- Chelsea J Marshall
Who Should – and Shouldn’t – Buy Amish Furniture
As Pittsburgh’s leading Amish furniture retailer since 2002, it’s obvious that, here at The Amish Home, we love Amish furniture. We love the quality of the craftsmanship and the options that our builders are able to offer, plus we love working with small American-based businesses to find our customers the perfect furniture. But despite our love for our furniture, we understand that it is not the best option for everyone. How can you tell if you should or shouldn’t buy Amish furniture?
You SHOULD buy Amish furniture if you value quality over all else
Our builders craft each piece with excellence in each detail. By using classic constriction techniques like dovetail drawers, mortise and tenon joints, and high-quality hardware, our furniture is meant to stand the test of time.
You should NOT buy Amish furniture if trends are a major motivating factor in your decision-making
Our furniture is built to last a long time, and is priced accordingly. Our furniture isn’t inexpensive, and most customers who choose to invest in our furniture want styles that they will love for decades, not something trendy that they’re sick of in a few years.
You SHOULD buy Amish furniture if you prefer to support small businesses and/or products made in the USA
Amish furniture shops have traditionally operated as the epitome of a “cottage industry.” It’s very common for our builders’ shops to be on the same property as the owner’s home. Many have learned the trade from their fathers and are teaching it to their sons. All of our builders’ shops are located in Holmes County, Ohio.
You should NOT buy Amish furniture if you expect indestructible furniture with no maintenance
Solid wood furniture is very durable, and our pieces are topped with a catalyzed finish to provide some of the best protection available. This being said, our furniture can still be scratched by rough dishes, or dented due to a hard impact. Furthermore, wood furniture continues to interact with its environment, even after finishing, meaning that it still absorbs moisture and can also dry out. Routine maintenance of solid wood furniture should include regular polishing to keep the wood moist. Wood that is allowed to get too dry may crack.
You SHOULD buy Amish furniture if you have specific needs that are best solved with built-to-order furniture
The most common example is our customers who are trying to replace something, or add to, an existing furniture set. We can get any style you choose in a wood and stain color that comes close to matching your existing pieces. We also regularly customize size to fit your home. In a more unique case, our builder cut a custom notch out of a table apron so that a homeowner could fit the arms of his wheelchair under his table.
You should NOT buy Amish furniture if you won’t accept the natural variations and imperfections that are inherent to wood furniture
As a tree grows, various factors and environmental conditional will affect the grain pattern of the wood. Knots, pits, and wormholes are common and natural characteristics of real wood, and each different piece of wood will accept the stain color differently. None of these natural characteristics are considered defects. Additionally, as with any handmade product, absolute perfection shouldn’t be expected. We will show you plenty of examples in our store to show you what to expect when you order built-to-order furniture. However, you SHOULD consider one of our Floor Model Specials. That way, you can inspect your exact pieces before purchase to ensure that you will be happy with the wood grain and natural characteristics.
Are you thinking that you’re someone who SHOULD buy Amish furniture? We invite you to visit our showroom to learn more about our furniture.
