american made
American Made Christmas Shopping Starts
Douglas and Manjula sneaked out of work to check out the American made Christmas gifts at Brattleboro’s Vermont Artisan Designs today.
American Made Christmas Gifts
We drew names for our Secret Santa gift exchange here at Vermont Woods Studios today. Christmas, Hanukkah and the holiday season are always pretty festive in our office. This year we’ll again be focusing on promoting the idea of giving American made gifts to each other and to our families and friends.
You may remember that last year we launched a Made in America Holiday Shopping Challenge. We asked our friends to pledge to buy American made gifts– to look at the tags on everything they bought for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other holidays and to choose the ones that were “American Made”. We found it wasn’t a new idea around here. In fact most people told us they go a step further and purchase only locally made gifts, handmade gifts and items that support people and businesses in our community. Anyway, we had so much fun with our project last year that ABC News caught wind of it and came to Vernon to film a segment about it for World News with Diane Sawyer.
Vermont Made Gifts
So this year we wanted to carry on with the tradition. Heather Barrett has posted some great American made gift ideas on our Pinterest Board and Facebook page. Jump on board and share your own finds with her– we’d love it. You’ll see that we’re leaning pretty heavily towards Vermont made items, but certainly not exclusively. I do find that Vermont’s warm winter wear always goes over pretty well on a cold, snowy Christmas morning though. Johnson Woolens, Turtle Fur and Vermont Flannel are favorites in my family.
Local Handmade Gifts
This weekend we have several local craft fairs to shop our way through. One is the 17th annual “Home for the Holidays” craft fair with 50 local vendors at the Vernon Elementary School and another is the 14th Annual Cotton Mill Open Studio and Holiday Sale in Brattleboro, VT. Hope to see you moseying your way through one of them. Our friends and neighbors who’ve been crafting all year long in preparation for the holiday season are depending on our support! Let the shopping begin.
Tips for Small Apartment Decorating
Small Apartment Decorating 101: The Dominion Storage Bed is my first pick!
Within the past few years, studies have shown that the average home size is decreasing. Towards the end of the 20th century, new homes were all about being bigger and better. Now, new homes are all about efficiency and economics. Homeowners want homes that are efficient in space and energy so they can save a bundle on their bills. While people are still buying bigger homes, trends show that as people move closer to cities for work, average home size will continue to go down as people purchase small apartments and condos. Here are a few furniture tips if you are looking for modest furniture for your modest space.
Decorating a Small Bedroom
Lacking space or storage in your bedroom? Not a problem! I suggest investing in a luxurious storage bed. While you may be thinking that a storage bed is big and heavy, which are two things you don’t want in a small apartment, think of it as one less chest or dresser that you’ll have to make room for! Store clothes, linens or other items that you want out of the way and save yourself the space in your closet. I’d also pick up some of our large wall mirrors to hang in your bedroom space. Mirrors give the illusion that your space is bigger!
Decorating a Small Dining Room
Check out my blog from a few weeks ago on dining table shape to see what kind of tables would fit best in your room. For most dining rooms, I’d go with an extension table. It saves space when you’re not using it, and expands when you have guests over. If you have an eat-in kitchen, which wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for the average apartment, go for a bar height table and some bar stools.
Decorating a Small Living Room
Even though our homes are getting smaller, the number of electronic devices we have is, unfortunately, still getting bigger! I’d choose a low TV console to store all of your gadgets. This way, it will hold everything it should, but still leave room for a TV to sit on top or for you to mount a flat screen TV above it. You also might want to grab a storage box ottoman from our living room seating collection. Secret storage is always the answer for small space solutions.
Decorating a Small Office
Skip the home office and make a DIY closet office! Also, use strategically placed custom bookcases throughout your home to hold all of your books, papers, knick-knacks or childrens toys. Our bookcases can be customized to fit any space perfectly.
Small apartment decorating can be tricky, but if you stick to the basics, you can have a luxurious space with all the storage you need. Let us know how you decorate your smaller spaces here on the blog or on our Facebook.
Best Seller Alert: Metal and Wood Furniture
With it’s creative combination of wood and metal, the Contemporary Cable Bedroom Furniture set is a best seller among interior designers looking to furnish renovated industrial spaces that are now upscale apartments and condos.
