About Making Amish Furniture

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Furniture crafted by the Amish are notorious for being of the highest quality and built with amazing durability and beauty that is capable of lasting a lifetime. Amish furniture typically includes intricate designs that you won’t find in conventional furniture.

One of the most noteworthy benefits of Amish furniture is the sturdiness, which is why anyone who owns Amish furniture can use it for 30 plus years. With little maintenance, Amish furniture will remain in the same condition as it was when originally purchased.

Making Amish furniture takes time and skill. Much attention to detail is put into each and every piece. The techniques used to craft Amish furniture have been used for centuries, which is a testament to the quality of the craftsmanship and also to customer satisfaction.

There are many conveniences constructed into each piece that make the choice to purchase Amish furniture an easy decision. These conveniences include quality gear slides for opening and closing tabletops, self-storing table leaves and drawers for easy storage.

All Amish furniture is built from solid hardwood and stained to perfection. The stain applied is hand rubbed in order to showcase the beauty of the wood grain. A sealant is applied for shine and lasting protection.

Carriage House Furnishings is proud to showcase beautiful handcrafted Amish furniture in our store. You can browse through our various furniture collections and contact us with any questions you have about the pieces.

Designing an Amish Style Kitchen

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Amish style homes tend to have large outdoor living areas that extend from the house; like porches, decks, and patio spaces. Windows are very consciously and strategically placed to take advantage of the summer breezes and to help control the internal temperature. Amish homes are well designed, and are built with a lot of care and attention.

During many hot summers, the Amish will use what is called, “a summer kitchen”, which is a space designed for cooking that is cooler, and usually built in a shaded area. Amish kitchens are usually never placed in the center of the home, where it is often the hottest, in the spring and summer seasons.

It is simple to create an Amish style kitchen for your summer cooking. Here are a few simplistic instructions on how to enjoy a bit of the Amish way of living, inside your home.

Locate an area in the home that is cool and possibly away from the center of the home; a shed or gazebo, is ideal. Hardwood floors are best because they don’t need vacuuming and are more easily kept clean. Stain the wood floors to maintain their shine and beauty. Stained hardwood floors are also easier to keep clean. If you don’t have a shed or gazebo, basements are also great places for Amish kitchens because they are normally the coolest space in the home.

Kitchen walls should be painted white with a high gloss paint. Amish kitchens are usually simple in design, very little color or distractions. High-gloss paint is also easy to clean should something splatter on them. The key to an Amish kitchen is to keep the design simple. Cleanliness is a virtue in the Amish culture.

The next step would be to hang hooks for your lighting, which would be white gas lanterns, in an Amish style kitchen.

Decorate simply in a minimalist style, and fill the kitchen with needed cooking supplies; a mortar and pestle, spices and fresh herbs, and a cast iron skillet. Since the Amish do not use electricity, kerosene and Coleman camp stoves allow you to cook without needing electricity. If you want your Amish kitchen to be more luxurious. a wood burning brick oven can be installed.

Outdoor wooden picnic tables are perfect for eating Amish dinners in the heat of the summer. The Amish tradition is all about family and gathering, and a family style table with benches would be the ultimate addition to your Amish style kitchen.

When Is it Time to Update Your Furniture?

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For most people, furniture is a statement that sets the tone of a room. It says whether your tastes are modern, traditional, or eclectic, and often is the determining factor in deciding on a color palette. Changing or updating your furniture can be a breath of fresh air just when you need one. So how often should you do this?

Do it when you have to, whether it is because you really need to see something different, or the furniture is falling apart. When you feel stuck or in a rut, what do you do to get out of it? For some people it is changing up their wardrobe, getting a new hairdo, or starting a workout routine. When it comes to your home or office, similar “facelifts” are often just the thing to do.

Changing the look of your furniture need not cost too much more than a trip to the hair salon. With a little paint and some creativity, you can completely change the feel of a piece of furniture. There are so many colors to choose from, and you can be both bold and conservative, depending on your mood. Paint is a very budget friendly way to go, so you can do it often, whenever you feel the emotional need.

Of course new upholstery is another way to update your furniture, and that may be a little more expensive and something you can’t do as often. But new upholstery can change the entire feel of a room. You can take a traditional piece of furniture and upholster it in a modern, abstract printed fabric and, Voila! You’ve got a new look.

Finally, –  and really best, when your wallet says you are able – buying new furniture is the most stunning change you can make to any room. Changing up the style of furniture you have can really make a difference in how you feel about a room.  It can change a sleek and clean-lined room, to something more sumptuous and lush.

Updating your furniture can be a fun weekend project, or something more complicated and expensive, but either way, it gives your room a renewed and refreshed look. When you feel the need and your budget agrees you can, do it. Both you and your room will feel reborn.

Consider Amish Made Bedroom Furniture

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Your bedroom is your sanctuary, a respite from your hectic life. Your bedroom is where you wind down, decompress, and renew yourself.  You want clean lines, no clutter, nothing superfluous, fine materials and restful colors. Amish furniture can provide all that and more.

