Vermont Woods Studios - Eco Furniture Blog

Get In The Milkcrate!

Isn't that a cool name for a blog?  Rebecca is our new graphic designer at Vermont Woods Studios, but we've also discovered that she's a very engaging writer.  Such a multi-talented person she is!

She's so fascinated by the behind the scenes world of custom furniture making that she's decided to blog about it and share the scoop with you. 

Why Get in the Milkcrate?  Well, it's an old Vermont saying that means get onboard, we're ready to go!  Rebecca was thinking of that every time she heard us pick up the phone and talk to customers about going green in their homes.

Are you interested in sustainable forestry and preservation of endangered species that live in the forest?  Why don't you Get in the Milkcrate and ride with us to a greener planet?

Natural Furniture and America's Best Idea

If you haven't been able to watch Ken Burn's new film on America's National Parks, it's not too late.  This is a six episode series and every nature lover will want to enjoy the spectacular scenery, interesting history and urgent call to action that Burns presents.  At Vermont Woods Studios being a wood furniture maker, we're particularly interested in the issues of sustainable forestry in the national parks. 

One of our favorite national parks mentioned in this film series is Sequoia National Forest.  Sequoias are the largest trees ever to inhabit the earth, growing to heights of 300 feet and diameters of 30 feet! Their ages commonly range from 2,000 to 3,000 years.  Some were 1000 years old during the time of Christ! 

Although once widespread, giant sequoias now occur only in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California.   If you have literally 2 minutes to spare, you can take action to protect the Giant Sequoias and other ancient forest in America.  Visit Save America's Forests, click on Instant Letter and in 2 minutes or less you can send a letter to your representatives in Congress asking them to stop destructive forms of logging, such as clearcutting, and to protect ecologically important forest areas such as Ancient forests and roadless forests.

Then pat yourself on the back for doing an awesome job in protecting the environment and fighting global warming!

Customizing a 2-Tone Trestle Table

Rebecca, our new Vermont Woods Studios Furniture graphic designer has been working back and forth with a customer this week on a customized dining table.  Adam liked our Oval Trestle Table shown on the website in maple, but he wanted it in a 2-tone combination of cherry and walnut wood.

 

The first idea Adam wanted to try was a solid walnut base with a cherry table top.  Rebecca photo-shopped this image for him, but they both thought is was a bit too much walnut for his space. 

 

 

So they toned down the walnut some with this version where the table was almost all cherry except for walnut feet, trestle and buttons over the trestle joints.  Still too much walnut for Adam's taste.

 

 

Rebecca then emailed Adam this option and it turned out to be the Goldilocks version--not too much walnut, not too little, it was just right.  I like it a lot and am hoping Adam will send us photos of his dining room once the new table is installed.

 

 

Looking for custom furniture or customized furniture?  Check out our Vermont Woods Studios furniture website for ideas and give us a call.  Ask for Rebecca.  She'll show you how to customize our furniture for your space and taste.  It's easy, affordable and lots of fun! 

Operation Christmas Child Charity Event

The staff at Vermont Woods Studios cordially invite you to attend our annual Operation Christmas Child Charity event held in the Vernon Elementary School cafeteria on Friday, October 16 at 3:30pm.  This is the seventh year we have been co-sponsoring this event with local employer Entergy and our own 501(c)(3) non-profit, Kids Saving the Planet. 

It has been a great success in the past and is growing every year.  Bring your family and rock with us to holiday music while we package hundreds of shoe boxes full of toys, candy, school supplies and hygiene items to be given to needy children both locally and internationally.

Free pizza and drinks will be served.  Contributions and/or donations are encouraged, but not required.   The main thing is to donate your time and energy!

This event has always been a lot of fun for our kids and families.   It truly makes a huge impact on the lives of needy children around the world. For further information, or to volunteer to help, call Kelsey O’Donnell, Peggy Farabaugh (254-4951) or Annette Roydon (254-0004). 

Custom Wood Furniture: Why Vermont is THE Place To Buy It

Custom wood furniture is an investment and just like any other investment (stocks, bonds, real estate) you'll want to do plenty of research prior to making any decisions.  You'll need to know all the standard who, what, when, where, whys and hows of your furniture-making:

• Who is the craftsperson or persons building your furniture?
• What type of woods and finishes are available?
• Where will the furniture be built?  For example, in a large factory in China or a small workshop in Vermont?
• When will your furniture be ready?  How long will it take to design and craft?
  
• How will it be crafted?  For example, using traditional methods of joinery, such as dovetailing and mortise and tenon?  Or with nuts, bolts, screws and such?

Did you know that Vermont is home to some of the finest custom furniture makers in the world? For many of them, the craft has been passed down through their New England families for seven or eight generations.  Others have come from all corners of the globe seeking inspiration not only from the natural landscape of the Green Mountain Forest but also from the vibrant community of world class woodworkers who call Vermont home.

You can meet nearly 50 of these talented craftspeople at the upcoming Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival in Woodstock, VT Sept 26-27.  Don't miss it!  You'll be able to meet the artisans, see their work and discuss all your questions with them.  I bet this will be one of your best investments yet and unlike stocks or bonds, this is one you can reap an immediate return of enjoyment from every day!

Visit our website at Vermont Woods Studios for a preview of some of the custom furniture you may see at the festival.

Wood Furniture Website Features Vermont Woods Studios

Many thanks to the team of professionals at wood-furniture for featuring Vermont Woods Studios eco-friendly furniture on their website this week. 

Wood-Furniture is an excellent website where you can find all kinds of news, information and advice about wood furniture.

