From Forest To Fine Furniture

The weather isn’t looking so great for leaf peeping in Vermont this weekend.  So if you’re traveling around the Green Mountain State and looking for indoor activities, try heading to Woodstock, VT for the Ninth Annual Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival.

This year’s theme is “From Forest to Furniture:  Take Home a Piece of Vermont”.  It dovetails with our plans at Vermont Woods Studios for a showroom at Stonehurst in that the focus is to raise awareness about where your furniture comes from.

Much like the organic food movement, the organic furniture movement is catching on.  Customers are realizing both the economic and health benefits to buying locally crafted furniture, handmade from real, solid, sustainably harvested wood.

Come visit with some of the regions (and world’s) most respected fine furniture makers in Woodstock this weekend.  You’ll be able to see and feel their furniture creations and also learn about the well-managed forests where their wood is harvested.  Free tours are available of the nearby Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.  Here customers can experience the forest and learn about each of the many links in the chain from forest to trees to furniture.

Shown above:  Brent Karner of ClearLake Furniture in Ludlow VT won first place for production furniture in the 2011 Vermont Fine Furniture Festival.  Who is going to win this year?

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Spend your weekend in Vermont at the Manchester Art and Craft Festival and the Brattleboro-West Arts Open Studio Tour.

Vermont is
full of artists and artisans, and this weekend is a perfect opportunity to discover
their products and visit their studios. 
There are two events, one in Manchester,
and the other in Brattleboro, for
you to explore this weekend.

Craftproducers Manchester Fall Art and Craft Festival
September 28-30, 10am-5pm

Manchester is
starting their foliage season with an outdoor event celebrating the local art
community. Over 180 artisans will have their craftwork on display and for
purchase. Art work ranges from photography to paintings to clothing to maple
distilled vodka. In addition to the beautiful array of art on display, the
festival offers food and drink. There will be a food area serving a variety of
localvore items, and a Vermont Beer, Cheese and Sausage tent. Spend the day
meeting artists, purchasing gifts for the upcoming holidays, and eating
delicious food. For more information about this event, visit the
Craftproducers' website.

Brattleboro-West Arts' 4th Annual Open Studio Tour
September 29-30, 10am-5pm

The town of Brattleboro
is Vermont Woods Studios' neighbor, located in the southeast corner of Vermont.
Brattleboro is known for it's
thriving arts community, and this weekend you will have the opportunity to meet
some of the artists. Artists are opening up their studios this weekend to the
public. There will be 13 different locations with 16 artists showing off their
crafts. The tour is mapped out on a brochure that you can print from their
website, pick up at any of the studio locations, or get from the Brattleboro
Chamber of Commerce. At the studio locations you will see where artists make
violins, blow glass, paint, and create many more items in different mediums. In
addition, to conclude the first night of the weekend event, the Chelsea Royal
Diner will be hosting a special dinner on Saturday. The dinner will feature a
selection of locally produced foods. 
This is another opportunity to meet artists and learn about their crafts.
The Brattleboro-West Open Studio Tour has been recognized by the Boston
Globe.  For more information about the
event, please visit the Brattleboro-West Arts website.

Heather Barrett is a Marketing Assistant at Vermont Woods Studios, an online furniture gallery which showcases Vermont's finest wood furniture. Follow our blog to learn about Vermont fine furniture, Vermont happenings, our mission, and our team.

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VWMA the Vermont Wood Manufacturing Association recently announced details of this year's 2012 Vermont Woodworking Design Competion.  As part of the annual Vermont Fine Furniture Festival, this competion showcases the very best of fine woodworking expertise Vermont has too offer.  All Vermont woodworkers are encouraged to enter the competition and/or exhibit their furniture and handmade wooden accessories at the festival.

So for woodworkers, now is the time to get involved.  And for people who love wood and enjoy traveling through Vermont — be sure to mark your calendar for September 29 & Sunday, September 30, 2012.  The festival and competition will be held at the Union Arena, Route 4-Woodstock, VT. It's worth the trip.  Don't miss it!

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Over the last decade a popular new stop on the Vermont Foliage Tour has emerged and that's the Fine Furniture Festival in Woodstock, VT. 

It's an annual gathering of Vermont's fine furniture makers– undoubtedly some of the best, most meticulous craftspeople in the world.  Here you'll get to see, feel and sit in beautiful, handcrafted solid wood furniture that's unlike anything you've seen in the stores.  You'll get to chat with craftsepople whose pieces live in luxurious penthouses and mansions around the world.  And you'll find that they are approachable, down to earth and passionate about the integrity of their work.

Honestly, if you're interested in furniture with authentic old world craftsmanship and/or creative modern style, Woodstock is the place to be.  And acquiring this kind of heirloom furniture is not out of reach– not when you're shopping in Vermont. 

OK, it's a totally different product than what you'll find in "luxury furniture stores" like Restoration Hardware or Crate and Barrel.  It's American made with sustainably harvested wood and it's made (and usually guaranteed) to last a lifetime so naturally the price will be higher than the imported furniture you're used to seeing in stores. 

But if you're looking for value, you won't find a better opportunity than this.  You'll be purchasing direct from the furniture makers and your solid wood furniture will be made to order just for you.  Shipping is no problem either.  These professionals have been shipping their work around the globe for years and they know how to do it right.

So… designers, architects, homeowners- we'll hope to see you in Woodstock this weekend.  It will be a highlight of your foliage tour I promise!

Photos:

Shackleton Thomas Furniture

Bill Laberge Furniture

Shackleton Thomas Furniture

The post Don’t Miss Vermont’s Fine Furniture Festival This Weekend appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.

Here's Bruce Wilkie of On Vermont Time – Beautiful handcrafted clocks and custom furniture.

Vermont's beautiful Fall produce and flowers are available at farm stands everywhere.  Sadly we had no room to carry any home

Many of the finest furniture makers in the state and indeed the country
were at the Festival showing their latest works of art, demonstrating
their craft and offering fabulous deals on handcrafted, Vermont made
solid wood furniture.

Scott Duffy of Rockledge Farm was showing this beautiful walnut table.  It has a soft live edge you can barely see, but it's absolutely gorgeous.

Jim Becker makes incredible windsor chairs, barstools and lots of other beautiful furniture as well.

This is a new Craftsman bed we're just beginning to carry at Vermont Woods Studios.

Neal Albert of Shelburne Fine Woodworking makes high end custom kitchen cabinets and a line of custom tables with secret compartments.

A wooden guitar case from the Vermont Woodworking school.

More fabulous produce at Harlow's Farm on the way home.

If you were unlucky enough to miss the Vermont Furniture Festival this year, put it on your calendar for next year.  It's always around the last weekend in September.  It's a great destination and the perfect excuse to get outside and enjoy Vermont's colorful Autumn scenery.

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