Vermont Woods Studios - Eco Furniture Blog

Stroll into the Weekend with the "Strolling of the Heifers"

By Heather Barrett

Calling all fun-lovers! One of Southern Vermont's largest annual events is happening this weekend!  It's the Strolling of the Heifers parade and festival.  Each year, tens of thousands of people stroll into Brattleboro, Vermont, to watch future farmers and their animals proudly strut side-by-side down historic Main Street.  The Strolling of the Heifers parade is a quirky spoof of Pamplona, Spain's "Running of the Bulls."  This is a celebration of the deep cultural identity and heritage of New England agriculture. 

This Vermont Chamber of Commerce Top 10 Summer Event is something you won't want to miss. 

Gallery Walk and a Street Festival will kick off the festivities on Friday evening.  Gallery Walk is a first Friday of the month tradition in Brattleboro.  Over 50 art exhibit locations, including restaurants and businesses, open their doors to display local art.  Additionally, in celebration of the Heifers, Main Street will be a block party/street fair with food and entertainment!

The parade starts at 10am on Saturday morning, but we suggest getting there around 9 to secure a good spot!

Scroll the stroll by heading over to the Strolling of the Heifers website to see a full list of events.

See you there!

 

Heather Barrett is a Marketing Assistant at Vermont Woods Studios, an online furniture gallery which showcases Vermont's finest wood furniture. Follow our blog to learn about Vermont fine furniture, Vermont happenings, our mission, and our team.

Summer Sale Is On! American Made Fine Dining Furniture

All of our solid wood, American made Fine Dining Furniture is on sale today through Tuesday, June 12-- just in time for summer!  Take a few minutes out of your busy beach, pool and party schedule to check the sale out.  You'll save 10% on any one piece, 15% on two pieces or 20% when you buy 3 or more furniture pieces! Free shipping and white glove delivery are included.

I know summer may not seem like the best time to shop, but remember it takes about 6-10 weeks to build your fine furniture.  While you're outside enjoying the sun, we'll be crafting your furniture and then delivering it just about when you're moving dinner from the picnic table inside to the dining room. 

Browse through our "on sale" dining furniture collections to find the one you've always wanted.  Then Like us on Facebook and save $50 more!  Finally, give us a call or order your American made dining furniture online today.  

Maple and Walnut Furniture: Custom 2 Tone Designs by Copeland

The SoHo bedroom furniture set by Copeland Furniture is handcrafted with a two-tone wood combination of maple and walnut.

 

Custom furniture is a luxury that many customers have given up on prior to discovering our made to order furniture at Vermont Woods Studios.  And it's true that if you're going to commission an artisan to design and create unique pieces just for you, there is a lot of work, time and expense that goes into that.

But if you can find a furniture design you love, that you're just looking to modify or customize, then expense may not be an issue at all.  Such is the case for our two-tone wood bedroom sets from Copeland Furniture.  This SoHo bedroom furniture, for example can be customized online in your choice of 7 different maple and walnut wood combinations at no extra charge. 

How about that?  Custom furniture at catalog prices.  What could be better?  Check out our website for other customizable furniture available in two-tone wood combinations, including the the Copeland Berkeley Bedroom Set (with 2 tone cherry and walnut wood) and the Modern American Furniture Collection (customized in your choice of solid cherry, maple, walnut or any two tone combination of these woods).  Give us a call with your questions and customizations.

Copeland Sarah Shaker Bedroom Furniture: This Week's Best Seller

 

Copeland Furniture's Sarah Shaker Style Bedroom Furniture was this week's best seller

We've been carrying the entire line of Vermont made Copeland furniture for several months now.  Although the new, modern mid-century styles are very popular, especially with families in metropolitan areas, it was the traditional, Shaker Style Sarah Bedroom Collection that weighed in as this week's best selling furniture.

This 100% American made furniture is handcrafted right here in Vermont and features clean Shaker style lines and balanced proportions. The beds are handmade of solid natural cherry hardwood. 

The bed shown here is a romantic raised panel sleigh bed but the Sarah collection also includes a Shaker-style spindle bed and a number of variations of the two, with choice of low and high footboards.  You can customize everything online, including the wood which comes in 11 finish options.  There's even a custom two-tone variation of solid maple and cherry wood bedroom furniture that's getting popular.

The Sarah set offers matching cases too: dressers, chests, lingerie chest, armoire and night stands.  Check them out today along with the Top Ten Reasons To Buy Copeland Furniture From Vermont Woods Studios.  Why wait?

Happy Memorial Day

 

Happy Memorial Day from Vermont Woods Studios

We've had the pleasure of enjoying Memorial Day with our family's Atlanta contingent this weekend.  It's been great fun touring around Southern Vermont and down into the NoHo area of Massachusetts.  But as we take time off to relax, we are mindful of those who make enormous sacrifices to enable our good times.

