Finding the Best Value in Solid Wood Bedroom Furniture

Handmade, real solid wood bedroom sets are a significant investment so if you’re shopping for one, you’re no doubt looking for the best overall value in terms of quality and price.  Comparison shopping is hard work.  It takes days, weeks and even (for many of our customers) months to research all the design and style choices for fine hardwood bedroom furniture sets.

And the price comparisons can really get tricky.  Pricing can initially look like it’s all over the place but once you start to narrow down the level of quality you want you begin to see that, with high end, American made furniture, the pricing falls into a very narrow range.  That’s because there’s just not a lot of room for mark-up.  Handcrafting fine wood furniture takes extraordinary amounts of time to create and when that work is done here in America (which is probably important to if you made it to our blog) it needs to be compensated with a livable wage.

So when it comes to offering the best value for American made fine furniture, retailers like us (Vermont Woods Studios) have the greatest opportunity to save you money by being smart about the way we ship furniture (it turns out that shipping 3 or more pieces of furniture isn’t much more expensive than shipping one) and do our administrative work.  With our solid wood bedroom furniture sets we’ve focused on both and are able to discount these sets a full 20%.

Just so you know, this is the best price and lowest discount we’re able to offer at anytime, all year long.  While others might mark up to mark down by 70% or so routinely, we do not.  Our prices accurately reflect the cost of creating your furniture and getting it to you safely via the best fine furniture shipping specialist in the country.  So check out our solid wood bedroom sets today and let us know what you think on Facebook.  To find out what others are saying, check out our testimonials page and the Customer Review section of our blog.

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Before you buy a bedroom furniture set, ask if it's made from real solid wood.  Is it made in America?  And can it be customized to meet your needs?  Oh yes… and always ask for a volume discount.

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!

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Lyndon's craftspeople are committed to preserving the heritage of American furniture making by combining the best of old world construction techniques and new world precision.

Lyndon Furniture has been crafting beautiful fine furniture from real, solid hardwoods for over 30 years and it's become one of our "best value" lines at Vermont Woods Studios.  Customers looking for honest, hand crafted furniture that's made of all real, solid wood (without veneers) are drawn to Lyndon. 

Their craftspeople are committed to preserving the heritage of American furniture making by combining the best of old world construction techniques and new world precision.  What they achieve is an authentic product that's stylish, affordable and designed to last a lifetime.

Lyndon works with local and regional hardwoods, primarily cherrywood, maple, walnut and oak.  In addition to making their tables, chairs and beds with all solid wood, Lyndon also constructs their case goods (china cabinets, bookcases, dressers, chests, nightstands and armoires) with solid wood, whereas most manufacturers use veneers on case sides.  The only place you'll find veneer on Lyndon pieces is on the backs of case goods and bottoms of drawers– that's to provide for wood movement during changing humidity.

If all solid wood construction is important to you when shopping for handmade furniture, check out Lyndon Furniture on our website.  We carry the full line of their products, including customizations and complete custom design.  We welcome your questions and specialty orders.

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This high end Vermont Shaker chest and nightstand are handmade with solid cherry wood, and cherry veneers that are used in the case sides and backs.

Yesterday I wrote about our solid cherry furniture so today I wanted to follow up with a post about the furniture we carry that incorporates cherry veneers. 

Sometimes customers come to us, initially averse to veneer but once they take a closer look they often change their minds.  I realize veneers have been given a negative connotation by companies that stick them on particle board to make cheap furniture. 

But did you know that premium quality, high end veneers are used by some of the world's most skilled furniture makers to add artistic flair and style to their work?

This is the case with the following six high end furniture collections:

Cherry Moon Furniture

Vermont Shaker Furniture

American Shaker Furniture

Copeland Sarah Shaker Furniture

Copeland Monterey Collection

Copeland Berkeley Collection

These furniture collections are made with all solid cherry wood except for the sides and backs of case goods.  Real wood veneer is used for case goods (chests, dressers, cabinets, night stands) sides and backs for esthetic and structural design reasons.  The pieces are made with frame and panel type construction and the use of solid wood in this design might cause the panels to warp in conditions of changing humidity.

As solid wood furniture specialists at Vermont Woods Studios, we spend a lot of time discussing the specifics of solid wood versus veneered construction methods with our customers.  Details for each of our collections are found in our Construction Details pages.  We welcome your comments and questions either below, on our Facebook, by phone or in person at our Vernon VT showroom.

