fine
Fine Wood Furniture: Bringing Vermont’s Forest Into Your Home
wood such that our furniture is a reflection of the forest it came
from. Did you know that forests
cover nearly 80% of Vermont's landscape? And our forest is growing faster than we are harvesting it– a good
measure of sustainability!
Often customers come to us looking specifically for fine wood furniture that's handmade in America from sustainably harvested wood.
At last! Vermont is becoming know as the Fine Furniture Capital of America. The Green Mountain State has been the home to fine woodworkers for over 200 years. Plus our state provides
the world's finest furniture making material – solid hardwood.
Furniture makers in Vermont create bedroom, home office and dining room furniture using American Black Cherry,
Sugar Maple, American Black Walnut, Oak and other hardwoods from the Northern Forest.
Vermont designs and crafting techniques highlight the natural beauty of wood such that our furniture is a reflection of the forest it came from. Forests
cover nearly 80% of Vermont's landscape and we harvest wood at a rate that's less than the rate at which our forest is growing– a good measure of sustainability!
At Vermont Woods Studios we're proud to live in a place where people cherish and protect their
natural resources – our forests, meadows, pastures, rivers, lakes and streams. And we're happy to be able to bring you the fruits of that green lifestyle: Vermont's handmade hardwood furniture. Like us on Facebook if you agree!
Fine Wood Bedroom Furniture Sets: 3 Things To Know Before You Buy
Manjula just finished posting eight new fine wood bedroom furniture sets in our online store at Vermont Woods Studios. Customers have been asking for customizable, solid wood bedroom sets and we've done our best to make them available online at affordable prices.
If you're shopping for this type of furniture, here are 3 questions to ask your retailer before you make a purchase:
* Is this bedroom furniture made from real solid wood? Authentic fine furniture is handcrafted from genuine solid wood, not mdf or particle board covered with wooden veneers. Most of what you see in America's "fine furniture" (aka Big Box) stores like Ashley or Bob's is made with inferior substrates rather than real wood, although it's often hard to tell if you're not familiar with traditional craftsmanship. Be sure to ask your furniture salesman what type of wood your furniture is made with and whether that wood is a veneer or solid wood.
* Where is this bedroom furniture made? American furniture craftsmanship is considered the gold standard worldwide. Thirty years ago states like North Carolina and Pennsylvania were the fine furniture capitals of the world but then the global market place began to change that. American furniture icons like Ethan Allen, Lane and Thomasville moved their operations overseas and quality plummeted. Luckily there are a number of small American furniture companies who steadfastly remained in the USA with quality and community remaining at the core of their identities. Today these businesses are the world leaders in fine furniture, with Vermont's companies leading the way. They are the only companies you will find that offer a lifetime guarantee on their furniture.
* Can this bedroom furniture set be customized to meet my needs? Most furniture sets consist of 5 items– take it or leave it. Well, I say if you're investing in fine wood furniture that you're going to have for many years you ought to be able to select the exact pieces you need for the space and decor of your bedroom. Make sure your furniture salesperson is flexible so you can purchase all of the pieces you need and no extras (that you'll have to find space for in another room).
And here's a bonus tip: ask for a volume discount. At Vermont Woods Studios we've put together 16 different handmade, solid wood fine furniture sets for your bedroom– all 100% Made in America, fully customizable and on sale for 20% lower discount prices. Have a look and if you don't see exactly what you need, give us a call. We want you to have the high end, fine solid wood furniture you've always dreamed of. You deserve it!
Buying Fine Furniture Online: Top 3 Tips For A Successful Purchase
When I started Vermont Woods Studios seven years ago, most people told me that no one in their right mind would consider buying expensive fine furniture online. But I would. And I figured I was not the only one who preferred researching my purchases on my own rather than being "sold to" in a traditional furniture store.
If you're one of those people too, I'll offer some advice to help with your research. Although we were one of the first, there are now literally hundreds of online stores selling fine furniture. So here are my Top 3 Tips for Buying Fine Furniture Online:
BUY FROM A FINE FURNITURE SPECIALIST
Amazon, Ebay, YLiving, Sears, Wayfair and most big online stores carry "fine furniture". But they also carry watches, silverware, desk accessories, umbrellas and cough drops. So do you really trust them to know anything about your investment in fine furniture? I don't think so. Honestly there are so many things that can go wrong with a fine furniture purchase– you need to deal with someone who anticipates all possible issues involved in ordering, customizing, shipping and delivering your furniture. Someone who will be immediately accessible and responsive if you get home from work and find a soaking wet box containing your new table or dresser on your doorstep. Someone who will have already discussed delivery logistics with you such that something like that simply doesn't happen.
