Vermont Woods Studios - Eco Furniture Blog

Vermont Woods Studios Has A New Blog!

 

Vermont Woods Studios has a new blog! Click here to continue to follow us at our new blog location.

 

We're happy to announce that we have a new blog! Please visit us at vermontwoodsstudios.com/blog to learn about fine wood furniture, Vermont happenings, our mission and our team.

Columbus Day Weekend in Vermont: Fall Open Studio Tour

By Heather Barrett

 

October 6-7 is the Vermont Fall Open Studio Weekend. Artists and artisans are opening their studios for the public at 119 locations, showcasing 131 artists.

Vermont always has unique events happening, and Columbus Day Weekend is packed with them. One that we are most excited about is the Vermont Fall Open Studio Weekend. Vermont artisans are opening up their private studios, on October 6-7, to the public for this statewide event. The Vermont Crafts Council Director states, "It's a rare invitation to go behind the craft shows and exhibits to view the creative work environment and speak with the artist." There are 119 studio locations all over the state, so you can personalize your own route and move at your leisure. Most Vermont artisans have studios on the same property of their homes, and in many times, on back roads that visitors typically wouldn't travel. This event is a great excuse to jump in the car and explore Vermont during foliage season.

Studios will be open from 10-5 each day, and will be marked with yellow signs from the Crafts Council. Free map booklets of the 119 studio locations (showcasing 131 artists) can be found online, at galleries, and at Vermont Welcome Centers.

If you stop at the Guilford, Sharon, or Williston (north and south) Welcome Centers be sure to keep an eye out for Vermont Woods Studios. A barnwood bench and inlaid table have found their home at the Guilford Welcome Center. We have an additional furniture display of an inlaid table at the Sharon center, and our rack cards can be found at both Williston centers.

 

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.

Retooling Our Website

Manjula is working on our Vermont Woods Studios website this morning, upgrading our software to make it easier and faster for you to browse and shop online.  The site will be up and down during the morning but we hope to have everything completed by the afternoon. We are working as fast as we can.

In the meantime, if you have questions about our furniture or your order, please don't hesitate to give us a call at 888-389-5571 or browse through our blog.  You can use the categories on the lower right to view photos of our furniture, learn about how it's made and read about our environmental mission.  We'll be back up and running in no time.

Thanks so much for your patience.

Stonehurst: Repurposing Our Trees

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

 

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.  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.  We'll be posting photos of the transformation and announcing details of our open house as we get closer to completion.

 

Vermont Tourism: Twitter, Welcome Centers and a Lending Library

By Heather Barrett

 

Vermont Visitor Centers are participating in a Lending Library program, which allows visitors to borrow books for free! The Guilford Welcome Center shown in this photo is one of 7 locations where you can borrow a book!

The Vermont Department of Marketing and Tourism has been experimentally trying out progressive tactics to boost tourism and ensure that visitors have a unique, memorable time in the Green Mountain State. This summer the Twitter handle @THISISVT was handed over to the public. Each week a new Vermonter is selected to take over the account and share their Vermont experiences.  @THISISVT acts as a peer review / inside scoop on what to do and where to go while in Vermont. It also gives visitors a glimpse into the everyday lives of Vermonters.

 

Additionally, The Vermont Department of Marketing and Tourism, the Department of Buildings and General Services, the Vermont Librarian's Association and AMPress Publishing have developed a new program that encourages visitors to experience the state's literary resources. Seven Visitor Centers are participating in The Vermont Authors Project's Lending Library. The Alburgh, Fair Haven, Guilford, Montpelier, White River Junction and Williston north and south Visitor Centers will have free books to lend to the public. The books are written by Vermont authors Archer Mayor and Castle Freeman, with the intention to expand genres and authors in the future. Travelers can sign out a free paperback or audio book to enjoy during their Vermont trip. The program uses a classic Vermont honor system in that borrowers are simply asked to return the book to any Welcome Center in Vermont or by mail (envelope provided) within one month.

To learn more about the program and Vermont authors, please read the press release from Vermont Tourism & Marketing.

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.

Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival

The weather isn't looking so great for leaf peeping in Vermont this weekend, so if you're traveling around the Green Mountain State and looking for indoor activities, try heading to Woodstock, VT for the Ninth Annual Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival. 

This year's theme is "From Forest to Furniture:  Take Home a Piece of Vermont".  It dovetails with our plans at Vermont Woods Studios for a showroom at Stonehurst in that the focus is to raise awareness about where your furniture comes from.

Much like the organic food movement, the organic furniture movement is catching on and customers are realizing both the economic and health benefits to buying locally crafted furniture, handmade from real, solid, sustainably harvested wood.

Come visit with some of the regions (and world's) most respected fine furniture makers in Woodstock this weekend.  You'll be able to see and feel their furniture creations and also learn about the well-managed forests where their wood is harvested.  Free tours are available of the nearby Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park where customers can experience the forest and learn about each of the many links in the chain from forest to trees to furniture.

