What Does Amish Furniture Cost? (And Why It’s Worth the Price)
Have you ever dismissed the idea of purchasing Amish furniture because it costs too much? Or perhaps you’ve dreamed of buying some but haven’t researched the price for fear it would be too high?
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Why Is Amish Furniture More Expensive Than Other Options?
Amish furniture costs more because it’s built with solid hardwoods, crafted by hand, and made to order, unlike mass-produced furniture made with veneers or MDF. You’re paying for quality, longevity, and ethical craftsmanship.
Amish furniture is:
- Solid wood
- Handcrafted
- Customizable
- Made in America
Why Does Solid Wood Furniture Cost More?
In addition to its durability, natural solid wood is beautiful to see, whether unfinished or stained to perfection. When furniture is made with solid wood, it stands out. It will last longer–much longer than particle board, oriented strand board, or whatever kind of “enhanced” wood product you’ll find in big box stores that’s not real wood. Amish furniture is made with only premium quality solid wood.
Handcrafted Furniture
Crafting furniture by hand is a significant time investment. While Amish woodshops incorporate machinery to refine the furniture further, a woodworker still handles every piece.
It is cut, sculpted, inspected, and refined, which, of course, takes time. The techniques used in the building of Amish furniture are not hurried. They have been passed down for generations and don’t utilize shortcuts like mass-produced furniture does.
Mortise and Tenon Joinery
One of these tried and proper techniques is mortise and tenon joinery. This strong, secure joint fits the tenon into the mortise, creating strong, supportive connections. You’ll find dovetailed joints in the drawers of Amish furniture that create a stronger joint capable of enduring the demands put on the drawer over the years of use.
Heirloom Quality
This fine craftsmanship will also be reflected in the price, but the furniture’s performance and the length of time it will stay in your family will pay you back over time.
Arts and Crafts Movement in the Late 1800s
The Arts and Crafts movement, which spanned the late 1800s and early 1900s, stressed the importance of the techniques used to make furniture and celebrated the craftsman who invested time in its creation. The movement focused on investing in quality and resisted the mass production of factories. Amish furniture embraces this concept to this day, and they take the time to build quality furniture that both craftsman and owner can take pride in.
Custom Furniture
Many don’t realize how customizable Amish furniture is. “Customizable” and “custom” are layers that open up a world of possibility to the furniture consumer. Customized furniture means you can select options to make Amish furniture match your décor and fit your needs by selecting things like wood type, stain color, hardware, table extensions, and so on. Custom furniture means you can contribute to a design to create something that fits your vision with unique dimensions and additions. Both mean you can have solid wood furniture that’s built by hand your way.
These factors propel Amish-made furniture to a higher price category, yes. The nice thing about Amish furniture’s higher price is that concrete reasons exist behind it. Compared to big box furniture, where you’re just paying extra for a brand name, there are solid factors that comprise the price of Amish furniture, factors that speak to the integrity and care with which it is built.
Things That Affect the Cost of Amish Furniture
- Type of wood: Walnut wood costs more than oak, as walnut is less readily available. Walnut trees also don’t grow as large as cherry trees, so there’s less available lumber per tree than other hardwoods. Wood types and their characteristics vary, which will factor into Amish furniture’s price. You can learn more about wood types and their costs in our Amish Furniture Learning Center.
- Size of furniture: Larger pieces of Amish furniture will cost more. They will take longer and require more material than a smaller piece.
- Customizations: Adjusting dimensions, adding features, and creating a vision from scratch will increase the price of your furniture. Custom furniture offers the opportunity to go beyond what’s pictured, and at DutchCrafters, we even encourage it. (Note: At DutchCrafters, several customizations are standard and already included in the base price.)
How Does Amish Furniture Compare to Big Box Store Furniture?
How does Amish furniture compare to big-box store furniture? To put it directly, when you shop at a big box store for furniture, you will find lower prices and quick delivery, but it will come at a cost. There are no options to customize the furniture for your home. It will break down or wear down in a much shorter period than Amish furniture. It damages our environment when tossed out and ends up in a landfill. And when you factor these things in with the cost you’ll incur to replace it, is it a better deal?
You’ve heard the old saying “you get what you pay for,” right? Well, when it comes to the price of Amish furniture, we disagree. You get what you pay for and more with Amish-made furniture.
DutchCrafters has been in business since 2003, connecting families to solid wood Amish furniture. We visit the woodshops that we represent in Amish country and we’ve learned what goes into the building of a single drawer, headboard, bed frame or dining table. The time and effort put into crafting your furniture cannot be matched by factories focusing on mass production and profit. Along with a beautiful, functional, sound piece of furniture that’s customized to fit your personal needs and style, comes a piece of furniture that the builder makes with you in mind.
Customizing furniture is something you don’t have to do alone. At DutchCrafters, our goal is to provide exceptional personal customer service that takes the time to answer questions about wood types and stains, features, and dimensions that are so important to fit your vision and function best for you and your family. This service comes at no extra charge. You can email or call and ask questions about the furniture you want.
Is Amish Furniture Affordable?
When you factor in that Amish furniture will not have to be replaced (instead, it will be passed on), it will not break down, and it will not hurt the environment, does it really cost that much more in the long run?
We don’t deny that you will likely pay more for Amish furniture. And even with the breakdown over time to show the value, it may be a lot to lay out. But in the long run, Amish furniture could be much more affordable than you think. Do we offer solid wood furniture under $1000? Under $500? You might be surprised to find the answer is yes to both figures, but keep in mind that it will add to the price as you customize.
What About Shipping Amish Furniture?
Shipping solid wood Amish furniture to your home also adds to the cost. How much? At DutchCrafters, it will depend on whether you select flat-rate standard delivery or decide to upgrade to the white glove indoor delivery service. This wood furniture is primarily wrapped in blankets to protect it best and reduce the waste boxes created.
At DutchCrafters, we offer a $249 flat-rate shipping fee on most products. For an additional $150, you can upgrade to White Glove Inside Delivery, which includes having the furniture brought inside your home, unpacked, and set up for you.
We are often asked, “How many of you have in stock?” The truth is, Amish furniture is not mass-produced and sitting in warehouses. It’s special. Once you make your custom picks, the building begins.
So now you know what’s behind the cost of Amish furniture. It’s not just a price slapped on because we feel like it. It’s based on fine craftsmanship, quality materials, and custom options. Amish furniture may cost more, but the payoff in the long run is worth every penny.
Find Furniture That Fits Your Home and Your Budget
Considering that DutchCrafters is the world’s largest collection of online Amish furniture, we suggest you contact one of our trained furniture specialists to help you find the perfect piece for your home and your budget.
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