She is a CEO who brakes for salamanders, has bottle-fed rescued squirrels and spent her vacation building furniture for a rural school in Costa Rica. She believes in the future and in the people who will build it. A former distance-learning professor at Tulane University with a master’s in environmental health & safety, she turned an interest in forest conservation and endangered species into a growing, local business. She delivers rainforest statistics at breakneck speed, but knows how to slow down and appreciate the beauty of a newly finished piece of heirloom furniture.
It has been more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic started causing chaos and it has been tough going for everyone. We deeply appreciate and cherish all our past, present, and future customers. We apologize for the delays that Covid-19 is causing. Like all of us here at VWS, our Customer Service Representative, Brian Doherty, feels your pain. He asked me to post some common Q&A about how things are going.
At Vermont Woods Studios we were founded on an environmental mission: forest and wildlife conservation. We all grew up learning about monarchs in school. Now as adults we work to conserve their habitat here in Vermont and in Mexico where the butterflies over-winter (see above). The 2020-2021 Monarch Butterfly Report shows we have a lot of work to do.
We are grateful to Susan Inglis, Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council SFC. The wood furniture scorecard evaluation is part of her commitment to promoting environmental excellence in the furniture industry.
Yes, the short answer is: Covid-19 has made it’s mark on the furniture industry as well as nearly all industries. But we are working around the clock to minimize that effect on you. Read more below.
Every year Vermont Woods Studios sponsors an environmental field trip for the 3rd graders at our local Vernon Elementary School VES. We think it’s important to pass along our love of nature to the people who own our planet’s future. Our new friend, Keelin agrees!
250 Years of Woodworking and Furniture Making in Vermont
Last year we had so much interest from customers about the history of Vermont made furniture, we started an encyclopedia of sorts. Did you know that Vermont furniture making history can be traced back to the 17th century? And by the 18th century almost every town in Vermont had woodworkers making furniture, tools and utensils.
Wood products became the single most important manufacturing industry in Vermont during the 19th century. It was then that Vermont made furniture and wood products began their long history of export to customers all over the U.S. and abroad. Wood furniture, wooden cutting boards and bowls, bowling pins, baskets, drumsticks, toys, musical instruments, golf tees, cheese boxes, wooden dolls, gun racks, Scrabble tiles, snowshoes, clothes pins, and wooden shipping boxes were (and continue to be) all products of a thriving Vermont woodworking industry.
If you visit us at Stonehurst you’ll notice our commitment to forest conservation. As wood furniture makers we’re mindful of our impact on nature. Since we all love monarchs (our state butterfly) we work to conserve their habitat both here in VT and in the Mexican forest where they over-winter (above). We’ve partnered with the non-profit, Forests for Monarchs FFM to plant trees & restore monarch habitat in Mexico. So far we’ve planted over 60,000 trees! Photo by Sue Sill.
If you’re shopping for wooden outdoor furniture this season, you’ve probably noticed there are a lot of new faux wood furniture sets, made from recycled plastic. Shown here is the POLYWOOD Euro dining set. It has the look and weight of wood but lasts longer and doesn’t require any maintenance.
Why Recycled Plastic Instead of Wood?
When customers asked us to start carrying outdoor furniture naturally we searched for a real wood product. However, while there are weather resistant species such as cedar, teak, eucalyptus and redwood that make fine outdoor furniture, we still worried about the longevity of the furniture, maintenance, and the environmental impact. While researching high end outdoor wood furniture we discovered recycled plastic lumber (RPL) made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Also known as Poly-Wood, it looks like real wood & has the heavy weight of real wood plus it’s durable, versatile and environmentally friendly.
