Furniture
New Dining Furniture: Which “Wood” You Choose?
Making The Hard-Wood Decision
Your first attraction to a hardwood dining table is the color of the wood. When shopping for a new dining or kitchen table, you probably have a color or wood type in mind before you have thought about a size or a style- and that’s okay! When it comes to tables looks matter. Our online gallery mostly shows our furniture in natural cherry wood, but our tables are available in 4 types of wood: cherry, walnut, maple, and oak. Below you will find a little bit of information about each of our wood types and how they look.
Cherry
Cherry wood is commonly identified by it’s beautiful reddish color that improves with age. Natural cherry wood starts out as a light red tone, and darkens to a richer tone over time. Cherry is one of the sought after hardwoods for furniture in the United States.
Walnut
Walnut wood is easily recognized because of it’s dark chocolate brown color. Black walnut wood is the only dark North American wood, which adds to it’s appeal as a rare, luxury type of wood. Walnut wood has become one of the most popular wood species for organic live edge tables.
Maple
Maple wood is much lighter than cherry or walnut wood. It is a white looking wood with a slight reddish-beige undertone. Maple wood typically has an understated straight grain, giving maple furniture a smooth finish. Maple is a perfect wood for a table because of it’s strength and resistance to shock.
Oak
Oak wood is very classic. People have been making furniture out of oak wood since the beginning of time, and is most often used for craftsman-style furniture. Oak is a lighter wood, similar to maple, but has a more pronounced grain. It is common to find contrasting grain on a piece of real oak furniture. This rugged wood has very subtle color change over time.
Hardwood Dining Tables
All of these woods are very strong and make durable tables, so you can’t go wrong. Our hardwood dining tables are skillfully crafted for style, function, and generations of use. Each piece is made with sustainably harvested hardwoods. Once you decide which type of wood best fits your home and your aesthetics, use the drop down menus in our online gallery to choose between natural cherry, walnut, maple or oak wood.
During our Winter Dining Room Furniture Sale, you can big on a new dining furniture. Save 10% on one piece, 15% on two pieces, or 20% on three or more pieces of furniture. Plus, each piece is backed by a lifetime guarantee and we will ship it for free!
Shop for your new dining room furniture securely, easily, and conveniently from our online gallery. If you prefer, contact us at 888-390-5571 to order by phone or discuss your questions about our Vermont made, fine wood furniture. Our fine furniture specialists are also available through our live chat option or by email.
* Copeland Furniture and Polywood Furniture are not included in the Presidents Day Furniture Sale as they are always priced with a low price guarantee.
Handmade Dining Tables: Online Customization
This Vermont Modern Pedestal Table can be customized online in solid cherry, walnut, maple or oak wood. It’s one of our many handmade dining tables, shown here with a round solid-top. Need more room sometimes? Use our drop-down menus to select an oval extension table instead.
We have a couple new handmade dining tables that have been getting great reviews lately. This one’s the Vermont Modern Pedestal Table and it’s shown here in solid cherry wood. I love it! Such a simple design, but you’d be surprised how hard it is to pull this off with elegance. The proportions have to be just perfect and the curves (as they say) have to be in all the right places.
All of our dining tables are built to order and can be easily customized online or in the showroom, but for some reason this Vermont Modern Pedestal Table is becoming a favorite for customization. We’ve built it in solid cherry as well as solid maple, walnut and oak. You can easily customize the wood online using the drop down menus and many people do, although we are always at the ready if questions or concerns come up. Monday, a customer decided to choose cherry wood for the legs and maple wood for the top. That’s something we have to do by phone or in person but it’s no trouble at all.
Now about size. You can select from 5 standard solid top table sizes (36″ diameter, 42″diameter, 48″diameter, 54″diameter, and 60″diameter) online. For extension tables, we offer the same 5 diameter sizes, each with an 18″ leaf. If you still can’t find the right size, give us a call and we’ll customize your dining table to fit exactly into your space.
Here’s the same Vermont Modern dining table in a rectangular shape. Customize it with a solid top or as an extension table in solid cherry wood (as shown) maple, walnut or oak wood. You can even create a custom 2-tone dining table like the customer who specified a maple top and cherrywood legs.