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We've had Copeland's entire collection up since the start of 2012 but customers were looking for an easier way to build bedroom sets and compare pricing for different combinations of chests, dressers, beds, night stands and mirrors.  Now you can use the drop-down menus on this sets page to price out dozens of options for your Astrid Bedroom Set.  

I'm looking for feedback to see if this kind of presentation is helpful to you.  Let us know in the comments section below or on our Facebook.  Thanks!

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Whereas most of the big "American" furniture companies have outsourced their wood furniture manufacturing to Asia and Latin America, Vermont companies (with the exception of Ethan Allen, unfortunately) have remained here in the USA. 

Vermont cherry furniture is made to a higher standard and it's still made from real, solid American black cherry wood.  In contrast, many of the well known "American" furniture companies from North Carolina now use Asian woods like rubberwood which they stain and call "cherry".

So it's no wonder that customers come to us with many questions as they seek to find and purchase authentic American black cherry wood furniture.  I thought I'd round up five of our previous blog posts written in response to customer questions about "cherry wood furniture" in hopes of streamlining your research on the subject.  Feel free to post your own questions and comments below or on our Facebook. 

1. Natural Cherry Wood Furniture Characteristics: Color

2. Natural Cherry Wood: Where Does Your Furniture Come From?

3. Solid Cherry Wood Furniture: Is it Real?

4. Natural Cherry Wood Furniture Characteristics: Mineral Deposits

5. Natural Cherry Wood Furniture Characteristics: Grain Variations

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The latest copycat we've come across is a company calling themselves American Eco Furniture.  See any similarities in our logos?  Our Vermont Woods Studios logo (above) has three trees made with thumbprints to signify the handcrafted nature of our furniture. The trunk on each tree is unique to convey that our furniture makers are independent, with their own styles, designs and crafting techniques. Our American made furniture is carefully handcrafted in Vermont of solid, sustainably harvested wood.  It's guaranteed for a lifetime.  It truly is the real thing.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but it's still frustrating to see people take your work, copy it and try to sell it as their own.  Contrary to the information on their website, most of the furniture sold by this copycat is neither eco-friendly nor American made.

By contrast, most of the furniture sold by this company is neither American made nor eco friendly.

It turns out that we can have attorneys go after this company (and the many others like it) but I'm not sure we can afford to take our focus off making Vermont Woods Studios best in it's class– in order to chase them down.  It's kind of like that "Whack-A Mole" game.  New scams just keep popping up.

I can't help humming that old song by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.  Remember it?  Ain't Nothin Like The Real Thing, Baby.

So I just have to hope consumers aren't getting us confused with the fly-by-nights.  In talking with our customers we've learned they typically spend 3-4 months shopping and researching before they make an investment in American handmade furniture.  I think that's what it takes anymore to make sure you're getting the real thing. 

What do you think?  Drop us a line in the comments section below or on our Facebook.  We love hearing from you!

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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

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I recently learned of a case where the top of a solid wood desk cracked under prolonged, intense exposure to heat from a laptop computer.  I've never heard of this before, but I guess it can happen.

Do you use a laptop as your desktop computer?  I do.  I like the flexibility it offers me and at work.  I connect it to a big 40" flat screen TV so I can still have a large workspace.

If you do the same, and your desk is made of wood, be careful to move your laptop around and check the bottom of it for heat now and then.  Many people use a laptop cooling pad as well, especially for Macs which reportedly run hotter than PCs.

We have lots of other tips and advice for caring for your solid wood desks and other wooden office furniture our website at VermontWoodsStudios.com.

If you're looking to buy a new solid wood desk, browse our handcrafted American made selection below:

• • All Solid Wood Desks
  • Writing Desks
  • Laptop Desks
  • Shaker Desks
  • Copeland Desks

The post Solid Wood Desks – Furniture Care Tips and Advice appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.

A customer who purchased this Copeland Astrid bed last week told me she found Vermont Woods Studios Furniture after searching online for "Zen furniture". 

Well, I'm no expert on Zen but I can see where the simple, organic forms of Copeland's Astrid Furniture Collection would appeal to someone looking to introduce an element of serenity into their home.

Astrid features pure, simple, minimalist style.  It's designed to "create an oasis of quiet harmony for the modern urban bedroom".   I guess that is rather zen-like.  The fact that Astrid furniture is handmade right here in Vermont from local, sustainably harvested wood was an important part of Corey's decision too.

Copeland's minimalist mid-century modern Astrid furniture has a certain "Zen" quality to it.

And speaking of Zen, I love Copeland's new dining room furniture too.  These minimalist, mid century walnut seats are Copeland's Catalina Estelle chairs.   I think they might have some Zen qualities.

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