ORDER WHITE GLOVE SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
Many online "fine furniture" stores offer base prices that either do not include shipping or include "curbside shipping", which literally means the furniture is brought to your curb and you bring it into the house yourself. Alternatively "white glove" shipping and delivery services bring your new furniture into your home, unpack it, assemble it, help you inspect it for possible shipping damage and remove the packaging materials. You need this service not only to save your back and make sure your assembly is correct but also as a sort of "insurance policy" against shipping damage. Even if it costs a couple hundred dollars extra, trust me– it's worth it.
GET A LIFETIME GUARANTEE
High quality, wood furniture makers offer a lifetime guarantee on their fine furniture– period. This is your peace of mind regarding quality, especially when you're buying online. It takes the risk out of the deal. If you're investing a substantial amount of money in fine wood furniture and your store won't guarantee it, go somewhere else. Legitimate online fine furniture stores will offer the guarantee if you ask for it.
For more tips and advice on buying fine furniture online, visit our website and maybe even consider the Top 10 Reasons to Purchase Fine Furniture from Vermont Woods Studios.
Celebrating 1000 Facebook Likes
Many thanks to Susan Shanoff who baked us chocolate cupcakes to celebrate our milestone of 1000 likes on Facebook today. They were delicious, Susan!
And we are grateful to you too: our customers, friends, relatives, craftspeople, vendors and neighbors. It's exciting to see our Vermont furniture community grow through social media as we learn how to connect with the people who share our passions.
If you haven't already found us on Facebook, jump over and have a look! Heather B and Kendall are working hard to make our page beautiful and fill it with all kinds of information and photos you might find valuable. It's not just about furniture, although we do occasionally showcase new products and discount coupons there. But Heather and Kendall are also talking about all things Vermont: travel events, summer festivals, local wines and cheeses, farmers markets and more. Come and join the conversation!
Packaging and Shipping Your Fine Furniture: White Glove or DIY?
We received our first fine furniture order from Alaska last week and that makes the 50th state we will have delivered furniture to. Once the bedroom set arrives safely, we'll have to have celebrate this milestone with a little party.
It's actually a pretty exciting accomplishment for a small company like Vermont Woods Studios Furniture.
It turns out that packaging and safely shipping your fine furniture is the most challenging part of our business and we're always working to make the system work better, faster, cheaper and stress-free.
Our preferred method of shipping fine furniture is to blanket wrap it and send it "white glove delivery" with the world's number one, award-winning furniture shipper: Clark and Reid. They are the best. When you receive your furniture from C&R, they carefully bring it into your home, set it up wherever you like, help you inspect it for any shipping damage and remove the wrapping. You do nothing but smile.
However Clark and Reid is not the fastest or the cheapest. So when customer's are in a hurry and need to save money, we can sometimes (depending on size) package and ship their furniture via common carrier or even FedEx to get it there faster and cheaper. We call it DIY delivery and it has just recently been made possible with advances in packaging technology.
If your order is eligible for DIY packaging and shippping, we'll let you know. As you can see, it's not your typical UPS delivery. It took 4 of us to wrestle this filing cabinet out of the box.
I always try to emphasize to our customers that unpackaging and moving solid wood furniture is not easy. It's heavy (often >100#) and if it has doors or drawers, you want to be especially careful not to damage or unbalance them. If you're a "handyman" DIY can save you money and time but for most customers I wholeheartedly recommend the luxury and peace of mind that white glove delivery brings.
Living Room and Home Office Fine Furniture Sale
Shopping for new, real hardwood living room or home office furniture? Now is a great time to refurnish your Living Room or update your Home Office with our fine Vermont Made furniture.
With this Buy More – Save More Sale you will save 10% off any single piece, 15% off two pieces or 20% off 3 or more pieces (plus Free Delivery)*.