One last thing. Most of our handmade dining tables can be customized in the shape you need as well. The Rectangular Vermont Modern Trestle Dining Table is customizable online with the same four solid wood choices (cherry, maple, walnut and oak), 13 different solid top table sizes and 11 different choices for extension table size.
Not enough choices? Check out our other customizable handmade dining tables too!
Presidents Day Furniture Sale: Best Seller Alert
This Vermont made Shaker Moon Bed is our best seller for this week’s Presidents Day Furniture Sale. It does kind of look like something George Washington might have slept on while traveling around New England during the Revolutionary War, doesn’t it?
Happy Birthday to President Washington, President Lincoln and all of our favorite American presidents! We celebrated Presidents Day yesterday at the local (and world famous) Harris Hill Ski Jump so today we’re back working with customers who are taking advantage of our Presidents Day Furniture Sale.
The beautiful Vermont made Shaker Moon Bed is our most popular item this week. It’s a classic Shaker style bed and it’s often vying for first place in our Best Seller line up with the Cherry Moon Bed. Both beds are handmade by a small group of craftspeople in a Montpelier workshop using real solid cherry wood that’s sustainably harvested. The beds feature an incredibly soft, hand-rubbed, natural linseed oil finish and they’re guaranteed for a lifetime.
Matching dressers, chests, mirrors and nigh stands are also available in the Vermont Made Shaker and Cherry Moon Bedroom Furniture collections and everything is on sale through tomorrow at midnight for 15% off.
Not needing bedroom furniture today? Our store wide Presidents Day Furniture sale offers the same 15% discount on almost* all our Vermont made furniture including Dining Furniture, Home Office Furniture and Living Room Furniture. Shop online or give us a call today.
* Copeland Furniture and Polywood Furniture are not included in the Presidents Day Furniture Sale as they are always priced with a low price guarantee.
New Furniture Designs
The beginning of the year is a busy and exciting time for us, as we’re adding new furniture designs to our online gallery. We just finished adding new bedroom and dining room pieces. We are also excited to announce that we have expanded our line of live edge dining tables! Below you can read about our new pieces of fine wood furniture. We’d love to hear what you think! Comment below, or let us know on Facebook.
New Bedroom Furniture
The Sutton Platform Bed and the Sutton Platform Bed With Reclaimed Headboard are two great additions to our line of solid wood beds. They perfectly blend in with our existing Live Edge Bed. The only difference between these three beds are the headboards, making it easy to customize this bed to fit your style. The solid wood headboard, live edge headboard and reclaimed headboard choices perfect match the stylish platform base of the bed. Create a bedroom set by pairing a bed with the Sutton 1 Drawer Nightstand and the Sutton 6 Drawer Dresser, which feature the same platform base. All of these pieces are available in your choice of Cherry, Maple, Oak or Walnut wood. Please view the individual pieces to see the live edge and reclaimed wood options.
New Dining Furniture
Our new hardwood dining furniture is inspired by Mid Century Modern designs. The pieces are the Addison Boat Top Dining Table, Addison 4 Drawer Buffet with Glass Doors and Addison 4 Drawer Buffet. The most iconic attribute about these pieces are their splayed, round taper legs. The wood boat top dining table is available as a solid top table or an extension table, giving you the option of 11 table sizes. The buffets feature four centered drawers and two wood or glass doors. Behind the doors are a total of four adjustable shelves, one being a wine shelf. The brushed nickel pulls adds an extra modern flair to these natural wood buffets. Customize these pieces in your choice of natural Cherry, Maple, Oak or Walnut wood.
New Live Edge Tables
A huge trend in the furniture industry right now is live edge furniture. Each wood slab is unique, making your piece one of a kind. We have added three new live edge tables to our online gallery: Metropolitan Dining Table – Live Edge, Boston Trestle Dining Table – Live Edge, and Boston Dining Table – Live Edge. Each of these tables feature an organic live edge top. The best part about the live edge tables are that they match any style home. If you want a modern take on a traditional shaker style table, the Boston Dining Table may be your first pick. The tapered legs add a shaker feel to this design. The Boston Trestle table has the durability of traditional craftsmanship with a touch of modern style. The Metropolitan Dining Table is the most modern design of the three live edge tables. It features a clear, powder-coated steel base. These metal legs create a modern industrial look. In my opinion, the best part about all of these table designs are the simple bases. Each base or table legs are understated, allowing the natural live edge top to stand alone in it’s beauty.
