Our future fine furniture showroom has many previous lives, incuding that of a Southern Vermont ski area called Pine Top.  We found these old Pine Top signs in the rafters of the workshop.  When was the last time you got to ski for $1.25? 

Winter has come to Vermont!  The air at Stonehurst is… well let’s say “crisp”.  OK, it was -3F this morning.  Ken and I were huddling in the workshop next to the wood stove and we spied these old Pine Top Ski Area signs in the rafters.  All day skiing for $1.25?  Count me in!

We decided to clean up these great artifacts and display them once renovations are complete and our new fine furniture showroom is open.  By any chance, did you ever ski at Pine Top during it’s heyday (the 1940s-1960s)?  If so I hope you’ll stop by our shop or connect with us on Facebook to share your memories of back in the day.

For example, how is it that the skier in this old Pine Top Ski Area sign isn’t bundled up in a Michelin Man suit?  We didn’t have high tech outdoor clothing back then so did people just suck it up and freeze out there on the slopes?  I was looking at old photos of Pine Top skiers yesterday and the people do indeed look just like the guy in the sign’s silhouette.  No down parkas, no Gore Tex.  Just your basic wool sweaters and coats.

I started skiing in the late 60s and I remember being pretty well bundled myself.  Maybe in the decades preceding that people only skied on nice days?  Or maybe they were tougher and more determined than we are?  Got any answers or theories?  Share them below or on Facebook.  And if you’re wanting to stop by and do a little skiing yourself, let me know.  There’s presently nowhere to park because construction vehicles are everywhere but hopefully renovations will be complete before the end of the season.  I’ll keep you updated here on the blog.

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Vince Johnson of Johnson Custom Milling in Vernon, VT is milling trees at Stonehurst that had to be taken down for safety reasons. Now we can use them for future phases of construction at our new Vermont Woods Studios fine furniture showroom.

Since forest conservation is a big part of my mission at Vermont Woods Studios, it’s been a little heart-breaking for me to see some of the 100 year old trees at Stonehurst being taken down. There were a handful that were leaning over the house and garage and Ken insisted that they were a hazard and had to go.

But lucky for me, Vince Johnson of Johnson Custom Milling in Vernon, VT came to the rescue. Vince is milling the trees so we can use them for future phases of construction at Stonehurst, our fine furniture showroom. Here’s a video of his portable sawmill in operation.

Ken and Jeremy Coleman of J Coleman & Company Architects are looking into building a solar kiln to dry the wood so we can use it as soon as possible.

And Dennis has plans to siphon off some of the wood to build bluebird houses, owl boxes and such. It’s turning out to be a fun project after all. Let us know on our Facebook if you have any thoughts or advice for us as we go down this road of renovation at Stonehurst, our future fine furniture showroom. We’ll be posting photos of the transformation and announcing details of our open house as we get closer to completion.

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But Douglas and Rebecca have been working the last few weekends– moving all or our electronics and office systems to our new space.  Ken and the boys helped move new desks and bookshelves in.  This week we hope to wrap up much of the process by moving our first shipment of furniture.

The new office and showroom is located next to the Post Office in Vernon, Vermont at 2531 Fort Bridgman Rd Vernon, VT.  Drop by and see us!

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After the fire last year, and in the midst of this economic downturn, we began to re-think our showroom strategy.   Because our furniture is all made to order, and 95% of our customers are ordering their furniture online, we have decided not to maintain a large inventory anymore– at least not for the immediate future.  

We'll still be operating out of Annette's farm estate in Vernon VT, but instead of a large showroom, we'll have a small furniture boutique in our sales office that will be available by appointment only.

Downsizing our showroom allows us to pass a significant savings on to our customers, the vast majority of who do not use the showroom.  Once the economy bounces back, we do plan to begin opening a few new showrooms: one in Vermont and a few others in locations yet to be announced. 

In the meantime, we do have a couple of options for those who would like to see our furniture in person. Give us a call or email us and we'll discuss the best option for you:

*     If you're looking to see a specific piece that you've found on our website, contact us and we'll link you up with the craftsperson who makes that piece. Oftentimes, our craftspeople have a small showroom adjacent to their studios where they welcome visitors.

*     If on the other hand, you're looking to get a general idea of our quality and craftsmanship, contact us to arrange an appointment to visit our Vernon furniture boutique. Here we have a small number of pieces made by various craftspeople that can convey an overview of our styles and craftsmanship.

Give us a call if you are interested in learning more about how to see and purchase our handmade furniture. 

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