 

 

To all those in our military we say thank you for the luxury of freedom  you bring to our lives.  And to your families we send our sincere gratitude as well. 

 

 

Happy Memorial Day!

 

Vermont Woods Studios

100% American Made Furniture

VT Travel Tip: Lunch at Simon Pearce Restaurant

 

Visitors from Atlanta enjoying the view of the Falls at Simon Pearce in Quechee, Vermont

If you're visiting Vermont this Memorial Day weekend, chances are you'll pass by Quechee, Vt which is in the middle of the state, right off the I 91 / I 89 intersection. 

 

If you do, consider veering off the highway just a mile or two for a relaxing and delicious lunch at Simon Pearce Restaurant. 

This is the location of some of Hurricane Irene's worst devastation but you'd never know it now.  Simon and family have worked non-stop to get their flagship store and restaurant back into tiptop shape and it's just as spectacular as it ever was.

Well worth the trip, as you might guess by the looks of these two agreeable dining companions of mine.

Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture

America's Best Memorial Day Furniture Sale

Hopefully you're planning a weekend full of relaxation with your family and friends this Memorial Day.  But I bet you're also going to squeeze in some chores, errands and shopping as well. 

We can help you with that... if it's furniture you're shopping for. 

Check out our Big Storewide Memorial Day Furniture Sale.

On this patriotic weekend, you can feel good knowing our handcrafted wood furniture is 100% American made.  Even better-- you'll save 15% off just about everything store-wide including bedroom furniture, dining room furniture, home office furniture and living room furniture.  And we've delivered to all 50 states in the USA using our white glove delivery and set-up service so you can be confident that your furniture will arive safe and sound... with our craftsman's lifetime guarantee.

The best part?  You don't have to rush around town to shop for your furniture.  Relax and browse with your friends and family from the comfort of your home, backyard, beach or BBQ.  The sale goes through this weekend and ends Tuesday, May 29 at midnight.  Don't miss it!

Memorial Day: Honoring Our Military Heroes

 

Thank you to all USA veterans and their families for their generous service to our country.  We are grateful for your sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Memorial Day weekend we pause to honor our nation's military heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to our country.  For those of us lucky enough to be removed from the pain and suffering of our country's wars-- I think it's hard to understand the hardships that others take on our behalf.  So on Memorial Day we set aside special time to do that.  Here are some ideas for honoring our military heroes, as offered by Lisa Dietlin of the Huffington Post:

• Participate in the National Moment of Remembrance: one minute of silence that occurs at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day
• Visit a cemetery and read the headstones of those who have died for our freedom
• Attend the Memorial Day parade in your community
• Fly the American flag in front of your home
• Make a charitable donation to a nonprofit doing work with veterans, such as the Wounded Warrior Project or the Gary Sinise Foundation

 Fellow Vermonters, you can find the schedule of Vermont Memorial Day parades here.  

Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture 

Vermont Crafts Council's Open Studios Tour: Memorial Day Weekend

 

The Vermont Crafts Council is celebrating it's 20th anniversary of Open Studio Tours this Memorial Day weekend. Find maps and meet Vermont's artisans in their studios.

What are you doing this weekend for Memorial Day? If you're looking for something fun and fascinating come to the Green Mountain State for The Vermont Crafts Council's 20th Open Studios Tour.

The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend so it's the perfect opportunity to wander around rural Vermont and duck into hidden nooks and crannies where our state's best artists are practicing their craft.

If you love handmade furniture like we do, check out the Dorset area of Southern Vermont where you'll find some of our favorite furniture makers, including Steve Holman, Dan Mosheim, Bob Gasperetti and Bill Laberge.  You'll be awed by their work, I promise.  And this weekend is the best time to purchase handmade furniture and crafts because the artisans have all their samples on sale, sometimes at up to 50% off regular prices.

Open Studio maps and directions are available online and at Vermont's welcome center's located along I 89 and I 91.  While you're there, check out the Vermont Woods Studios' furniture displays at the Welcome Centers and pick up our brochure.

Our own small showroom in Vernon, VT is open this Saturday from 9am-5pm but we close on Sunday and Monday to allow our staff to go out and enjoy the Open Studio Tour.  We hope to see you there!

 

Living Planet Report 2012

 

World Wildlife Fund's landmark Living Planet Report underscores our mission of Forest Conservation at Vermont Woods Studios

 

Our friends at the World Wildlife Fund have just published their bi-annual Living Planet Report.  It's a landmark study of our planet in terms of the health of our forests, rivers and oceans.