Preview: Presidents Day Furniture Sale
Right now you may be preoccupied placing your Edible Arrangement order or making dinner reservations for Valentine’s Day, but some of the biggest sales events of the year are only a few days away. This Friday you will see all of the big ticket items on your wish list go on sale. Presidents Day is a retail holiday only second to Black Friday (which is 9 months away).
Traditionally, many Americans take advantage of these discounts to make larger purchases like new cars, electronics and furniture. This is the first time that retailers will offer discounts on their new lines and designs. As a consumer, one of the questions you may ask yourself before you make a big purchase is, “how long will this last?” or “how long will I have this?” For many of your purchases, like a new top of the line television with a surround sound system, the answer is probably less than 5 years. Technology is rapidly changing and these types of items become obsolete almost as soon as we buy them.
Unlike cars and electronics that have new versions come out every year, the functionality and durability of hardwood furniture has remained the same for over 200 years. We know there are a lot of items to choose from this Presidents Day, but furniture is different from your other options because it is crafted to last a lifetime- it’s guaranteed. Our online gallery features dozens of fine wood furniture collections and 100′s of pieces in a variety of timeless styles. Each piece is crafted to order, so you can customize your furniture in your choice of natural Cherry, Maple, Oak or Walnut wood. All of our furniture is 100% American made right here in Vermont.
During our Presidents Day Furniture Sale, you can save 15% storewide* plus free shipping! This is one of the deepest discounts that we can give our customers, so we only offer it a couple times a year. We are honoring this discount for 5 days only, but you can preview our bedroom, dining room, living room, and home office furniture by visiting our website today. Bookmark what you like ahead of time, receive the savings this weekend
If you have any questions about our Vermont made wood furniture, feel free to contact our fine furniture specialists. They are available by live chat, phone (888-390-5571), or by email (info@vermontwoodsstudios.com).
*This storewide sale excludes Copeland, Polywood, Barnwood and Artisan Furniture
Extension Tables
This eco-friendly Solid Wood Extension Table is handmade in Vermont using sustainably harvested wood. Have you ever wondered who thought up extension tables in the first place? “Let’s saw this table top in two. Then we can stick a couple boards in between the 2 halves and extend the table when company comes.” Just saying… it might have sounded a little crazy at first.
January is a popular month to shop for dining tables. I guess every year, around the holidays people decide “this is going to be my last year entertaining around this old table! It’s too small, it’s too old, it’s not the right shape…” So we build a lot of dining tables in January and this year, they are almost all extension tables.
Who ever thought up the idea of extension tables in the first place? I mean… “let’s saw this table top in two. Then we can stick a couple boards in between the 2 halves and extend the table when company comes.” Pretty innovative, but it must have sounded a little crazy at first– don’t you think?
Extension tables have come a long way since some creative person designed the first one. Now you can get extension tables with 1, 2, 3 or more leaves (our furniture makers have been known to build custom tables with as many as 5 leaves). The leaves can be self-storing, with butterfly mechanisms or little cubbies under the table for convenient storage. With 3 or more leaves there is usually an extra leg tucked under the table top for extra support.
At Vermont Woods Studios, our extension tables are handcrafted of real solid wood and 100% American made by Vermont craftspeople. They can be customized in Cherry, Maple, Black Walnut, or Oak wood. And you can choose from different designs to suit the shape and style of your dining room: drop leaf, trestle, split pedestal, single pedestal and double pedestal.
Looking for a particular style or shape? Browse through Shaker, modern, mission, French country, traditional, craftsman and mid-century modern styles in round to oval and square to rectangular shapes.
TV Stands Fit For A Champion
This is the time of year when the big box stores put all of their TVs and media consoles on sale in preparation for the big game: the Super Bowl. Now, I can’t argue that saving a few hundred dollars on a TV isn’t a good deal, because it is. However, buying that particle board TV stand is not a good deal. Because it is cheaply made in a factory, it is not durable enough to hold your beautiful new TV for years to come. In fact, it will probably only last long enough to use for your Super Bowl party. A solid wood media console is a better deal. It is more money upfront, but it will last for a lifetime of Super Bowl games.