Versatile and Stylish

Amish furniture can be very versatile and generally comes in three styles: Mission, Shaker and Queen Anne, but other styles are also available. There is sure to be one to suit your needs and your lifestyle. With its perfect functionality and durability, Amish furniture is timeless and unique in its design. It also should be said that Amish furniture can complement all styles of décor, from traditional to more modern. And Amish furniture can be customized so that you own a one-of-a-kind piece, something to pass on to the next generation.

 Handmade

Amish furniture is made the old fashioned way – by hand, without electricity. It differs from mass-produced furniture in another way; in that it is created with the finest materials, not cheap woods and particle board, so chipping is very rare. The fine hardwoods used, such as oak and cherry, are long lasting, and there is a wide variety of stains – one sure to please your color sense. Made with impeccable craftsmanship by skilled and proud artisans, Amish bedroom furniture – beds, dressers, settees, chairs and tables – can be a refreshing respite from a long day, comfortable and comforting.

Amish bedroom furniture is as unique as you are and highly prized by both dealers and collectors. Owning an Amish bedroom suite is a gift you can give yourself and your loved ones, and will last as an elegant piece of art for lifetimes.

An Amish Dining Room: Unique and Durable

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Your home is a reflection of who you are and your lifestyle. Buying furniture for your home should be a fun and creative way to express yourself, and in keeping with the uniqueness of you, your furniture should be unique as well. The Amish have been making handcrafted furniture for hundreds of years, and there is no better way to bring a special look to a room than by using furniture made by the Amish.

Your dining room is the place where you do one of the most socializing things in life – eating a meal. Breaking bread with friends and family is one of life’s great pleasures and Amish craftsmen create some of the most beautiful, unique, and in many cases, one-of-a-kind furniture for this singular room.

The styles vary from Mission to Shaker to Queen Anne and, as the Amish eschew modern conveniences like electricity, their furniture is made the old-fashioned way, with great skill and care. Furnishing your dining room with Amish creations means that you honor and admire the workmanship, attention to details, and fine materials used by these artisans. Only the finest hard woods, like oak and cherry, are used for your table and chairs, and the durability and functionality of these pieces is unsurpassed.

If you are looking for a dining room set that reflects a rustic or Southwestern style look no further than Amish made furniture. Its simple lines, fine stains, and upholstery all bespeak times gone by, but the styling still works in a modern setting. You may find that you will want to hand down your dining room set from generation to generation, as it becomes a family heirloom.

Such is the nature of Amish made furniture. It is meant to be lived in, not just treated as decoration. It is not mass produced, isn’t prone to chipping, and so can remain in a family for lifetimes. Being unique in its quality and workmanship, Amish made furniture is something that will make your dining room a warm place to share a meal with those you love.

New Year, New Furniture!

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The new year of 2014 is on the horizon and people are busy planning their resolutions. While getting fit, quitting a bad habit and saving money are important goals to strive for, how about re-decorating your home with new, durable Amish furniture.

New furniture for the New Year can be therapeutic and put a new perspective on the space in which you spend so much time. If you’re feeling guilty about making such a big purchase, just remember that the new year is all about new beginnings and new furniture can help kick off a great upcoming year.

A good start is to choose Amish furniture that fits your style and is comfortable. Since a new year is symbolic of new beginnings, think outside of the box and choose a furniture set you like, even if it’s very different from the style you are accustomed to.

Furniture retailers might be more likely to offer year-end deals on sets you couldn’t fit into your budget earlier in the year. Deals on down payments, interest free payments for the first year and markdowns are common as well. In order to receive your furniture before or shortly after the New Year, start shopping as early as Thanksgiving.

Treat yourself to a new look in your home with durable, attractive Amish furniture. Head back to our main site and browse our large inventory of quality items.

Amish Made Durable Furniture Vs Store Purchased Pieces

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When it comes to furnishing your home, there is nothing like durable, hand-crafted Amish furniture. The traditional style of Amish home furnishings is incomparable. If you are unfamiliar with the Amish culture, they are a group of Christian individuals who do not believe in the use of modern technology, allowing them to be extremely skillful in manufacturing furniture and other items by hand. They believe in a simple lifestyle and rely on honest, hard work.

The benefits of purchasing Amish-made furniture over department store furniture are numerous. Hand-crafted Amish furniture created using only the highest quality materials. More often than not, furniture sold in chain department stores are mass-produced and manufactured with low-quality lumber and materials such as particle board. Furniture that is constructed with these materials of minimal quality not only makes the finished product look cheap, but decrease the life of the furniture, as most pieces chip and break.

Hand-crafted, Amish-made furniture is created with real wood. As stated above, department store furniture is often created with low-quality lumber such as particle board and even laminate. The Amish-made furniture is manufactured only the highest quality wood and is often hand selected for your custom piece of furniture. The Amish choose each piece of wood with your preferences in mind as well as the knowledge of what is best suited for the project.

The Amish faith of traditional values and a strong work ethic assures that your product is made with careful selection and superior quality. In addition, your product will be made in a shop that is free of chemicals unlike furniture that is mass-produced in factories. These mass-produced items also do not hold the durability that Amish furniture exhibits. Amish-made furniture has the ability to be enjoyed by the owner for many years and become a family heirloom that can be passed down from generation to generation.

