or other composite wood products in Amish furniture pieces. Instead, you’ll find real hardwood meant to last.

If you’re not sure why using hardwood matters, here are a few reasons:

  • Enjoy natural beauty. The hardwood construction ensures a beautiful design for your piece. Wood grain detailing is difficult to replicate when you don’t use the real thing. Real wood construction of Amish furniture lets that natural beauty shine through in your finished piece.
  • Select unique pieces. Oak and cherry wood in particular offer natural wood grain and coloring variations, making each piece unique. That means your Amish furniture pieces are one-of-a-kind instead of a cookie-cutter piece that looks exactly like other mass-produced pieces off an assembly line. No two Amish pieces are identical.
  • Make a stately appearance. Solid wood offers a sense of permanence. It stands on its own, creating a presence in the room, and solid wood oozes a warmth and charm you don’t get from cheap veneers or particle board.
  • Get lasting quality. Hardwood won’t wear, crack or break down in a few years like composite wood products. When properly prepared and maintained, wood lasts for decades without damage that makes it look old or renders it useless.
  • Appreciate low maintenance. Quality Amish furniture pieces don’t require a lot of extensive maintenance. Dusting the furniture keeps it clean. Polishing as little as once every six months helps maintain the look and finish of the furniture.

5 reasons why hardwood matters

The Amish Furniture Benefit of Solid Wood Construction

The pieces you find at AmishOutletStore.com feature northern hardwood construction. Why does this matter? Hardwoods from the colder northern climates offer greater density, resulting in stronger wood for the furniture pieces.

Mass-produced furniture typically comes in one standard material. Some might offer you a few finish options for some variety. However, Amish furniture pieces come in a variety of real wood options, giving you more control in the look of the finished piece.

Red oak is a standard material option, with cherry available for most of our furniture pieces. Maple, walnut, hickory, and white oak are also options for many furniture items. Any type of hardwood gives you a durable, quality piece with the natural beauty of the wood grain. Our selection of hardwoods lets you customize the look of your piece.

Not sure which hardwood to choose? Each type comes with certain benefits and slight differences. Here is quick guide:

  • Red Oak: Red oak is a classic option that is often a favorite. It’s strong and easy to work with and is generally a reddish-brown color.
  • White Oak: Also strong and easy to work with, this wood type has a golden-brown hue. It has a finer grain than red oak and comes quarter-sawn, which means it is cut at an angle for a grainy appearance.
  • Maple: Fine grain with straight lines, maple has a high degree of stability. It’s also more affordable than other hardwoods and takes on a cherry look when finished with dark cherry stain.
  • Cherry: Cherry wood stains and finishes well. It also ages well and often comes from sustainably grown forests for greater environmentally-friendly quality.
  • Walnut: Dark in brown color, walnut is slightly more expensive and offers a rich, elegant tone.
  • Hickory: Grain patterns vary widely for a distinct appearance. Hickory works well with rustic design schemes, and it’s gaining popularity.

Types of hardwoods

The hardwood construction of Amish furniture is only as good as the construction practices used to make the pieces. Amish furniture stands the test of time due to the drying process, which prevents decomposition in protected indoor conditions. The wood used in AmishOutletStore.com pieces is kiln-dried for strong, durable results that minimize splitting and maximize the longevity of the furniture.

Enjoy Durable, Heirloom-Quality Construction

The Amish pass down the traditional methods through the generations of furniture makers. They also take a sense of pride in the work and never take short cuts to save time or money. Those quality methods and principles ensure the pieces they produce last for decades.

The modern Amish community maintains the same traditions of their ancestors, focusing on simple methods while avoiding the complications of the modern world. Applying those same principles to furniture making, the Amish artisans use simple methods that work.

Unlike mass-produced furniture, you don’t have to worry about Amish furniture coming unglued or falling apart, thanks to the proven construction practices. Those practices aren’t going to change any time soon, either. Amish furniture brings with it the time-tested manufacturing practices of the group. Whether you buy Amish furniture now or in 10 years, you know the quality will always be high.

Amish artisans build each piece by hand with a keen attention to detail. Each step gets the human touch to ensure pieces fit together perfectly for a strong, beautiful product. Furniture produced on an assembly line often lacks the structural integrity of handmade pieces. Inferior pieces also often make it through the entire manufacturing process and onto the shelves. Quality control, however, is not an issue with Amish furniture, made one piece at a time.

Amish artisans build furniture by hand with a keen attention to detail.

After building the furniture, the pieces get a meticulous hand-staining for a rich, quality finish. This process ensures a consistent quality finish without uneven application or scratches that take away from the beauty of the piece.

