Beth Rice is a content writer for DutchCrafters Amish Furniture. She is the primary author of Timber to Table blog posts and has spent the last several years researching and providing knowledge on wood types, furniture styles, and design trends. As a busy mother of two, Beth understands the value of furniture in helping create a welcoming home for family and friends, and often writes on the ways our furniture can help support that. Beth is a published author with a gift for identifying the special moments in everyday life. Most recently, she had a short story included in Chicken Soup for the Soul's "My Amazing Mom" edition. Since 2012, the DutchCrafters Timber to Table blog has been providing customers and other readers with furniture and interior design tips, information about the Amish, and woodworkers’ stories.
Remember story time when you were a kid? Whether it was at the local library, in the rocking chair with grandma, or tucked on the couch before bed with mom or dad, story time had that magical way of taking our minds to another place where the characters could just take us away…. We thought it might be a good time to share some good reads while we all need a little escape. Here’s what… Books to Escape With: Some Recommendations While You Are Home
You might be surprised to hear that Amish communities can and do differ. Erik Wesner, founder of amishamerica.com, a great source of information on everything Amish, contributes this guest blog about how practices among Amish communities vary. Unusual Amish Communities by Erik Wesner The Amish might at first glance seem like a uniform group of people. Plain clothes, beards, buggies…yet within the 2500+ Amish congregations, there is a surprising amount of variety. While all Amish… Unusual Amish Communities
Working from home? We’re with you! Looking to set up a work from home space that’s free of distractions, full of comfort and that you can adapt to easily? We can help. Here are some tips for setting up your work from home space. Setting Up A Work From Home Space CHOOSE WISELY Pick a designated workspace that will work with you and for you. This will be your hub of production, your area that… Tips for Setting Up A Work From Home Space
As we spend more time at home during this time of social distancing, some of those projects we always mean to get to can rise to the top of the list. Like outdoor wood furniture. When was the last time you cleaned yours? To extend the life of your outdoor wood furniture, occasional cleaning is recommended. What’s the best way to go about cleaning it, and what are some tips to help protect it? Let’s… How to Protect and Care for Outdoor Wood Furniture
Amish wood desks are special. Not just because they’re pretty and made with solid wood, but because they are customizable and customizations give you options. An Amish wood desk can have the look, the features and the function that will serve you best. Here are 10 ways you can customize an Amish wood desk to be the desk you like to use, look at, own and pass on for generations to come. Get ready. It’s… 10 Ways You Can Customize an Amish Wood Desk
What’s happening this year with outdoor furniture? Is poly outdoor furniture showcasing something new? Are there new wooden outdoor furniture ideas? What are the looks for outdoors? We’re focusing on 5 Outdoor Furniture Trends for 2020 featuring some fashionable poly outdoor furniture and wooden outdoor furniture for your home. 1. Outdoor Accent Chairs Take Center Stage A popular grouping for patio, porch or poolside features outdoor accent chairs taking center stage. You can create a… 5 Outdoor Furniture Trends for 2020
So you’ve decided you like the look of outdoor wood furniture and perhaps you’ve heard of the qualities that cedar and pine outdoor furniture possess. How do you choose? What does one have that the other doesn’t? We’re taking a look at outdoor cedar furniture versus outdoor pine furniture to see which one has the edge. Things to Love About Outdoor Cedar Furniture The Shades of Red Outdoor cedar furniture displays shades of reddish/pinkish brown… Cedar vs. Pine: Which is Best for Outdoor Furniture?
We are thrilled to have Erik Wesner, founder of amishamerica.com and author of Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive contributing to Timber to Table. Erik has written several posts for us in years past, providing insight on different aspects of Amish life. Here Erik contributes the various ways Amish people get around, and it’s not always by horse and buggy! 10 Ways Amish People Travel by Erik Wesner In our… 10 Ways Amish People Travel
Martin Yoder from Forks Valley Woodworking was speaking. As he stood in the conference room at our DutchCrafters corporate office in Sarasota, Florida telling us about a recent challenge with quarter sawn white oak wood, I thought, yes, this is what the slow furniture movement is about. Forks Valley Woodworking, which makes DutchCrafters Middlebury Collection, is one of over 150 Amish woodshops that makes Amish furniture for DutchCrafters. They produce stunning wall units for living… Why Does It Take So Long to Receive Amish Furniture? A Slow Furniture Movement Post
Loveseats are loved for offering seating without taking up as much space as a sofa. They fit in small spaces and add color with attractive fabrics and leathers. Originally designed for two people….. Record scratch… Wait. Originally designed for what? Loveseats in fact, were not originally called loveseats, they were just seats. And they weren’t originally designed for two people. Loveseats were originally designed for a woman and…..her dress. That’s right, back in the Victorian… The History of the Loveseat
Furniture that’s weathered and worn can feel like it has a story to tell. Something aged like a dining table with nicks and worn edges that’s been loved and used feels familiar and welcoming. Coffee tables that show signs of enduring the kids’ coloring and nicks from Jenga spills indicate that they have been part of the family story for years. Furniture with some age to it develops its own character. Why Choose Distressing? Distressed… Distressed Furniture: How Old Do You Want It to Look?
While a desk is essential to supporting our work, we don’t sit in the desk. It’s understandable that significant funding can be put into the right desk for the job, but working at your desk can become unbearable if comfort is sacrificed. And the source of comfort for someone working a desk job 40-plus hours a week can be found in….an Amish desk chair. What Makes an Amish Desk Chair Comfortable The Back Support The… 5 Things That Make an Amish Desk Chair Comfortable
Sustainable, warm and unique, barnwood furniture is making its mark. At DutchCrafters, our Amish woodworkers take pride in their sustainable practices and crafting with reclaimed wood embraces sustainability on a whole new level. While there’s no doubt barnwood furniture is beautiful, the story goes much deeper than just knocking down barns and making furniture out of them. The Urban Barnwood Collection here at DutchCrafters is in high demand, and when Jonathan Fell, the sales manager… The Urban Barnwood Collection
One of the most disappointing things Marina de Sa Nogueira, chair of the Sustainability Committee at DutchCrafters has heard is…. One person will not make a difference. One plastic bag or one straw is not going to matter. According to Marina and the members of the DutchCrafters Sustainability Committee, one person can make a difference and a big one I learned as I sat down to chat with them in the DutchCrafters Showroom. The Sustainability… Meet the Sustainability Committee at DutchCrafters
Looking for an office desk that will do more for you in the new year? We’ve zeroed in on three office desks that bring a lot to the work space and that can help you get and stay organized in the new year. Which office desk will help you the most? The Computer Desk If you have lots of computer and office equipment and not enough room to put it, a computer office desk could… Office Desks That Help DeClutter