Metal and Wood Furniture Design
We introduced our eco-friendly Contemporary Cable Collection just a couple weeks ago but this high end, modern metal and wood furniture is already becoming a best seller. Customers shopping for a unique blend of Vermont style craftsmanship and sophisticated urban design are studying this furniture set. They like the clean look, the inlaid aluminum accent bars and the braided stainless steel drawer pulls.
This handcrafted Contemporary Cable Bedroom Furniture Collection features real solid cherry wood construction, aluminum accent bars inlaid into drawer fronts and braided stainless steel drawer pulls. The combination of wood and metal is a creative solution for interior designers looking to add warmth to renovated industrial spaces and loft apartments.
Warm Wooden Furniture Meets Renovated Industrial Factory Spaces
One of our designer friends found this solid wood furniture to be the perfect answer for clients who are moving into a renovated factory space in Montreal. Their luxury apartment has concrete floors and exposed metal duct work suspended from an 18 foot tall ceiling. The owners wanted high end, natural wood furniture to warm up their space but they also wanted to incorporate some of the post-industrial character of the room. The combination of solid wood, aluminum inlays and stainless steel cable drawer pulls in the furniture set brings the whole design concept together.
The combination of solid cherry wood, a natural hand-rubbed oil finish and braided stainless steel lines across the headboard and foot board of the Contemporary Cable Bed pulls together typical wood and metal design elements of renovated industrial factory spaces.
Green Design Considerations
The fact that the Contemporary Cable Collection is built with sustainably harvested wood and finished with a natural hand-rubbed oil was also important to these home owners. They had made conscious decisions to go green in their selection of a renovated dwelling that was part of a neighborhood revitalization project. So handmade, natural furniture fits into the green lifestyle they are embracing.
What do you think about this metal and wood furniture? Would it fit into your bedroom design?
Movers and Shakers: Fine Furniture Shipping and Delivery
Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun when this customer sent us a nice note about how her Shaker furniture was delivered so professionally by our shippers. Clark and Reid is an award-winning executive moving company that also ships fine furniture for Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Vermont Woods Studios. We include this service in the base price of our furniture (Free Shipping).
Last week we received an enthusiastic email from a family in California thanking us for the great job our moving company (Clark and Reid) did with the delivery of their Vermont made Shaker bedroom set:
“I wanted to let you know what a wonderful experience I had with your movers. I had one of your beds shipped to my vacation home in the Sierras. Because the road is very steep and winding, Clark and Reid needed to bring the bed in a special shuttle, the cost of which they covered. Also, I wasn’t able to be present at the house at the time a driver was available to make the delivery, and was able to arrange to have a concierge service meet the driver and let him into the house to assemble the bed. Clark and Reid offered to reimburse me for the cost of the service (up to $75).
I was told by the concierge that the driver was very professional and efficient. He arrived on time and handled all the details of moving and assembly. It was a pleasure to purchase furniture from you and to work with such an excellent shipper. Thank you so much! Best Regards, Debbie D
We love hearing your Vermont made furniture stories and reviews, whether they’re about the delivery experience or the good times you share around the dining table with family and friends. Keep ‘em coming! You’re helping us make our systems better. In this case, the comments went to straight to Clark and Reid where the driver and his manager reviewed them together (maybe someone will even get a well-deserved raise). Other comments have helped us improve the quality of our Shaker furniture and the logistics needed to get it from the forest to your living room.
So help us Movers and Shakers by sending in feedback about your new Vermont handmade furniture. Use the comments section below, email us or connect using our Facebook. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
A Stylish, Sustainable, Space Saving Solution: Nesting Tables!
This week in our green interior design column, we’re talking about nesting tables. Earlier this year, House and Home magazine listed nesting tables and other small accent tables as a “must-have” in their 2012 Decorating Trends issue. Not only are nesting tables trendy and unique, but they’re also great for homes with limited space. Nesting tables allow you the versatility of having three separate tables while only taking up the space of one. These tables would be great to bring out during parties as floating tables for drinks or even as a tray for food. The possibilities are endless with these magic tables.
Here at Vermont Woods Studios, you can find nesting tables that do their job as convenient space-savers and, as an added bonus, they are environmentally friendly and made right here in Vermont.
Our New England Shaker Nesting Tables are traditional and simple, designed to match any home decor. With clean lines and dovetail joinery, these tables are meant to be displayed. With your purchase, you’ll receive 3 nesting tables in your choice of cherry. maple, oak or walnut woods. I’ll also point out that with our current sale (ending today!), you’ll be able to save up to 20%*.