The handcrafted quality of Amish furniture goes beyond the reliability of the product. Because each piece is produced by hand, it is like a work of art for you to display in your home. Just like any piece of cherished art, Amish furniture becomes an heirloom for your family to pass from one generation to the next. With that comes the many memories and stories your family creates around the furniture. An Amish rocking chair might hold stories of rocking generations of babies in your family, for example. A dining table brings back memories of family holidays and special gatherings.

Infuse a Timeless Design Into Your Decor

If you walk through a typical furniture store, you will likely see hordes of trendy pieces with a few traditional styles in the mix. Amish furniture stays away from the fast-changing trends of furniture that quickly become outdated, instead sticking with traditional, timeless designs. Amish furniture pieces follow time-tested designs with attention to detail. The pieces make strong use of proportion and balance for a look that is pleasing to the eye and fitting in a variety of settings.

Why worry about choosing furniture with a timeless look? Here are some of our favorite reasons:

  • Longevity: The classic styling of Amish furniture means you don’t have to worry about your décor looking outdated in a few years. That Amish bedroom set, bookcase, or entertainment center will look just as great in 15 years as it does now.
  • Versatile Styling: Just because your Amish furniture stays in style doesn’t mean the rest of your décor won’t change. Because Amish furniture offers classic design elements, it fits in well with a variety of design themes and colors. Easily update the look of your space by changing other design elements with the confidence of knowing your Amish furniture pieces will still fit.
  • Personal Tastes: Do you prefer rustic or contemporary? Clean and sleek or formal? The timeless look of Amish furniture fits into almost any style of home decorating, making it an easy choice no matter what your style. Amish furniture is a way to find common ground with a partner who doesn’t share your decorating style preferences since it is such a versatile option.
  • Passing Down Pieces: The heirloom quality paired with the timeless design makes Amish furniture perfect for passing down from one generation to the next. Have you ever visited an estate sale and wondered what the owner was thinking with the furniture selection? Timeless Amish furniture doesn’t cause that reaction.

Four reasons to choose timeless furniture

The Styles of Amish Furniture

All Amish furniture carries the timeless design, but that doesn’t mean it all looks the same. In fact, Amish furniture often comes in a few different styles. At AmishOutletStore.com, we carry both Shaker and Mission furniture styles, giving you a choice in the look of your new furniture pieces.

Amish furniture carries a timeless design, but it doesn't all look the same.

Shaker-style Amish furniture offers simple designs, often with subtle curving and tapered legs. The tapered design aims to keep the furniture stable, yet lightweight. Shaker pieces often use turning on the legs for the same reason. Any knobs on Shaker-style furniture favor wood construction over metal to maintain the simple look.

The Shaker look reflects the simple life of humility of the Shaker people who originated the style. That’s why you won’t find ornamental designs, inlays, or exposed joinery on Shaker furniture pieces.

Mission-style Amish furniture features clean lines for a balanced, even look. Expect to see straight angles and lines throughout the design. Parallel slats often build those straight lines while adding strength to the piece. Exposed joinery gives you a glimpse at the quality craftsmanship that goes into each furniture piece. Mortise and tenon joints are common.

Unlike the wood knobs of Shaker-style Amish furniture, Mission pieces often incorporate black, metal, or diamond-shaped knobs. Another difference is the typically darker stains found on Mission furniture.

Make a Practical Investment

Not only does Amish furniture look great anywhere in your home, but it also serves a very practical purpose. Each piece features a design that functions smoothly for everyday use with solid construction and stability. An Amish dining room table offers a stable spot for nightly meals with your family, entertaining with friends or holiday gatherings. An Amish-made desk gives you a sturdy base for studying, working from home or handling your bills.

Amish furniture is more than a decoration in your home. It is an investment in quality. Because of the resourcefulness of the Amish furniture makers, the furniture pieces are typically an affordable investment. This allows you to put your furniture budget toward pieces that last for years, maximizing the money you have to spend. An added bonus: Since the Amish craftsmen take care of the assembly, you won’t spend hours trying to read sparse directions and piece together hundreds of screws and particle board sections to build a mediocre piece of furniture.

Choose Furniture That Is Environmentally Friendly

Amish furniture production uses environmentally-friendly methods that make you feel good about your purchase. When compared to traditionally manufactured furniture, Amish pieces make a much smaller impact on the environment.