I was interested to see an article on Wood-Furniture entitled "China Furniture Destroys Forests" as I had just written a blog entry about the same topic a few days ago. 

There is also an article about a hughe baby crib recall that I think many of our customers with young children would want to read.

Thanks again to the good folks at Wood-Furniture!

Solid Cherry Modern Dining Table Sale

The customer who ordered this beautiful solid natural cherry 42"W x 72"L Modern Dining Table changed her mind about the size and decided to re-order her table in the next size up.  Lucky for you!  We have no space to store it so we're letting it go for over $500 off the regular price, or just $1500 including shipping.

If you or someone you know is looking for a handmade solid cherry kitchen or dining table, give us a call at Vermont Woods Studios.  This is the lowest price you will ever find for a table of this quality and style.

Natural, Eco Friendly Furniture and Global Warming

Our customers usually come to Vermont Woods Studios with a pretty clear understanding of the benefits of natural, eco-friendly furniture.  They're looking to help protect the environment.  They want to know that the wood used in their furniture has been sustainably harvested from forests that are going to be healthy and intact for many more generations.  Customers are also looking to protect their families from toxic substances in furniture finishes that could off-gas and cause respiratory problems.

But did you know that choosing natural, eco-furniture also reduces your carbon footprint and helps reduce global warming?  It's true. Scientists attribute about 20% of global warming to deforestation, particularly that of tropical rainforests, such as the Amazon.

If you're buying imported wood furniture, chances are it was made from illegally harvested wood that was clear cut from the rainforest.  Because there is such widespread counterfeiting of logging documents, consumers are often unwittingly contributing to global warming and the eventual loss of iconic tree species such as mahogany and teak when purchasing imported furniture. 

Vermont Woods Studios uses only sustainably harvested wood in the crafting of our furniture.  Much of it comes from our own Green Mountain Forest.  We support the Forest Stewardship Council, the World Wildlife Fund and other non-profits working to preserve the rainforest and stop global warming.  When you purchase furniture from our store you can rest assured that both your furniture and the forest from where it originates will be around for generations to come.

$200 and $400 Furniture Gift Certificates for You

Have you been thinking about buying handmade wood furniture lately, but hesitating due to the economy?  Well, we have a gift for you to help you to make your investment now.  The gift is enclosed in our Fall 2009 newsletter:  it's a $200 gift certificate valid on any order over $2000 at Vermont Woods Studios and a $400 gift certificate on orders over $4000. It can be used in addition to the sales and discounts that are offered on our website, which results in some of the lowest prices you will find anywhere on high quality handcrafted, solid wood furniture made in the USA.

Give us a call for details (888-390-5571) or order online using the coupon codes found in our newsletter.  Buy now!  The gift certificates expire on Nov 15, 2009.  Sale prices are valid until the end of this month.

By the way, don't miss the next newsletter-- they always have a sale or discount included.  Sign up here.

My Cherry Armoire: Multi-functional Storage Furniture You Will Love Dearly

We've had a number of customers calling lately looking for natural cherry armoires for their mud rooms and foyers.  It used to be, armoires were considered strictly bedroom furniture but today the trend (throughout the home) seems to be moving away from built-in furniture towards a more flexible arrangement using cabinets, dressers, chests and armoires. 

Storage areas like entry-ways and mudrooms that might previously have been stark and strictly functional are now being dressed up and incorporated into the family living space.  It's an alternative to adding extra rooms during this economic crunch.  Consider it a free home expansion!

If you're looking for a beautiful way to store outer-wear or other necessities, consider one of our natural wood armoires, dressers or chests or even night stands. The come in many sizes and can be customized to fit perfectly into your space.  And they're not just for the bedroom anymore! 

I think even Stevie Wonder would love them.

Vermont Fine Furniture Festival: Mark Your Calendar!

If you love fine furniture, handcrafted of solid natural wood, you really must reserve the weekend of September 26-27 for the Sixth Annual Vermont Fine Furniture Festival being help in Woodstock, VT.  It's a lively gathering of about 50 of the most talented woodworking artisans in our state.   Craftspeople will have a large selection of their work on hand to show and sell, as well as portfolios full of photos of custom pieces they have completed.   You'll be able to chat with the artisans, learn about their specialties and watch woodworking demonstrations.

People come from all across the country and around the world to enjoy the fall foliage and a relaxing day at the festival.  The really lucky ones take home a new piece of heirloom furniture or an order for a custom piece.

Douglas, Rebecca and Peggy will be there from Vermont Woods Studios and we hope to see you there too!

Natural Cherry Furniture: What Color Is It?

I had a nice chat with one of our Vermont Woods Studios customers today who was looking for a natural cherry bed to match existing cherry furniture in his bedroom.  He's had the existing furniture for about 10 years and now it's a lovely, rich reddish brown color-- something like this cherry bed we've just added to our line.

The problem is that natural cherry starts out a much lighter wood, usually with a color similar to this Cherry Moon Bed and it takes time to darken as it is exposed to light.  The length of time to go from this light color to the darker color above varies with the amount of light in the room and can take anywhere from a few months to a number of years.  Most customers, however report that their furniture darkens within 6-12 months.

Customers often ask if there is a way to speed up the process and the consensus among our craftspeople is that the best solution is just to expose the furniture to as much light as possible.   Adding a dark stain is also a possibility but woodworkers always plead with us to have patience and wait it out instead.  For most customers, the result truly is worth waiting for, especially since our furniture is purchased for a lifetime of use.  Check out more photos of our natural cherry furniture in the Cherry Moon Collection, Vermont-Made Shaker Collection and throughout our website.