If you’re looking for more of a modern twist on nesting tables, check out our Copeland Coonley Nesting End Tables. With two sleek nesting tables crafted in natural cherry wood, you’ll add twice the luxury and class to any room. Part of Copelands Frank Lloyd Wright Collection, these tables embody the styling of the modern architect.
Check out more of our coffee tables, end tables, sofa tables and accent tables. Call us with your customization ideas to create a table that is perfect for your homes’ interior design.
Copeland Furniture Update: Bye Bye Lily
The Lily Bedroom Set made by Vermont’s Copeland Furniture Company is being discontinued as of December 1, 2012. If you’re looking to add to your Lily set, now’s the time to make your move! Give us a call or order online today.
Copeland Furniture will be rolling out their new products for 2013 this week at the Highpoint Furniture Market in North Carolina. Each year at the Fall Market Copeland announces which products are being changed, discontinued and added to their luxury line of Vermont made furniture. Dennis and Heather are analyzing Copeland’s changes now and we’ll highlight them over the next few weeks.
One thing I wanted to mention right away though, is that the Copeland Lily Collection is being discontinued as of December 1, 2012. I know many of you have previously purchased Lily beds, dressers, chests and nightstands for your bedroom and if you’re looking to complete your set, now is the time to make your move.
We hate to see Lily go as this natural maple, transitional Shaker style furniture has been a favorite among our customers. But there is an upside for you. Typically when fine furniture collections like this are discontinued, their value is increased as they become more rare and unique over time. Your Vermont made bedroom set may one day be a collector’s item and you can hand it down through your family for generations. Give Liz and Heather a call today or complete your Lily bedroom furniture set by ordering it online through our secure server.
Trend Alert: What is Green Interior Design?
Interior design is not a new concept. For decades, people have been making a living by creating works of art with furniture and accessories as their palette and empty rooms as their canvas. It is probably not a surprise that fashioning the perfect design for the inside of your home is crucial to how you feel and react in your environment. Interior design is all about aesthetics. It’s about taking items that are visually appealing and combining them with your personality to create something unique and personal to you.
With consumers becoming more conscious about their impacts on our environment, it is no shock that people are starting to ask for green, eco-friendly furniture and building materials for their homes. Interior designers are capitalizing on this trend by offering environmentally friendly alternatives when creating a design for a client’s home. Now this begs the question, what exactly does sustainable interior design mean?
Basically, the difference between interior design and sustainable interior design is the difference between beauty and beliefs and how much they mean to you. Sustainable (or green) interior design can probably be broken down into 4 major components:
- *Air Quality
- *Energy Efficiency
- *Building Materials and the Three R’s (Recycling, Re-purposing, Reusing)
- *Economic Impact
Air quality is very important to interior design. The biggest decision a designer has to make is choosing pieces that are free of chemicals that can make people sick or pollute our environment. This usually means watching out for volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) that can be found in paints, primers, glues, ink and cleaning products. Luckily, you can now buy furniture that uses glues and finishes that contain little or no VOC’s.
The area of energy saving interior design techniques is very broad. It can mean anything from choosing light bulbs that use less energy (like LED) to choosing products that are produced in America to reduce the energy it takes to ship them.
We’ve all heard some form of “The Three R’s”. Now-a-days it feels like there are many “r” words related to conservation. When it comes to green interior design, it is important to remember to recycle, re-purpose and reuse. Choose materials that have been recycled, like furniture made from recycled plastic. Remember that there are many products that are made by re-purposing old materials, like Reclaimed Barnwood Furniture. And always keep in mind things that can be used again before you toss them out.
When you purchase items without checking where they are sourced from, you risk supporting imported goods, rather than supporting the local American worker. Always research where your furniture and building materials come from and support American jobs and our local economy by buying American-made.
Creating a sustainable interior design concept doesn’t mean that you have to be 100% green, but you can make smart choices that will benefit the environment in the long run. You also don’t have to overhaul your entire home to start a green interior design. Make small changes around your home, like opting for new cleaning products or donating that department store furniture piece and trade it in for one made in America that has little to no VOC’s. These little changes will someday make a big difference.
If you are an interior designer, check out the discounts we can offer on our Vermont-made fine furniture.
