Amish Handcrafted Furniture - A Modern Heirloom

When you say the word Amish, for a lot of people what first comes to mind is the old-fashioned, horse-drawn buggy. There are a lot of concepts associated with the Amish people and their way of life such as living a simple, technologically unaided life, living a traditional life engaging in professions such as farming, craft making and others which involve working by hand and which do not involve modern conveniences such as the telephone, electricity, the television and automated vehicles etc. The Amish are known for living in their own self-reliant communities which have limited contact with main stream society.

Because of their old fashioned, traditional style of making crafts by hand and usually without help of modern machinery, Amish Furniture has come to mean furniture that is handcrafted, made of 100% natural materials, durable, with great attention to detail. In short, Amish-made furniture has almost come to mean furniture that is a work of art in itself!

The unique quality about Amish handcrafted furniture is that is has a heirloom quality, I timeless look that never goes out of fashion and designs that are not held hostage by fickle trends which are here today and gone tomorrow. This kind of furniture is built to last, so that reinforces its heirloom like quality. Most pieces of Amish furniture are handcrafted from solid oak, cherry, and maple. When crafting Amish furniture solid wood boards are used in an arrangement that enhances the look and durability of each furniture piece.

The Amish people live by a set of beliefs that prevent the use of modern conveniences such as electricity, so it follows that the tools used for Amish handcrafted furniture usually do not use electricity. They are often powered by hydraulic and pneumatic power. While the aid of some mechanization may sometimes be used, most often the detailing and finishing is done by hand. This ensures the finest quality of workmanship.

There are certain distinctive styles of Amish made furniture. For instance there is the Mission style which has uncluttered, even lines and exposed joinery. Then there is the Shaker style which is recognized for its simplicity, innovative joinery, quality, and functionality. A more ornate style for Amish furniture is the Queen Anne style which is very different from the earlier mentioned styles which are plain and functional in nature. By contrast the Queen Anne style is more traditional, often rendered with ornate carving and detailing.

With few Amish children obtaining higher education, Amish woodcraft skills are often passed on from generation to generation, with father teaching son the tricks of the trade.

Since their beliefs usually preclude modern marketing and selling practices there are other non-Amish people who commission and purchase the furniture pieces from the Amish themselves and then make them available to the public at large. Increasingly now, online sites offer people the option of buying Amish made handcrafted furniture which is known for its superior quality, traditional methods of making and a timeless beauty. Now anyone can take the advantage of buying Amish furniture, which is beautiful, will last for generations to come in styles and designs that go beyond both time and personal style preferences.