 

The results aren't pretty.  Here are some of the facts they highlighted about our environment:

 

• We’ve lost 30 to 70 percent of our wildlife since 1970. That's an average.  The tropics have lost 50 percent of their animals over the last 40 years, and tropical freshwater ecosystems have lost about 70 percent. The wild tiger population has suffered a 70 per cent decline in populations

 

• We are living as if we have the resources of an extra planet at our disposal. We’re using 50 percent more resources than the Earth can provide sustainably

 

• The U.S. has the fifth largest ecological footprint in terms of the amount of resources each person annually consumes. We rank only behind Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Denmark in the global rankings of the Ecological Footprint

 

These are just a few of the statistics noted in the 80 page report.  But the good news is that it's not too late to save wildlife species and reverse unsustainable trends. 

 

Green commerce plays a fundamental role in this as do you and I.  The choices we make about our purchases will determine our planet's future. 

 

Excerpts from World Wildlife Fund's landmark Living Planet Report

 

 

 

Learn more about what Vermont Woods Studios is doing to promote forest conservation and preservation of endangered species like the Sumatran tiger. Join us in our green mission!

 

Bella Notte Restaurant: Almost in VT

 

Look who we found at Bella Notte! That's the owner, Abaz Cecu sitting next to our friends, Dawn and Kim.  Ken's in the foreground.

Ken and I were working with David Brown and Suzanne King of Masiello Real Estate today, checking out a possible new home for Vermont Woods Studios Furniture.  It was a gorgeous day to be outside so we hiked around the perimeter of the property. 

The place was on Huckle Hill Road in Vernon, Vermont so after we finished our tour we decided to continue up the road a few miles to Bella Notte Restaurant for a cold drink.

If you haven't been to Bella Notte Restaurant yet, I can say that it's probably the best kept secret (and has the most beautiful view) in all of Western MA / Southeastern Vermont.  It's incredible!  The view stretches south for 50 miles or more of lush green forest.  Granted it's Massachussetts you're looking at... but it's still absolutely breathtaking.  Check out the back terrace on a nice day.  That's where the view is best.

And if you go to Bella Notte, be sure to say hi to Abaz, the owner and tell him Ken and I sent you.  He'll make you feel right at home. 

Oh I almost forgot, the food is excellent too!

 

Welcome to Vermont Woods Studios, Heather G!

 

Heather G settles in during her 3rd day at Vermont Woods Studios

 

We are excited to welcome our new Sales Associate, Heather G to our Vermont Made Furniture store this week.  Heather just completed her third day at Vermont Woods Studios and we are all feeling very lucky to have her on our team.

 

 

Heather's background is in banking and sales.  She is fluent in American Sign Language and certified in First Aid, CPR, and Crisis Prevention Intervention.  It's nice to have those skills around, just in case!

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Vermont Woods Studios, Heather!

Heather rode her bike to work on National Ride Your Bike to Work Day

 

 

Did you know that yesterday was National Ride Your Bike to Work Day?  Yes it was and Heather celebrated by riding her bike to work at Vermont Woods Studios.  I'm hoping she inspires me to do the same (I was supposed to ride to work on Earth Day, but I think it was too cold or rainy... or warm or sunny or something). 

 

Anyway if you call in and Heather answers the phone, please take a minute to see how she's doing and welcome her into the new job.  I think you'll find, as we have, that she's a pleasure to work with.

 

Lyndon Furniture: The Real (American Made) Thing

 

Ken (on left) and the management team at Lyndon Furniture:  Christine Drown (sales and marketing manager), Dave Allard (owner and founder) and Brian Ball (general manager)

 

 

Ken and I traveled up to Lyndon, Vermont today to meet with Lyndon Furniture.  We carry all of Lyndon's line of Shaker, Mission, Modern and Traditional hardwood collections.

 

That's Lyndon's owner and founder in the middle, Dave Allard. 

 

Dave started Lyndon Furniture over 30 years ago, building his first woodworking shop from timber he cut on his family farm and had milled locally.  Since then his business has grown and earned a reputation for producing high quality, eco friendly furniture that lasts a lifetime.

 

One of the things I love most about Lyndon Furniture is that when times got tough and all the other American furniture companies fired their employees and went to China to cash in, Dave Allard and Lyndon Furniture stayed right here in Vermont.  They remained true to their employees, their community, their integrity and their quality.  I see that integrity in their furniture.

 

Lyndon Furniture in Lyndonville, Vermont. American made hardwood furniture made to last for generations

 

It's interesting because we're seeing another mass exodus of so-called "American furniture companies" now.  But it's from East to West.  They're all hurrying back to American from China now that Chinese wages and trans-oceanic shipping are so costly.  But I have to wonder how long they'll stay.

 

I think it's safe to say, though, that regardless of global economics, Lyndon Furniture will remain right here in Vermont making high quality, handcrafted furniture and contributing to their community.  It's the Vermont way.

 

Packaging and Shipping Your Fine Furniture: White Glove or DIY?