Discover America’s Best Real Wood Furniture On Columbus Day
Explore The World of Real Wood Furniture
Columbus Day is a favorite time to shop for home decor as everyone’s beginning to realize that the holidays are right around the corner. If you’ll be entertaining family and friends for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or another holiday you may be shopping for furniture today. No doubt, like Columbus, you’re looking for America’s best. So set your sails for Vermont.
In the Green Mountain State you’ll find the best real wood furniture anywhere in the USA. Vermont is home to some 2000 small custom furniture makers located throughout our state as well as several mid-size, high end furniture manufacturers like Copeland Furniture and Lyndon Furniture.
Vermont style furniture is known for organic solid wood, clear natural finishes and fine craftsmanship. The favorite hardwood among craftspeople and customers alike seems to be American Black Cherry as shown in the handmade Shaker dining table above, although you’ll also find a variety of other North American woods including walnut, oak and maple.
With so many American furniture brands now making their furniture overseas, Vermont has quietly become the Real Wood Furniture Capital of the USA. I know of only one Vermont furniture company that moved its operations overseas back when the Asian exodus was taking place and that was Ethan Allen. The other Vermont furniture businesses have continued to operate successfully in the USA, remaining true to their communities, their employees and their quality.
You can arrange a tour to visit the best of our Vermont furniture makers and see the difference that real wood and authentic American craftsmanship make. Columbus Day is a great time to make the trip! Start here with this Map of Vermont Master Furniture Makers and maybe swing by our Vermont Woods Studios Furniture Showroom in Vernon VT on your route. Then let us know if you too, see Vermont as America’s best place to shop for the real thing in USA made furniture.
Mission & Craftsman Style Furniture
Vermont has long been known for it’s authentic, handmade Mission and Craftsman style furniture. Today’s artisans are adapting traditional designs to modern lifestyles while retaining our high standards for quality and sustainability.
What do you like most about Mission and Craftsman style furniture? Customers shopping for this type of wooden furniture often tell us they’re looking for simple, natural designs and honest craftsmanship. Their search leads them to Vermont. With it’s 200 year tradition of authentic, high quality woodworking, the Green Mountain State has earned a reputation of being the Fine Furniture Capital of America.
Mission and craftsman style furniture is being handmade in every corner of our state. This weekend our artisans are opening their doors to visitors who want to see their craftsmanship in action. You probably know this already but before you come, I should be clear. In Vermont you’re not going to find much in the way of fancy Victorian carving or ornamental scrolling (we leave that to global conglomerates that use lots of CNC machinery and exploited labor to produce high volumes of low quality furniture).
Instead, in the Green Mountain State you’ll see the real thing: a tradition of simple (but precise) elegance in furniture making. Fine quality construction, high value raw materials, local skilled labor, fair wages, human rights and environmental responsibility are hallmarks of Vermont’s fine furniture industry. The Mission and Craftsman style furniture that comes out of Vermont has a certain charm, grace, delicacy and simplicity reflecting those values and it just cannot be duplicated by mass production.
If you’re out and about leaf peeping this beautiful Autumn weekend, stop by some of our state’s premiere furniture studios and check out some real mission and craftsman style furniture and the artisans who create it.
Modern American Bedroom Set: This Weeks Best Seller
wood and polished with a hand-rubbed natural oil finish.
Modern Wood Bedroom Set was the Hot Ticket Last Week
This high end Modern American Bedroom Set, inspired by George Nakishima’s designs was our Best Seller last week.
The collection is handcrafted in Burlington, Vermont with real solid cherry and walnut wood. It’s polished with a hand-rubbed natural oil finish. Customers tell us they’re drawn to it’s distinctive mid-century modern look and feel. The clean smooth lines are reminiscent of that retro 1950s Scandinavian style. It’s sophisticated but totally approachable.
The bed, dressers, chests and nightstands in this furniture collection are all made to order here in Vermont and can be customized to meet your needs. The craftsman has also provided dozens of ways to customize easily online. You can easily select your favorite style, hardwood and drawer configuration online. But if you’re looking for further customization give us a call or visit our showroom in Vernon, VT. We’ll look forward to working with you to create a unique modern bedroom set you will cherish for a lifetime.
Going green? This natural, solid wood, American made bedroom set is handcrafted in Vermont from eco-friendly sustainably harvested woods. You can customize any piece online in your choice of solid natural cherry, maple or walnut wood or any two-tone combination of them.
Facebook