 

Shown above:  Brent Karner of ClearLake Furniture in Ludlow VT won first place for production furniture in the 2011 Vermont Fine Furniture Festival.  Who is going to win this year?

Changing The World

 

Check out this 2 minute video about the Daughters of Toleza Scholarship project and see how these African girls and their sponsors are changing the world .

Maybe I'm a little biased but I think that in Vermont you'll find a higher percentage of people who are working to change the world.  It's just a guess... I don't have any reasearch to back it up, but here's an example. 

At Vermont Woods Studios we did a joint project a few years ago, with a group of students from Marlboro College Graduate Center who were studying to get their MBA in Managing for Sustainability.  Many of those professionals are now workng to change the lives of girls in Africa as part of the Daughters of Toleza Scholarship.

I was looking at Marlboro's Facebook to learn what other projects students and alumni are involved in and I was impressed to see dozens of projects ranging from the Raleigh City Farm (a national recipient of Green America's People & Planet awards) to Three Revolutions: Funding Food Through Community.  We salute the students, faculty and staff at Marlboro College for their fine work and dedication to changing the world.  We're proud supporters of the Daughters of Toleza Scholarship.  Check it out through this 2 minute video and see how these African girls and their sponsors are changing the world.

Weekend Events: Meet Vermont's Finest Artists and Artisans

By Heather Barrett

 

Spend your weekend in Vermont at the Manchester Art and Craft Festival and the Brattleboro-West Arts Open Studio Tour.

Vermont is full of artists and artisans, and this weekend is a perfect opportunity to discover their products and visit their studios.  There are two events, one in Manchester, and the other in Brattleboro, for you to explore this weekend.

 

Craftproducers Manchester Fall Art and Craft Festival
September 28-30, 10am-5pm

Manchester is starting their foliage season with an outdoor event celebrating the local art community. Over 180 artisans will have their craftwork on display and for purchase. Art work ranges from photography to paintings to clothing to maple distilled vodka. In addition to the beautiful array of art on display, the festival offers food and drink. There will be a food area serving a variety of localvore items, and a Vermont Beer, Cheese and Sausage tent. Spend the day meeting artists, purchasing gifts for the upcoming holidays, and eating delicious food. For more information about this event, visit the Craftproducers' website.

 

Brattleboro-West Arts' 4th Annual Open Studio Tour
September 29-30, 10am-5pm

The town of Brattleboro is Vermont Woods Studios' neighbor, located in the southeast corner of Vermont. Brattleboro is known for it's thriving arts community, and this weekend you will have the opportunity to meet some of the artists. Artists are opening up their studios this weekend to the public. There will be 13 different locations with 16 artists showing off their crafts. The tour is mapped out on a brochure that you can print from their website, pick up at any of the studio locations, or get from the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce. At the studio locations you will see where artists make violins, blow glass, paint, and create many more items in different mediums. In addition, to conclude the first night of the weekend event, the Chelsea Royal Diner will be hosting a special dinner on Saturday. The dinner will feature a selection of locally produced foods.  This is another opportunity to meet artists and learn about their crafts. The Brattleboro-West Open Studio Tour has been recognized by the Boston Globe.  For more information about the event, please visit the Brattleboro-West Arts website.

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.

Fall Colors Outside Vermont Woods Studios

 

We're celebrating Fall with a Shaker style furniture sale that lasts for a few more days (till next Tuesday, Oct 2). Stop by to shop or just check out the colorful maple trees at the water's edge.

Autumn has arrived in Vernon, Vermont and I had to snap this photo today as I was leaving the showroom at Vermont Woods Studios.  It feels great to see water back in our pond at George's Mill after the summer's drought left it pretty well empty for several weeks.

 

We're celebrating Fall with a Shaker style furniture sale that lasts for a few more days (till next Tuesday, Oct 2).  Stop by to shop or just check out the colorful maple trees at the water's edge.  Heather or Liz will be more than happy to accompany you for an Autumn leaf-peeping stroll around the pond.

 

Modern American Bedroom Set: This Weeks Best Seller

The Modern American Bedroom Set is handcrafted in Burlington Vermont with real solid cherry and walnut wood and polished with a hand-rubbed natural oil finish.

This high end Modern American Bedroom Set, inspired by George Nakishima's designs was our Best Seller last week.

The collection is handcrafted in Burlington Vermont with real solid cherry and walnut wood.  It's polished with a hand-rubbed natural oil finish.  Customers tell us they're drawn to it's distintive mid-century modern look and feel.  The clean smooth lines are reminscent of that retro 1950s Scandinavian style.  It's sophisticated but totally approachable.

Going green?  This natural, solid wood, American made furniture is handcrafted in Vermont from eco-friendly sustainably harvested woods.   You can customize any piece online in your choice of solid natural cherry, maple or walnut wood or any two-tone combination of them.