Why is amish furniture so expensive

We were about to order a kitchen table and chairs from Rose where we have made all our previous major furniture purchases , but now are reevaluating thanks to their bankruptcy.

We're now considering some Amish furniture that is sold through a store here in Texas. It seems well-made to a non-expert like me, and we can customize a lot of parts of it though the overall styles are a bit more limited. Obviously, there's a lot of variation in Amish furniture construction, but I'm wondering how people, in general, have found Amish-made furniture to compare to major brands.

Specifically, we've previously considered both Canadel and Saloom with Saloom seeming to be slightly higher quality. Are there particular things I could look for on the Amish furniture to determine how well-constructed it's likely to be, or how I could compare it with the major brands?

Thanks for any advice. The amish put there heart and soul into their furniture. You will find no veneers and a solid wood story. Saloom and Canadel may have some presswood aka chipcore. I think you can't go wrong with the amish made stuff. Just because it's not a major brand doesn't mean it's not a quality piece. I usually find the opposite is true.

I agree with Mactruck in that usually major brands are of lesser quality. I searched high and low for a farm table and was very disappointed by all the major furniture brands. I ended up finding a craftsman who makes only farmtables and also purchased a buffet hutch and chairs from his store that were Amish made.

I couldn't be happier with my choices. That being said, just because something is made by the Amish, doesn't mean it is a quality piece - I am currently looking for more casegoods and have seen a lot of Amish made junk. I think the key is that you are looking for craftsmanship.

BTW, the table, buffet and chairs were not outrageously priced - they were comparable to mid-level furniture brands Thomasville , but the quality is so much better. Here is a link that might be useful: Farmtable. Outdoor Patio Furniture - Teak vs. Wood vs. MDF custom painted cabinets? Rollers and Br. I've been close to Amish communities all my life Ohio and Indiana. When I was younger, on the farm in Ohio, I watched 3 local Amish men work on a barn my uncle hired them to build for him.

They used no power tools fascinating, their drill was hand cranked. That's one heckofa barn! We have several Amish communities about a 90 minute drive from here in north central Indiana. Shipshewana is a favorite day trip for those looking for Amish made. You can find everything from farmer's selling out of a shop next to their barn, to a huge 'high end' furniture store located in town. About 10 years ago I bought a little pine jelly cupboard from a farmer who had a shop on his property, it was for a store display.

Not common for pine to be used, but it was just the right size, with black hinges and latch handle. Shop is gone, so cupboard is in my kitchen now and holds some of my antique crocks and pottery.

The detail and construction is solid, and although it's pine natural honey stain, not the unfinshed-look ashen brown finish that you used to see in 'crafty' places' it's going to hold up a long time.

There's also a local store in our area that carries Amish made furniture. As mentioned, it depends on the craftmanship. Generally speaking, nearly all of what I've seen personally is very well made.

But I have been disappointed in pieces at that local store. They used to carry nicer things. But now, so often, if you run your hand across certain pieces, it's rough. So it wasn't sanded well when it was bare wood, nor between coats of poly.

A huge pet peeve of mine. Done well, it's smooth as glass. My mother bought a dining set from that local store years ago, when they had better quality and was definately Amish. Her table is solid oak, pedestal base, extends to a whopping size, windsor style chairs.

The gears for the table leaves still glide like a warm knife through soft butter ; On the whole, still good as new, and it's used daily and handles huge family gatherings. As far as construction, you'll never see particle board or MDF on a good Amish piece, no rough surfaces, no staples. Pieces are joined via dowel pins, biscuit joinery, dovetailing, mortise and tenon.

That little local store I mentioned above, that's gone 'downhill' in quality on some pieces - that's another thing, pieces with particle board backs have begun to show up. I actually question whether some of their stock is truly "Amish made", it's more like mass produced made to look Amish.

Veneers are pretty rare as well. Here you go. I just found a good site , for you. I'm not familiar with this store it's in the Indy area, but they use only Amish craftsmen. Take a look at the video on their page, it's about 5 minutes long, walks you through how they craft their funiture. That should help :.

There are some schlock mass-producing factories that employ just enough Amish workers to stay on the good side of the Fair Trade laws. True Amish-made furniture is quite solid and well-made, but I don't know that it's "better" than any other well-made brand.

That said, I echo the other posters with a warning to carefully inspect any piece you plan to buy. This is because the answer to the cost question is as vague as it sounds. Unlike conventional furniture stores, Modern Bungalow and other Amish furniture retailers like Simply Amish are not selling one-size-fits-all pieces.

The final price of the furniture is affected by all the things mentioned above and more. Is heirloom-quality Amish-made furniture going to cost more than pre-made furniture? Are there ways to save and still get great value? Hardwoods are preferable, as opposed to a softwood like pine, because the wood is strong, stable and if northern growing, more dense. But you don't have to purchase furniture made of walnut or mahogany for it to last.

Keep in mind that authentic Amish made furniture is always crafted from solid woods. Be wary if the price for the piece seems too good to be true. Composites like MDF or particle board are beautified with veneers to make them look like solid woods of every sort from oak to mahogany.

Tables and chairs are going to be susceptible to lots of wear and tear, which is why spending a little more for durability is important. The number of drawers included in a dresser, chest or armoire will have a large effect on the price.

This fine craftsmanship will also be reflected in the price, but the performance of the furniture and the length of time it will stay in your family will pay you back over time. It was the Arts and Crafts movement spanning the late s and early s that put emphasis on the importance of the techniques used to make furniture and celebrated the craftsman that invested time in its creation.

The movement focused on an investment in quality and resisted the mass production of factories. Amish furniture embraces this concept to this day, and they take the time to build quality furniture that both craftsman and owner can take pride in.

Custom furniture means you can contribute to a design to create something that fits your vision with unique dimensions and additions. These three factors propel Amish made furniture to a higher price category, yes.

How does Amish furniture compare to big box store furniture? To put it directly, when you shop at a big box store for furniture you will find lower prices and quick delivery, but it will come at a cost. There are not options to customize the furniture for your home. It will break down or wear down in a much shorter time span than Amish furniture. Well, when it comes to the price of Amish furniture we disagree. You get what you pay for and more with Amish made furniture.

DutchCrafters has been in business since , connecting families to solid wood Amish furniture. The time and effort put into crafting your furniture cannot be matched by factories focusing on mass production and profit. We show approximately 50 styles of chairs in our showroom, and the prices vary depending on the style, size, and detailing of the chair.

Chairs can typically be classified as a spindle chair or a frame chair. Frame chairs cost more, but are built better and typically last longer. Arm chairs cost more than side chairs. Interestingly enough, some builders charge more for padded seats, but some charge more for wood seats, so that varies from style to style.

A spindle chair, like on the left, has its legs inserted into the underside of the seat. A frame chair, like on the right, has its legs built into a supportive frame for extra stability. This is highly dependent on the chair style chosen. Again, these prices are only ranges, and will vary depending on the style chosen. The Lexington Shaker Dining Room is shown in brown maple and features an expandable leg table, 6 chairs, a three-door hutch, and sideboard.

In addition to the selected wood species, the price of a bedroom set will be largely dependent on the size of the case pieces and the number of drawers included.

The English Shaker Bedroom Set , shown in oak, is one of our most economical sets, offered at a great price without sacrificing quality.

A four-piece bedroom typically consists of a bed , dresser , mirror , and a nightstand. Your room may require more or fewer pieces.