by Vicki Nemeth
Want to know how to shop for Amish furniture? Ask Dennis and Sharon from Nebraska.
Hampton Trestle Dining Table
Both in rustic hickory with Acorn stain
Their testimonial letter starts with, “Since we have purchased other Amish pieces over the last 15 years and had never been disappointed in the quality of craftsmanship, we were not apprehensive about ordering online.” With that much experience, they’re clearly Amish furniture fans.
When they decided to buy a dining set for their open concept living room and dining room, they knew exactly how to find the best pieces. The search didn’t start with us, but they ended up here because they did their research. Here are 6 important steps they took to make their home’s best match in Amish dining room furniture.
1. Start shopping early
Buying heirloom furniture is a major decision, so Dennis and Sharon didn’t take it lightly. “We had shopped for an Amish dining room set for about 6 months at several local Amish furniture dealers and also online,” they write. Starting to shop early gives you time to make careful decisions about your style, including viewing color samples. After you choose, Amish builders make each piece as it’s ordered and can take over eight weeks. Delivery for handcrafted furniture is also a careful process.
2. Know your style
Say Dennis and Sharon, “We knew the style we wanted so it was quick and easy to make comparisons.” They already had a lot of wood statement pieces in their farmhouse-country home. What’s more is their living room had rounded edges on the upholstered furniture. Traditional-style furniture would match with the living room, but they had to avoid going full rococo in order to match the farmhouse decor.
Hampton Hutch in rustic hickory with Acorn stain
Starting to shop early came in handy here. The time they spent made it possible to learn about the traditional style, manufacturers, and the name of the Hampton line. Then they could shop around.
3. Search the web
Internet searching makes shopping around fast. Browsing both in person and online helped Dennis and Sharon decide that an understated traditional style was their best match. As soon as they knew the word “traditional,” they were able to type that in and browse until they found out that the furniture they liked is called Hampton. Searching “Hampton” put numerous offers in front of Dennis and Sharon, and from there they could compare everyone’s prices.
That’s where we came in: “Amish Furniture Factory’s price was significantly less than any other local or online dealers and made Amish furniture affordable,” they say.
4. Use your imagination when purposing furniture
Hampton Cabinet Sofa Table in rustic hickory with Acorn stain
More than just a dining room, Dennis and Sharon’s space contains a living room. So they may have considered a sideboard, but instead they chose the Hampton Cabinet Sofa Table, which fits perfectly behind their sofa. Remember not to hold yourself back with strict rules about handcrafted furniture. Get what you will love to use in your home.
5. Call customer service
Another benefit to starting to shop early is you will have enough time to ask for customizations. After all, it is handcrafted furniture. Unlike mass-producing factories, craftspeople’s methods leave room to add the individuality you need to perfectly suit your home. This includes custom measurements, shelving, or finishes like two-tone or weathering.
A sample of hickory with Acorn stain. Dennis and Sharon chose rustic Hickory, which would have the same color but more dark knots and pits on the surface.
If a piece of furniture is almost exactly what you want, it’s a good idea to call the office to mine the staff for knowledge. Say Dennis and Sharon, “Laura was very helpful, communicated well and reviewed our order several times for accuracy. Stain samples were sent to us and we could customize the furniture.” Many pieces of furniture have options beyond what are listed on their webpages. You never know what customizations could be possible if you would just ask.
It’s almost always the right choice to have physical wood and stain samples shipped so you can view them with the lighting you intend to use in your space. This takes time too.
Finally, it’s important to make sure you got your order right. Buying Amish furniture is a commitment and you wouldn’t want to get all hyped up only to be delivered the wrong furniture. We’ve corrected orders after shipping before, but re-shipping and waiting all over again is quite the hassle!
6. Choose white glove delivery
Just do it. If you’ve just bought Amish furniture, it’s worth the investment to get professionals who will carry it all into your house for you and put it together in the right places. Right now it’s only $30 more than curbside delivery and it will save you the work of lifting and the risk of damaging your hardwood furniture and your house.
Here’s why white glove delivery was the best choice for Dennis and Sharon: “Communication on the delivery date was great and delivery was right on time. We chose the white glove option for delivery. The delivery man was excellent. He was friendly, clean, well-organized, and did his job in a very professional manner. He showed us how to open the table and store the leaves and made sure everything was to our satisfaction.”
Hampton Trestle Dining Table
Both in rustic hickory with Acorn stain.
After 6 months of shopping, Dennis and Sharon were pleased with their order. “Upon examination of our new dining room furniture, we found it to be handcrafted in the manner that we always expect from the Amish. It is a beautiful set. We would definitely order through Amish Furniture Factory again and highly recommend them.”
Have you ever bought anything that had to be so perfect, you spent months shopping for exactly the right item? Let’s talk about it in the comments.