The Ultimate Amish Furniture Guide: What You Need To Know

Amish-made furniture stands out against mass-produced products due to their durability, beauty, and dependability. However, investing in Amish furniture can feel daunting, especially if it is your first time. So, here’s our ultimate Amish furniture guide and what you should know about Amish furniture, the Amish community, and more.

 

The Amish: Lifestyle and Furniture

Most of the first Amish communities were farming communities, and while many Amish farmers are still active, the need for skilled trade increased as the population expanded. The Amish center their lifestyle around community and family. Most Amish children finish formal education after 8th grade. The area has a wealth of hardwood trees like Hickory, Oak, and Maple, which organically lend themselves to woodworking. Today, hundreds of lumber mills, logging crews, and manufacturers of specialty wood products exist throughout Ohio’s Amish Country. We partner exclusively with local craftsmen in Holmes County and the surrounding areas.

A huge part of the woodworking industry focuses on furniture production. As the demand for North American-made, solid wood furniture continues to grow, we strive to make the viewing and buying process easier for customers who are unable to visit the showroom.

 

Reasons To Invest in Amish Furniture

With a better understanding of the Amish, their values, and their lifestyle, investing in Amish furniture can result in long-lasting, dependable pieces that you can pass on to your offspring. While many tend to donate, sell, or discard their used furniture, you can easily refurbish Amish furniture for future generations as the solid, hardwood construction remains durable. So, here are some reasons you should invest in Amish furniture for your home.

 

Simple, Classic Home Décor Styles

We gather inspiration for our furniture designs from classic, timeless styles. However, as the interior décor trends change, so do the popular stain colors for solid wood. A classic style of dining table looks formal in Cherry wood with a dark stain, while the same table in Rustic White Oak and Cocoa Light stain perfectly complements your farmhouse kitchen.

Amish furniture comes in different styles, including Rustic, Mission, and Shaker, with full customization options to make it seamless or stand out. So, no matter what theme you have in your home, you can rely on Amish furniture for long-lasting results and impeccable beauty.

 

High-Level Attention to Detail

Because Amish craftsmen do not mass-produce their furniture, the result is a beautifully crafted piece with great attention to detail. Amish craftsmen use traditional joining methods, including mortise-and-tenon joinery, dovetail joints, and rabbet joints, for a longer-lasting, appealing piece of furniture. Customers can easily recognize the quality and detail the craftsmen used to make impeccable, one-of-a-kind pieces.

 

Tips for Buying Quality Amish Furniture

With a greater understanding of what makes Amish furniture unique, here are some helpful tips for choosing the right pieces for your home. It’s a worthwhile investment and lasts for a very long time.

 

Understanding the Custom Options

With the option of having a piece custom-made comes an overwhelming number of decisions. Two leaves in the table or four? A pedestal or trestle-style base? Captains’ chairs with arms or fully upholstered? The decisions can seem endless—and that’s only in the dining room! Our knowledgeable sales team is always ready to help you create a set from scratch. What size do you want the table to be every day? How many must the set accommodate? We have several options for leaves to extend the table to fit the whole family. You can easily store the leaves under the table when not in use. Add the perfect chair style or benches and choose your wood and color.

Your options are similar for the rest of the house. Find a bedroom style that you like, then make the dresser the perfect size for your wall. No room for the standard 24” wide nightstands? No problem! You can make them the same style, only 16-18” wide. Need a desk with all the workspace you can get? Measure your wall, pick a style, and have it built just for you.

With any custom piece, a picture is worth a thousand words. Start by browsing the website, Pinterest, or wherever you find inspiration. We will provide a detailed 3D blueprint for your review after creating a quote for a completely custom piece of furniture.

 

Wood Used in Amish Furniture

The use of natural wood makes Amish furniture so beautiful and long-lasting. They’re incredibly eye-catching, breathtaking pieces that mass-production furniture companies can’t replicate, offering unparalleled quality and beauty. Amish furniture often incorporates various wood types, as they last for years, and use impeccable drying methods to prevent decomposition.

Amish furniture incorporates different wood types, including white oak, red oak, hickory, maple, elm, cherry, and walnut. Red and white oak variations are perfect for their simple, sturdy makeup, as red oak contains beautiful, reddish browns, and white oak has golden-brown hues and a distinct wood grain. Maple contains a beautiful, muted grain texture, is naturally very light in color, and you can stain it almost any color, from light gray to warm, reddish brown to ebony. Cherry wood is like maple, with warmer undertones in the wood. Hickory is best for rustic and farmhouse styles with a grain similar to white oak but shows more color variation. Walnut gives a luxurious feel and is a popular choice for Live Edge Slab tables. Lastly, elm has an exotic grain texture, almost feathery looking in some parts. It is very popular as part of a two-toned piece with Michael’s Cherry stain, and many pair it with a smooth maple stained in ebony. Wood and stain samples are available to take home and compare in your space.

 

In-Stock Furniture

One important thing you should know about Amish furniture is that it might take a while for the Amish craftsmen to complete a custom furniture piece they do not mass-produce their work. Lead times currently are 8-10 weeks with additional time required for delivery. However, we understand that you cannot always wait that long. For this reason, we keep our most popular dining, bedroom, living room, and office sets in stock and available for immediate pickup.

 

Home Delivery Options

We always offer in-store pickup; however, we can also deliver most furniture pieces. We have several delivery teams covering all the contiguous United States. Delivery times and prices vary based on the amount of furniture and delivery location. We completely blanket-wrap the furniture to protect it during transport. All deliveries are in-home, and we fully assemble any pieces requiring setup. We do not offer curbside delivery, as the furniture is very heavy. Sorry, our crew is not available to remove old furniture. The room should be empty and ready for setup.

 

Cleaning & Maintenance

Maintaining the timeless appearance of your new pieces with regular cleaning at least every six months is important when choosing Amish furniture. Keep it free of dust with a mild soap, such as Murphy’s Oil Soap, or vinegar and water. Do not use polishes or chemicals, as those will leave a residue on our finish. Our high-quality furniture will last for a long time with very little care.

Dutch Craft Furniture offers beautifully crafted furniture sets for kitchens, bedrooms, offices, and more. Our Amish Furniture shop in Berlin, Ohio, uses high-quality hardwood and offers upholstery to fit your home’s theme. Contact us today with any questions you may have about our furniture.