Vermont Woods Studios - Eco Furniture Blog

Natural, Green, American Furniture: Why Bother?

Natural, Green, American Furniture: who could argue with that, right?  Given similar prices, most people would rather buy this kind of eco-friendly furniture as opposed to foreign imports and here are just a few reasons why:

• The use of sustainably-harvested, local wood helps preserve our forests and the biodiversity we rely on for our very existence
• The avoidance of using illegally harvested tropical woods like mahogany and teak helps preserve the world's vanishing rainforests and the endangered species within them  (Twenty percent of global warming is attributed to deforestation).
• Preservation of the art and tradition of American furniture making is important to us.
• Preservation of high quality, green, American jobs is important to us.
• The support for fair treatment of foreign workers, in terms of occupational safety and health and wages is important to us.

I recently read a well-researched series of articles in the Salt Lake Tribune titled, American Imports- Chinese Deaths about how Chinese workers are losing their lives producing goods for America.  Many Chinese workers are dying from cancers and other fatal occupational diseases caused by exposure to benzene, toluene, formaldehyde and more.  These chemicals are present in the paints, varnishes, glues and solvents that are pervasive in low-cost, imported furniture.  Several pages of the series were devoted to discussions of amputation and the loss of life and limb, due to worker exposure to unguarded machinery. 

These are the realities of  imported furniture and the reasons why Vermont Woods Studios customers "bother" to purchase natural, green, American furniture. They're concerned for the health and safety of the people who make our furniture as well as the health of their own families.  And acquiring beautiful, high quality furniture makes them feel good about their choices everytime they sit at the dining table or sleep soundly in their bedroom furniture.  Bravo to those consumers who value the benefits of natural, American made furniture!

Customized Furniture from Vermont Woods to be Featured on About.com

 Natural, green customized furniture from Vermont Woods Studios: that's the topic to be featured in a forthcoming About.com article by leading furniture expert, Abe Abbas.  After returning from this years largest furniture market expo in Las Vegas, Abe was noting the emphasis on natural, green, American made furniture at the show.  He comments in his furniture blog that "some companies are jumping on to the Green bandwagon in name only. They do it so as not to be left out. But here's the thing: I think consumers are becoming more well informed, so simply paying lip service may not turn out to be enough."

Abe took an interest in our natural, green furniture some months ago.  He was drawn by the authenticity of our handcrafted, made to order Vermont furniture and by the degree of customization we offer at Vermont Woods Studios.  Customers can start with any of our standard fine furniture designs and make affordable customizations often at little or no extra charge.  Look for more details in the upcoming About.com article.  Thanks, Abe for your interest in our work and your support for natural, green American made furniture.

Natural Cherry Bedroom Furniture on Sale for Valentines Day

What could be a more perfect Valentine's Gift than the natural, handmade, solid wood bedroom set of her dreams?  Now is the time to surprise your sweetheart with a practical, yet luxurious gift of a lifetime-- eco-friendly, natural wood, heirloom quality bedroom furniture.  Have you been planning to invest in a top quality bedroom set for years?  Are you still sleeping on that old waterbed from the sixties?  Well, what are you waiting for?  We're celebrating Valentine's Day with the Bedroom Furniture Sale of the Century and the lowest prices we've ever offered on Vermont's finest handmade beds, dressers, chests, armoires, night stands and more.  Hurry over to Vermont Woods Studios and take advantage of the savings!  They won't last for long.

A Victory for the Spotted Turtle and Forest Wetlands Conservation

As you may know, a major part of our mission at Vermont Woods Studios is forest conservation, and today we are celebrating BIG time. The Spotted Turtle, a small black turtle with yellow spots is so endangered in our area that a few years ago there were only 8 known specimens in the wild.   For the past several years, we have been working with Jim Andrews and the Reptile and Amphibean Atlas project at Middlebury College to study the turtle and its habitat in an effort to implement protective measures.  Last year, my neighbor, Kim Gragen and his son Elliott reported a spotted turtle sighting nearby, which was immediately followed up by the Vermont Division of Fish and Wildlife DFW.   As a result, the DFW discovered a new nesting site and last night they received permission from the Town of Vernon, Vermont to purchase 15 acres of wetlands, including the nesting site, to further our efforts to save this rare and endangered species.  Other types of reptiles, amphibeans and water fowl will also benefit from the conservation measure, including the rare Jefferson's Salamander.  More information can be found in this morning's edition of the Brattleboro Reformer.  We are grateful to the Vernon Select Board and all the people who helped to make this small but important conservation measure possible.  And we want to thank our customers too and remind them that a portion of each sale at Vermont Woods Studios is  donated to local and international organizations working to preserve the forest.

Vermont's Green Furniture Selected for AboutUs Spotlight Page

Our Vermont Woods Studios handmade, eco-friendly, green furniture was selected for a review in the Spotlight at leading Internet website guide, AboutUs.com today.  Many thanks to Sa'ad Saeed, AboutUs Wiki Editor Extraordinaire, who researched and interviewed us for the Spotlight. Sa'ad and colleague Danit were very thorough in reviewing features of our furniture, including the option of affordable customization, Quick Craft furniture options, furniture gift certificates and furniture sales.  Thanks so much, Sa'ad and Danit for a job well done!