Our new file cabinet was just delivered DIY from Copeland Furniture. This is the "outside" box.  It took 4 of us to get the file cabinet out of it.

 

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.

 

 

 

DIY delivery requires double boxing with lots of padding for the edges and corners.  Upacking can be difficult.  The file cabinet inside weighs almost 100#.

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. 

 

 

 

Finally we get to see what's inside! The 3rd layer of packaging consists of more edge and corner protectors and shrink wrap.

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.

 

Copeland Omni Laptop Desk: Going, Going....

Copeland's Omni computer workstation - laptop desk will be discontinued as of June 1, 2012. Last chance to buy it now!

Copeland Furniture is doing their annual housekeeping.  The other day I broke the news that their Sarah and Berkeley armoires are being discontinued as of June 1, 2012.  Today I have another victim to add to the list, the Omni Laptop Desk and Mini Workstation.

I thought it was a cool idea, especially for urban apartment dwellers looking to maximize the use of small spaces.  A desk, printer table, file cabinet and storage piece all in one.  Perfect for the guest bedroom or kitchen corner.

But I think desktop computers are becoming obsolete in micro offices and (thankfully) people aren't printing much anymore.  So maybe the need for micro-office furniture is just a small bookcase or shelf now.

What kind of furniture do you have or need in your home office or micro office?  If the Omni fits your needs, better give us a call today!  A few more weeks and it'll be gone.

If you miss the deadline, take heart... Copeland will continue to offer it's Catalina and Astrid style laptop desks.

Happy Mother's Day

 

Happy Mother's Day from the staff at Vermont Woods Studios

 

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers - of people and animals. 

The staff at Vermont Woods Studios send you warmest wishes for a delightful day filled with love and pampering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to Jacquie Lawson and her family of artists for the image.  We think hers are the most beautiful greeting cards on the web.

Copeland Berkeley and Sarah Armoires - Last Call

 

Copeland's Berkeley and Sarah Armoires are being discontinued as of June 1, 2012

We are sad to say goodbye to a couple old friends, Copeland's Sarah and Berkeley armoires.  The are being discontinued by Copeland Furniture as of June 1.

I guess most people now prefer to store their clothes and linens in California Closets or other built-in organizers.  The other former life for armoires was as TV and media cabinets.  But, alas that use has also become obsolete.

So, if you have a Berkeley or Sarah bedroom furniture collection and you've been thinking about completing it with an armoire, the time to act is now.  They will be discontinued and unavailable after June 1.

See the entire Sarah and Berkeley bedroom furniture collections by Copeland Furniture.

Cherry and Walnut Wood: Custom 2 Tone Furniture Designs

 

The Copeland Berkeley Furniture Collection features Cherry and Walnut Wood in Custom 2 Tone Designs

Two Tone Wood Furniture

Americans are rediscovering Vermont made furniture.  Maybe the trend is due to recent awareness campaigns by the news media about how buying USA made goods stimulates the American economy. 

 

Or perhaps it's because the organic food movement is migrating into other aspects of our lives.  In addition to thinking about where our food comes from we're now beginning to think about where our furniture comes from.  And where our clothing, computers, appliances (you name it) come from.

Both the American-made and organic movements are reflected in the Vermont furniture brand.

But I think one of the main reasons Vermont made furniture is experiencing a renaissance is that it's customizable.  This Copeland Berkeley Bedroom Set is a good example.  The Berkeley Collection features a 2 tone cherry and walnut wood design that you can customize online with your favorite shade of cherry wood.

Many of our other Vermont made furniture collections offer 2 tone wood combinations, for example the Modern American Collection.  These bedroom, dining and home office furniture sets are shown in cherry and walnut but they can also be customized in any other 2 tone combinations of maple, walnut and cherry wood.

Most Vermont furniture makers embrace the idea of customizing your furniture, be it with two tone wood combinations, specialty sizing or complete custom design from the start.  Learn more about custom furniture options on our website.

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

Vermont Artisan, Johnny Swing Opens "Murmuration" in Manhattan

Southern Vermonters are spoiled because we can often see and experience Johnny Swing's art at the Newfane Cafe & Creamery in Newfane VT.  But for all of you who don't get to visit the Green Mountain state much, here is your chance.

Johny's "Murmuration" show is now on display now through June 29 in Manhattan at Chelsea's Sebastian + Barquet gallery and well worth the trip.

If you're not yet familiar with Johhn Swing, he's famous for his work using US currency as his medium:  benches made out of quarters, chairs created from pennies, pillows and teddy bears crafted out of dollar bills. Every piece is a genuine work of art, completely unique and incredibly engineered.  "Murmuration" is a must see! 

Now you're probably not going to be able to sit on his works of art at the S&B show.  You'll have to come up to the Newfane Cafe & Creamery to do that.

Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture