When you say the word Amish, the first thing that comes to mind for many people is the old-fashioned horse-drawn buggy. There are many concepts associated with the Amish people and their way of life, such as living a simple life, without technological help, living a traditional life, and engaging in professions such as agriculture, crafts, and others that involve working by hand and that do not involve comforts. such as telephone, electricity, television, and automated vehicles, etc. The Amish are known for living in their own self-sufficient communities that have limited contact with mainstream society.
Due to its ancient and traditional style of making crafts by hand and generally without the aid of modern machinery, Amish Furniture has come to mean handmade furniture, made from 100% natural materials, durable and with great attention to detail. In short, Amish-made furniture has almost become furniture that is a work of art in itself.
The unique quality of Amish handcrafted furniture is that it has an heirloom quality, a timeless look that never goes out of style, and designs that are not held hostage to fickle trends that are here today and gone tomorrow. This type of furniture is built to last, thus reinforcing its heirloom quality. Most Amish furniture is handcrafted from solid oak, cherry, and maple. When Amish furniture is made, solid wood boards are used in an arrangement that enhances the look and durability of each piece of furniture.
The Amish people live by a set of beliefs that preclude the use of modern conveniences like electricity, so it follows that the tools used for Amish handcrafted furniture generally do not use electricity. They are often powered by hydraulic and pneumatic power. While some machining can sometimes be used, more often than not the detailing and finishing is done by hand. This ensures the best quality of workmanship.
There are certain distinctive styles of furniture made by Amish. For example, there is the Mission style which has clean, even lines and exposed millwork. Then there is the Shaker style, which is renowned for its simplicity, innovative millwork, quality and functionality. A more ornate style for Amish furniture is the Queen Anne style, which is very different from the styles mentioned above, which are simple and functional in nature. By contrast, the Queen Anne style is more traditional, often depicted with carvings and ornate details.
Since few Amish children attain higher education, Amish woodcraft skills are often passed down from generation to generation, with father teaching son the tricks of the trade.
Since their beliefs generally preclude modern marketing and sales practices, there are other non-Amish people who commission and purchase Amish furniture and then make it available to the general public. Increasingly, online sites offer people the option of purchasing Amish handcrafted furniture, which is known for its superior quality, traditional manufacturing methods, and timeless beauty. Now anyone can take advantage of Amish furniture that is beautiful and will last for generations in styles and designs that transcend time and personal style preferences.