Your new hardwood furniture can be customized online and crafted in natural black cherry, sugar maple, oak and black walnut. Every piece is traditionally handcrafted one piece at a time right here in Vermont and made just for you. And all are solidly built to last for generations of use and backed by a lifetime guarantee. Check it out and give us a call with your questions.
This Sale ends at midnight on May 22nd.
* Excludes Copeland, Polywood, Artisan & Barnwood furniture
Fine Dining – At Home – In Style – On Sale!
So you love to cook and have your friends and family over to share the fruits of your labor. But that old "fine dining" set you got at Ikea or Pottery Barn 10 years ago is on it's last legs. The veneer is peeling off at the corners, the legs are shaky and you're ready for an upgrade. You've earned it!
Well now is your chance. All of our American made, natural wood fine dining furniture is on sale today at 15% off (if you're buying more than 1 piece… 10% otherwise).
Check it out! We'll build fine dining furniture just for you in solid natural Cherry, Maple, Oak, or Walnut hardwoods. Choose from several Vermont styles including Shaker, mission, craftsman, arts and crafts, modern contemporary and transitional. And customize your furniture online so it fits perfectly into your space.
Maybe you need just a single piece to go with an existing dining set or you're starting afresh, and wanting to puchase a dining table, buffet, dining chairs, a china cabinet, mirror, wooden benches, whatever. Browse through our store and give us a call with your questions. You can customize our furniture online, or call or visit our showroom. Either way, we'll help you find and customize the furniture that you and your guests will enjoy gathering around for many years.
It's time. And you deserve it.
Around The World With Vermont Furniture
The other day, Dennis mentioned that our Vermont Sustainable Furniture website has been visited by people in almost ever country in the world. How cool is that? I couldn't resist having a look at our analytics program to see which countries have yet to discover Vermont's Fine Furniture.
So… of the planet's 196 countries, it appears there are 7 that we've yet to reach: Turkmenistan, Gabon, Central African Republic, Chad, South Sudan, Mauritiana, Papua New Guinea.
I'm not sure what to do with this information but it was fun to see how far the Internet has spread the word about a tiny group of fine furniture makers nestled in the foothills of Vermont's Green Mountain Forest.
If you're reading this from abroad and wondering how to bring Vermont made, fine wood furniture to your country, contact us. Exporting our eco-friendly furniture is part of our 10 year plan. We're open to new ideas from established interior design, fine furniture and home decor professionals around the world.
President’s Day Sale – 15% Off Fine Furniture Storewide
Remember the story about President George Washington? When he was a little boy, he chopped down his father’s favorite cherry tree. He had just gotten a new hatchet and I guess he couldn't resist. But when Washington's father called him on the carpet, the boy admitted his mistake, saying “I cannot tell a lie”. Of course, all was forgiven in return for the honest response. I wonder if they still teach that story in our schools?
Well anyway, in honor of that "all American" act of integrity, we're having a President's Day Fine Furniture Sale where all cherry furniture (and walnut, oak and maple too!) is priced at 15% off. It's one of only a couple sales/year when we are able to offer a 15% discount store wide.
Besides getting beautiful handmade furniture at a great price, you can feel patriotic about purchasing 100% American made furniture thereby helping our country’s economy.
So here's the fine print. The sale runs from today February 16 through February 21, 2012 and features a 15% discount on all wood furniture purchases storewide (minimum purchase $1500, Copeland furniture excluded). Each piece of furniture is hand made to order and can be customized online, by phone or our Vernon, Vermont-based showroom. Just so you know… the reason Copeland Furniture is excluded is that this line is always on sale with a low price guarantee.
Top 10 Reasons To Buy Fine Wood Furniture From Vermont
Last week I wrote a blog about Copeland Furniture and why Vermont Woods Studios is the best place to buy it. Rebecca thought it was helpful and asked if I would write something similar for the rest of our furniture. So, here you have it: The Top 10 Reasons To Buy Fine Wood Furniture From Us.
We know you can buy your furniture just about anywhere, including the grocery store. We're not the cheapest or the fastest deal out there. But what we can offer is the very best VALUE in terms of quality, price and longevity. Our furniture is designed to last forever and we back that with a lifetime guarantee.
Check out the other reasons to buy from us.
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