Amish furniture is a popular choice for anyone looking to buy furniture that is both functional and beautiful. However, many different types of Amish furniture are available, and it can be hard to decide which type is best for you and your home. Here are some tips on choosing the right Amish furniture for your decor style and needs.
Why Choose Amish Furniture?
Amish furniture is built using the highest quality materials and techniques. While most modern furniture is made using weak particle board and laminate, Amish furniture is made using high-quality solid wood. Standard wood choices include cherry, oak, maple, and mahogany. With its hardwood construction, this type of furniture is very sturdy and long-lasting. Many families pass down Amish furniture from generation to generation.
Because the Amish mostly reject the use of technology and electronics, this furniture is almost entirely hand-crafted. When they do use power tools, the tools are pneumatic, meaning they run on diesel fuel and compressed air rather than electricity. This allows woodworkers to be more precise and careful. Additionally, the Amish use traditional joinery techniques, like dovetail joints, to make their furniture as durable as possible. In fact, these joinery techniques are one of the markers of heirloom-quality furniture.
Styles
Amish furniture, though simple, comes in various styles, from primitive to modern. Typically, Amish furniture is characterized by its natural wood tones, simplicity, and durability.
Mission
One of the most common furniture styles is called mission. This furniture style is simple, heavy, and sturdy. These pieces typically have a darker stain that emphasizes the heaviness and sturdiness of the furniture, like this Lateral File Cabinet. Straight lines are very characteristic of this style. Mission-style furniture often uses parallel slats as a form of simple ornamentation. This style also features hand-hammered pulls and knobs on drawers.
Shaker
Another common style is the Shaker style. This style features simple, soft curves, particularly on table and chair legs and arms, like the Gallery Brown Maple Leg Table. The tapering on the legs and arms makes this furniture style appear more lightweight and airy, though it is still very stable and durable. The wood chosen for these pieces is often softer in appearance, like maple or pine.
Queen Anne
Queen Anne style is perhaps the most ornate Amish furniture style. It is often characterized by curves in the feet, legs, and arms of chairs and tables. Queen Anne furniture may also have some small shell-shaped ornamentation, but not nearly as much as a typical Victorian piece.
Choosing the Right Furniture
Amish furniture is built to last through multiple generations. No matter which style of Amish furniture you choose, you will likely have it for your entire life. This is why it is important to make sure you pick pieces that are appealing to you. Since Amish furniture is so simple in its design, it can fit into any decor style. When planning the furniture in your home, you must consider what you need in each room: a roll-top desk for the office, a finely crafted table for the dining room, a pie safe for the kitchen, or a vanity for the bathroom. Be sure to keep things simple to match the simplicity of your furniture pieces. Because of its simple design, most Amish furniture styles work well together in a room, so if you can’t decide on one style, you don’t have to worry about your furniture clashing!
You cannot go wrong when choosing Amish furniture, but finding it may pose a challenge. Luckily, E-Amish Furniture can deliver high-quality Amish-made furniture right to your door! Browse our catalog to find the right pieces for your home.
