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.
5 Things to Love About an Amish Secretary Desk Whether you’re short on space or looking to add a touch of charm to your home office, an Amish secretary desk offers the perfect blend of function and style. These compact desks feature built-in storage, fold-down work surfaces, and handcrafted design details. Here are five reasons they’re one of the most versatile pieces of furniture you can own. Secretary Desk History The secretary desk has come… 5 Things to Love About an Amish Secretary Desk
Let’s start with clarifying that as we dig into things to know about a gentleman’s chest, we are of course talking about the furniture, not a gentleman’s chest of the human kind either with or sans hair. I like to think of a gentleman’s chest as a quiet piece full of function, quiet because we don’t often talk about “men’s furniture” and full of function because the gentleman’s chest of yesterday can be used in… Things to Know About a Gentleman’s Chest
There’s a lot to know about wood types when it comes to building custom wood furniture. Durability, color, cost and features should all be considered before selecting a wood type for your new table, bed, desk or chair. Two wood types, both quite popular in Amish furniture, are cherry wood and maple wood. When it comes to cherry vs maple, does one make better wood furniture? Let’s take a look. First we have cherry wood,… Cherry vs. Maple: Does One Make Better Wood Furniture?
What is the best wood polish for cleaning wood furniture? When you’ve made a significant investment in solid wood furniture, waited for it to be built and delivered, made it a part of your family story, and proudly displayed it in your home, there will come the time to clean it. And when it comes to high end, solid wood furniture you might hesitate. None of us wants to use the wrong cleaner on wood… The Best Wood Polish for Cleaning Wood Furniture
With so many of us sprucing up our outdoor spaces, poly furniture has taken on some new features to help furnish your outdoors in style for 2021. What’s New for Poly Furniture? Poly furniture continues to bring its A game in 2021, being an eco friendly outdoor furniture choice built from recycled plastics like milk jugs and detergent bottles. There’s no change to the poly we’ve all come to know and love, the outdoor furniture… New Poly Features for 2021
A pressback dining chair brings home the look and feel of hand carved wood. Pressback chairs feature intricate designs in the chair crest rail. The designs are often leaves or acorns or a combination of the two. These designs are no longer carved by hand, and craftsmen have found ways to produce pressbacks more quickly and efficiently. How are they made in Amish country? Let’s take a look at the pressback chair, a popular choice… The Pressback Dining Chair
How important is it to have the backs of your wood furniture finished? What is a finished back exactly? And if the back of a piece like a desk is not finished, what the heck does it look like? Is it bare? The finished backs of fine wood furniture are a popular topic of conversation for our furniture specialists here at DutchCrafters. Questions are often raised about what the options are for finished backs, when… Facts About Finished Backs
The dust panel. Also called a dust shelf, dust guard or dust board. What does it do? Do you really need it? What does it add to a wood chest or dresser? Let’s take a moment to think of a dresser drawer, sitting strong and quiet, holding your folded clothing, blankets, sweaters and socks. The drawer glides in and out smoothly, providing storage and support. What’s happening every time you open and close the drawer?… Things to Know About Dust Panels
In its prime, the rocking horse raced past other toys to become an envied playroom piece of its time. It was enhanced, improved and made safer over time, with its popularity skyrocketing. Then the rocking horse all but faded away, until waves of nostalgia and a longing for this old fashioned favorite once again took root. Rocking Horse History Toy animals have long been celebrated, and it has been said that the ancient Greek and… The History of the Rocking Horse
When it’s five o’clock somewhere and time to unwind, do you reach for a glass of wine from a wine rack or wine cabinet? What are the differences between them, and how do you choose a good wine cabinet? First, let’s break down some wine storage terminology. There’s the wine cabinet, the wine cooler and the wine rack. What is a wine cabinet? There are wine cabinets that are climate controlled and wine cabinets that… How to Choose A Good Wine Cabinet
Rustic log furniture brings home a natural, outdoor woodsy feel. You feel that you’ve been removed from the everyday and launched to log cabin life, complete with log beds, barstools and rustic coffee tables full of natural knots and markings. Rustic furniture helps set the scene and with it comes certain types of woods. Furniture woods vary a great deal in their characteristics, benefits and challenges. What woods are best for rustic log furniture? Let’s… The Best Woods for Rustic Log Furniture
A kitchen hutch brings together storage, style, and substance. Whether you need extra cabinet space, a place to show off family dishes, or a way to organize your busy kitchen, the right hutch can elevate your space and serve your needs for decades, especially when handcrafted from solid wood. In this guide, we’ll help you choose the best hutch for your kitchen by walking through the key decisions: what to store, how much space you… How to Choose the Right Kitchen Hutch
Outdoor décor is a fun way to be expressive, create a new design and add to the comfort of your outdoor scene. Wagons, wheelbarrows and windmills can enhance your outdoor areas and in addition, come in handy for plants, parties and pretty outdoor spaces. Here are 5 ways to use wagons, wheelbarrows and windmills for outdoor décor. 1. Create a Colorful Outdoor Planter Amish wagons and wheelbarrows make great display areas for showcasing your favorite… 5 Ways to Use Wagons, Wheelbarrows and Windmills for Outdoor Decor
Tucked within your dining room furniture collection are little parts and big parts that make dining room furniture function at its best. We’ve picked out 10 Amish dining room furniture terms to share and explain, highlighted by attractive Amish furniture of course! Test your knowledge with these Amish dining room furniture terms to see how well you know them. Clue: I sit right below the surface of a table, adding to its beauty and concealing… 10 Amish Dining Room Furniture Terms and What They Mean
Amish fireplaces have become a popular piece of Amish furniture in homes across the country. All of our Amish made fireplaces include electric units, eliminating clean up, increasing safety, saving money and warming the rooms where families spend time together. Each fireplace adds exquisite solid wood style and fine craftsmanship to the room where it is placed. Offering a variety of standalone fireplace units, as well as fireplaces built into entertainment centers and TV stands,… 10 Questions About Amish Fireplaces
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