Many furniture manufacturers use large factories to mass produce piece after piece of furniture. Those factories usually have huge carbon footprints, kicking out pollution that harms the planet. Machinery used to build the furniture also consumes huge amounts of electricity. Additionally, those furniture pieces likely contain a number of toxic chemicals, including flame retardants, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), formaldehyde, and other dangerous components. Those chemicals off-gas into your air long after you bring those furniture pieces home.

Amish furniture eliminates much of the harm done to the environment as a whole and the air quality in your personal home environment. The Amish artisans who handcraft the furniture do not use electricity because of their religious beliefs. Hydraulic and pneumatic tools take place of the pollution-churning factories, minimizing the impact on the environment. The furniture makers don’t drive motor vehicles to the workshop, either, which prevents additional pollution.

Amish furniture eliminates harm to the environment & the air quality in your home.

Amish-made furniture uses real wood products instead of composite woods for a more natural product. Locally grown hardwood supplies the material for Amish furniture, minimizing transportation needs. Responsible harvesting practices further protect the environment. The Amish communities plant new trees to replace the ones they harvest.

Varnish products used in Amish furniture typically contains a low VOC level, making it a healthier option for your home. Additionally, the varnish is modified catalyzed conversion varnish and is designed to resist scratches and other damage. It is an environmentally-friendly varnish option that maintains the quality of your furniture with almost no hazardous air pollutants.

Amish construction practices aim to use as much of the wood as possible, producing little to no waste during the production process. Wood that doesn’t make the cut for a visible part of the furniture may become a drawer side or another hidden piece. It may wind up serving a completely different purpose, too. Scraps might go to make toys or knick-knacks, for example, or an Amish craftsman might burn leftover wood to heat the workshop.

Because the furniture offers such high quality and lasting use, choosing Amish furniture means you won’t have to replace it soon. This keeps old, broken furniture out of the landfill, further supporting Mother Nature and a healthy environment.

Choose From a Wide Selection of Easily Accessible Furniture Options

A typical furniture shopping trip goes something like this: You wander a showroom floor full of stock pieces with very limited options for customization. The salesperson likely knows very little about the different brands, where they come from and why you should buy them.

Shopping for Amish furniture is a completely different experience. The furniture pieces are not mass-produced, meaning you have a lot more input on how the finished product looks. You have a wide selection of options available to get just what you want. In fact, you may have more options than a huge furniture store full of stock pieces.

Amish furniture comes in styles for every room in the house. Whether you want to furnish one room or the entire home, you’ll find the pieces you need. Here are some examples of furniture for various parts of the home:

  • Living Room: bookcases, coffee tables, curios, entertainment centers, fireplaces, futons, rockers, sofas, and chairs
  • Dining Room: barstools, chairs, dining sets, hutches, and benches
  • Kitchen: breakfast nook set, island, chair, and pie safe
  • Bedroom: beds, nightstands, bedroom sets, jewelry chests, and blanket chests
  • Bathroom: vanities
  • Office: desks, desk chairs, file cabinets, and bookcases

Examples of furniture for various parts of the home.

This list is only a sampling of the various types of furniture available from Amish artisan. You can find nearly any type of furniture you can imagine.

At AmishOutletStore.com, all of our furniture pieces are custom-made. What does that mean for you? It means you get the exact piece you want. Instead of choosing from stock options in a catalog, you get to share your input to help design a piece perfect for your home.

The available hardwood varieties and the varying stain selections are the basic ways to customize your Amish furniture. This lets you easily blend in your new furniture selections with existing pieces in your home. We also offer the option for further customization to get a piece that fits your space and style. Unlike mass-produced furniture that comes in standard sizes and designs, you get just want you want with the custom-built nature of Amish furniture.

Explore Amish Furniture

With a better understanding of Amish furniture benefits, it’s easy to see why you might consider the style for your next furniture update. This type of furniture offers the durability you want with the prestige of being American-made by artisans who care about the finished product. AmishOutletStore.com offers a wide selection of quality Amish furniture for every room in your home. Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest news and information about our furniture.

Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Amish Outlet Store Process

1Browse our inventory of over 8,000 Amish made furniture pieces. You select the wood type, stain color, and upholstery options.

2Add items to your Quote cart as you shop. Once you have chosen the perfect furniture for your home, review items in your cart, and complete the checkout process.

3A helpful Customer Service Rep will then contact you to answer any questions and provide a full quote.

4A 50% down payment gets your order started. We will mail up to 4 stain or upholstery samples (at no charge) for your review.

5Once completed, our Shipping Department will contact your with delivery details.

Are you a visual person? Check out our video to see how easy our process is!

Browse our Inventory