Starting a Hope Chest with a durable Trunk or Chest

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It is tradition in many families to begin a hope chest for your daughter for when she is married and ready to leave the nest. It is a very sentimental gesture to give your daughter some key items to get started with when she is married.

No matter what your budget is for this, you can decide to start adding in the smaller cost items first for her like cookbooks, small kitchen items, and dishtowels. As your budget affords you can begin adding in more expensive items, that are also must haves.

The more heart and thought that you put into the items you include will be appreciated even more. If you are great at sewing or are crafty, consider embroidering some of the different linens that you include. Another great option would be to sew a quilt. You can sew a quilt for your future grandchildren, or as a wedding gift.

Usually hope chests are made out of cedar; this type of material is great for preserving items over a long period. View an example of one of our cedar chests that would be great for a hope chest. 

>Lastly in your hope chest you should include family memories or heirlooms that you pass down from generation to generation.  A scrapbook of pictures of her life would be great to add as well.  You can even tuck a few notes away to remind your daughter how much you love her.

Feel free to be creative, and use this information as a guide to get started.  No matter if your budget is big or small; any items that you can put away for your daughter when she is married or moves out will always be appreciated.

The Benefits of Poly Outdoor Furniture

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Imagine owning outdoor furniture that doesn’t require any maintenance or storage! The new standard in Amish outdoor furniture is polywood, which is a high density plastic made from materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Polywood is sustainable, environmentally friendly,long-lasting and durable. It’s also available in many different styles and colors, so there’s plenty of custom options.

This furniture is very practical for a few different reasons

It’s durable:
This type of furniture is made to last decades & doesn’t require any extra staining or painting. It’s splinter free and won’t fade, warp or rot.

It’s strong:
Poly is heavier than wood, weather resistant and easier to clean.

It’s environmentally friendly:
Your purchase reduces landfill waste and saves trees- can’t beat that.

Poly furniture is proven to be a great investment that you’ll enjoy for many years- feel free to contact us with any questions you may have!

Unique Mailboxes to Add Curb Appeal

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Do you ever get tired of seeing the standard black mailboxes with the silver lettering in front of every house you pass when you are taking a long walk or a drive down your street? They almost drown out the beauty of the house behind them, when there is nothing that will catch your eye right off the bat.  Adding a unique mailbox will set your house apart and add curb appeal.

If you are looking to add some extra flair to your house, how about putting out a mailbox that is a smaller version of your home?  It will definitely be intriguing to your neighbors or those who pass by.

For sports fans, you can always spruce up your dull mailbox by spray painting your favorite teams colors and adding a logo.  Everyone on the block will know who you are cheering for on Sundays.  Or this could be the ultimate gift for a sports fan.

No matter what your interests are in life, chances are that you can decorate your mailbox accordingly.  Think of your mailbox as a blank canvas that has so much potential going for it.  If you are in need of a little more inspiration check out this great article from Woman’s Day.

Always remember, a mailbox is one of the first things that someone sees as they drive past your house.  To add the best curb appeal and give off a memorable first impression, it is worth buying a unique mailbox.

Durable Amish Furniture for Kids Rooms

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Have your kids finally outgrown their toddler beds? Now is the time to buy furniture that will last more than a few years.

When thinking about furniture, think about it as an investment. Spending a few more dollars to have quality furniture will be worth it in the end. Unlike with baby furniture that your kids seem to outgrow faster than you can buy it, children’s furniture lasts longer, if taken care of properly. Work with your children and have it be their responsibility to know that they need to take care of this item because they will have it for a long time to come. 

When those carefree moments come along you want to be assured that the furniture that you buy will be durable. The best advice is to buy from a trusted manufacturer. When you view their inventory online or in a store, look for flaws in workmanship. Also pay attention to the recalls on furniture as well. Each year many kids are hurt from misuse of furniture, and you want to be sure that your child is safe at all times.

After having the furniture past your kid’s years, you can always re-stain the cabinet, dresser, or bed to make it look new again. This will be great for sleepovers with your grandchildren when the time comes. 

When you do go shopping for furniture for your kids the thing that is on most parents minds is the budget. The best advice we can leave you with is, if you spend your money on cheap furniture that looks great now, you should plan on budgeting more in the future when your original furniture is ruined because it just wasn’t durable enough.

the beauty of Lancaster County

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Here at Lapp’s Coach Shop we’re not only proud to offer beautiful locally handcrafted furniture; but to be able to call this great place home. Lancaster County is an favorite tourist destination and well known for great history, scenery, shopping, fun and delicious food.

Lancaster was settled in the early 1700’s and briefly made the capital of Pennsylvania. It has always prized for the rich farmland and is home to many Amish and Mennonite families; making for a place brimming with culture and diversity. Many locals are hard working farmers, carpenters and woodworkers with a reputation for quality work at a fair price.

As the farmers are getting ready for their annual harvest, we’re stocking up for the upcoming busy season and excited to offer new products, a revamped website and more to better serve you!

There is truly something for everyone here and we hope to see you on your next trip!=)