All of our media consoles are carefully crafted in Vermont using sustainably harvested hardwoods. Our heirloom quality TV stands and media consoles are available in a variety of styles to perfectly match your home decor. Our minimalistic designs like the Cherry Moon Small TV-Media Console, Modern American TV-Media Stand, and our Modern Shaker Two Drawer Media Console are extremely popular right now. They are small enough to fit in any space, but have enough storage for your DVD player, TiVo, and cable box. Even if you decide to mount your new flatscreen TV on the wall, you will still need a space to hold the accessories.
Don’t worry about assembling a low-quality media console for the game. Use what you have for right now, and know that your dream TV stand is a few clicks away. Order now, sit back and enjoy the game. You won’t receive your new media console in time for the 2013 Super Bowl, because quality craftsmanship takes time. However, you will enjoy your heirloom quality, solid wood media console for a lifetime (guaranteed).
Order during our sale and save up to 20%* off real wood living room and home office furniture. We will ship your order for free, and it will be delivered right to your door; no hassles.
Start browsing our online gallery today. If you need any assistance while shopping, our fine furniture specialists are available through live chat, email, or phone. Visit our contact page for their information.
*Excludes Copeland Furniture
How Vermont Custom Furniture Is Created: Stowe Expo
Steve Holman’s Curvy Drawer Sideboard is featured at Source, an exhibition of exquisite and creative Vermont custom furniture and craftspeople with a focus on the source of all elements that collaborate to make the final piece. Source is now playing at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe, Vermont.
Vermont Custom Furniture Showcased in Stowe
Vermont custom furniture takes center stage this month at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe. Members of the Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers are showcasing examples of their work, which (in my humble opinion) is among the finest custom furniture you’ll find anywhere.
The Stowe expo, Source focuses on the origin of all elements that collaborate to make the final exquisite and creative piece. “The exhibit maps the source of materials, the relationships between forester, mill and craftsperson, as well as the path that the artists took (who influenced them, and where they learned their craft) to become furniture makers”.
Many of our favorite Vermont custom furniture makers are represented in Stowe, including: George Ainley, Erin Hanley, James Becker, Steve Holman, Hugo Belton, David Hurwitz, Richard Bissell, Bill Laberge, Dave Boynton, Mario Messina, Tim Clark, Dan Morsheim, Doug Clarner, Pete Novick, Johns Congdon, Walt Stanley and Bob Gasparetti.
From left: David Hurwitz’s free-form, wavy chest of drawers, Dave Boynton’s custom acoustic cabinet and Mario Messina’s Trillium chair. See them up close and personal at Vermont’s Custom Artisan Furniture Show at the Helen Day Center in Stowe.
Where Does Your Furniture Come From?
At Vermont Woods Studios our focus has always been on “where does your furniture come from” particularly from an environmental perspective (where is the wood from and was it sustainably harvested).
What I love about this expo is that it takes a broader look into the origin of these works of art, focusing on the artists, their inspirations and the chain of partners involved in getting their wood from the forest to their studios.
If you’re heading up to Stowe to ski and you love woodworking, be sure to make time to stop at the Helen Day Center for a relaxing and inspiring visit. Hours are Wednesday – Sunday 12pm-5pm and by appointment. Admission is by donation. It’s well worth the trip!
Cherry Moon Beds: This Week’s Best Seller
This week’s best seller, the Cherry Moon Bed is handmade in Montpelier of solid natural cherry wood. It has simple elegant lines like Vermont’s iconic Shaker furniture. But it’s refined curves and reverse-tapered legs add a modern Asian flair. Buy it in a bedroom furniture set and save 20%!
A Great Example of Vermont Style Furniture
Natural cherry beds are our most popular item at Vermont Woods Studios so I guess it’s no surprise that our Best Seller last week was the Cherry Moon Bed. Actually this bed is a frequent flyer on the Best Seller list. I think that’s because it’s such a good example of what’s best about Vermont style furniture.
The Cherry Moon Bed is handmade in Montpelier of solid natural cherry wood. It has simple elegant lines like Vermont’s iconic Shaker furniture. But it’s refined curves and reverse-tapered legs add a modern Asian flair. The finish on this bed is a hand-rubbed natural oil that brings out the beauty of the cherrywood grain. If you re-oil the bed every year it develops a rich patina that gives it even more depth and character over time.
