Furniture crafted by Amish specialists has been popular in American homes for many decades, thanks to its durability, beauty, attention to detail and authenticity. Amish furniture comes in several styles and is made available to the general public through trusted non-Amish retailers. Does this Spark an idea?
History
The Amish have always made their own furniture, but first started producing it commercially around the 1920s, when American folk art began to be appreciated by dealers and collectors. Amish furniture was originally of the traditional German style, with brightly painted surfaces and intricately painted designs. A furniture maker named Henry Lapp, of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was the first to stop painting his furniture and use a style that emphasized the craftsmanship of the woodwork itself. It is this type of unadorned furniture that characterizes the Amish furniture market today.
Characteristics
Amish furniture is known for its simple beauty and solid workmanship. All Amish furniture pieces are individually made, usually using relatively simple tools. Since Amish beliefs prohibit the use of most modern technology, allowances are often made for furniture makers to use hydraulic or pneumatic tools that are powered by diesel generators. These are used for cutting pieces and roughing out shapes. Even in these cases, all the finish work and detail is done by hand. Some Amish craftsmen still exclusively use hand tools throughout the process. Amish-made furniture is made of solid wood, with no particle board or laminate. It is characterized by simple design, clean lines and great attention to detail; every piece of wood is carefully matched to suit the grain and color of the other pieces.
Styles
There are different styles among Amish furniture. The Mission style is quite common. This style developed out of the arts and crafts movement of 1880-1910 and is characterized by little or no ornamentation, straight lines and exposed joinery. The Shaker style is also common and is very simple, yet elegant and highly functional. The Queen Anne style is more ornate, with turned and carved accents and ornamental feet. Other available styles include Beachfront, Southwestern, Rustic and Cottage. Differences in style can also be detected from maker to maker. Details will vary depending on the family making the furniture.
Furniture-Making and the Amish Community
The revenue generated from the sale of furniture is a major source of income for Amish communities in Ohio and Indiana. Whole families are involved in the process, and many children start helping to make furniture at a very young age. Specialization is common; some families are known for one particular style of furniture or even for particular pieces. The Amish do not usually directly sell the furniture they make, preferring to sell to private retailers who then sell to the general public.
Amish Furniture and the Internet
With the advent of the Internet, Amish furniture has found a niche online. Since the Amish do not generally use electricity and prefer to have little contact with the outside world, the do not run the websites themselves. Retailers or webmasters acting as middlemen run the sites and make the sales, but Amish furniture now reaches an even wider customer base than formerly, when availability was mostly limited to local Midwestern shops.
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