Amish furniture became popular in the US in the 1920s and has since emerged as one of the only remaining furniture manufacturing sectors based in America.
Amish furniture is usually made out of 100% wood, and many people choose Amish furniture because of the variety of custom wood styles available. Select hardwoods include cherry, maple and solid oak, all of which are vigorously inspected for strength, uniformity and precision.
Woods with imperfections are not used in major furniture pieces but they’re also not wasted; Amish shops generally use every piece of wood, selling scraps as small toys and knicknacks or coffee tables made of leftover wood. Other scraps are recycled or burned to heat shops. You’ll also never get veneer surfaces or cheap particle boards from an Amish manufacturer.
Most Amish wooden outdoor furniture and indoor furniture is crafted completely by hand, without the use of electricity. Each peace is handcrafted and often made to order in wood shop rather than an assembly line. Since Amish sheds and furniture are typically manufactured on the east coast in states like New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, you’re supporting local businesses by buying Amish as well as getting a quality product.
Most Amish sheds and furniture carry a strong green label, since the Amish usually use local trees, minimal shipping and negligible electricity and automobile use. Many shops even ship pieces wrapped in reusable cotton blankets rather than plastic and cardboard to reduce waste and ask their in-store customers to do the same. All of this contributes to a minimal carbon footprint for most Amish furniture businesses.
Amish pavilions and Amish barns come in wide variety of architectural styles that can be related to a specific area or location. Pavilions allow homeowners to entertain guests outdoors in an attractive structure, and barns and sheds allow homeowners to store bulky equipment and hardware outside the home in an organized way. You can even buy DIY Amish sheds online and build them yourself.