The Cherry Moon Bedroom Collection
Many of our customers bought cherry beds as part of the Cherry Moon Bedroom Furniture Collection which is on sale today (Winter Bedroom Sale). The discount is 10% off any single piece, 15% off two pieces or 20% off 3 or more pieces (plus free shipping and delivery). The sale ends next week, but if you miss it, you can always use the Cherry Moon Bedroom Set page to purchase furniture in this collection.
Buying Cherry Beds in Sets Saves You 20%
At Vermont Woods Studios you can always save 20% buying cherry beds or most any other furniture as a set. We save on shipping when we ship multiple pieces so we pass that on to our customers. Shop for discount sets on these pages:
If you don’t see the exact combination of furniture pieces you’re looking for in one of our sets, give Liz, Sean or Heather a call. They’ll take your order over the phone or in person and make sure you get the set discount if it’s available.
Vermont Made Furniture: A History
The American Shaker Bedroom Furniture Set is handmade here in Vermont using the same timeless Shaker styling and craftsmanship that Vermont’s been famous for over 250 years. Learn more about the History of Vermont Made Furniture in our encyclopedia.
250 Years of Woodworking and Furniture Making in Vermont
Last year we had so much interest from customers about the history of Vermont made furniture, we started an encyclopedia of sorts. Did you know that Vermont furniture making history can be traced back to the 17th century? And by the 18th century almost every town in Vermont had woodworkers making furniture, tools and utensils.
Wood products became the single most important manufacturing industry in Vermont during the 19th century. It was then that Vermont made furniture and wood products began their long history of export to customers all over the U.S. and abroad. Wood furniture, wooden cutting boards and bowls, bowling pins, baskets, drumsticks, toys, musical instruments, golf tees, cheese boxes, wooden dolls, gun racks, Scrabble tiles, snowshoes, clothes pins, and wooden shipping boxes were (and continue to be) all products of a thriving Vermont woodworking industry.
Forest To Furniture
Perhaps the biggest contributor to a growing fine furniture industry was the Green Mountain Forest which covered 90% of Vermont in the 1760s. In the 1700s Vermont contained extensive forests of various tree species that were 6 feet in diameter and as high as thirteen-story buildings; some more than 300 years old. Wood created an identity for many Vermont towns that became known for logging, lumber mills, and a continuous succession of wood products manufacturers.
Woodworking Built Many Vermont Communities
In some towns, the Vermont made furniture and wood industries provided income for the majority of the population. Technology and products changed with the times to increase production and efficiency, meet market demand, and capitalize on popular trends and tastes. Owners of the mills and factories became community leaders who took responsibility for the commercial and civic growth of their towns.
Notable Vermont Woodworkers and Furniture Makers
Craftsmen hailing from Wilmington, Norwich, Middlebury, Shaftsbury, Rutland, Charlotte, Putney and Bennington were among the master craftsmen of 18th and 19th century Vermont. Some prominent luxury, custom furniture makers of the time include: George Stedman of Norwich, Vermont, c. 1800-20, Asahel (b. 1759) and Martin (1778-c. 1830) Cheney of Putney, Vermont, 1798-1803, Hastings Warren (1779-1845), of Middlebury, Vermont and Levi Pitkin (1774-1854) of Montpelier, Vermont, c. 1800. Their work adorned the homes and offices of the world’s rich and famous.
H.T. Cushman Furniture in North Bennington, VT was one of the most prominent furniture companies in America, opening their colonial furniture business in 1892 and exporting from Vermont to the rest of the United States and overseas.
Where To View or Purchase Vermont Antique Furniture
Antique dealers throughout the Green Mountain State display relics of the early Vermont furniture industry. The Shelburne Museum, Bennington Museum and Skinner Auctioneers have recently showcased Vermont made furniture collections and pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries. Check out the Vermont Wood Manufacturer’s Association website for further information about the history of woodworking in Vermont.
Have information or stories to add to our Vermont Furniture Encyclopedia? Send comments in the section below or post on our Facebook page. We’ll update the encyclopedia with your input.
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