Author: Riley Farabaugh

The youngest son of co-founders Peggy and Ken Farabaugh, Riley has filled different roles within the organization since it was founded out of a spare bedroom in the family home in 2005. As the son of the first Vermont Woods Studios craftsmen, Riley has been quickly learning more and more about woodworking, sustainable forestry, and the ins-and-outs of the furniture industry.

7 Solid Wood Parsons Tables You’ll Love

Riley Farabaugh 1 Comment

 

Modern Mission Parsons Table with matching Grand Mission Dining Chairs
Our Modern Mission Parsons Table built with natural cherry wood and matching Modern Mission Dining Chairs

One of the most common table designs we get asked about is the Parsons table. There’s a lot of misinformation about what exactly this type of table looks like, so we’ve decided to clear that up with a quick explanation of what a Parsons table looks like and a list of our favorites that are made in Vermont.

What is a Parsons Table?

Parsons tables were first designed in the 1930’s by French designer Jean-Michel Frank in a class he was teaching for a satellite campus of the Parsons School of Design in Paris, France. Authentic Parsons tables are square or rectangular with square cylindrical legs that are equal in proportion to the height of the table skirt.

In a true Parsons table design, the table skirt is flush with the table top, meaning there’s no overhang on the table, and the legs are positioned squarely on the edges of the table such that the area within the rectangular base is equal to that of the table top.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

Green Team Profile: Sophia Rabe

Riley Farabaugh

Sophia Rabe: Social Media Manager for Vermont Woods Studios & Owner at Olive and Milo

In this post we’re profiling another member of our “Green Team,” Sophia Rabe. Sophie joined us in 2018 to help us connect with more people on social media and figure out how to use social platforms to increase awareness and support for our mission. She helps out with our post scheduling, audience engagement, and paid social advertising.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

Green Team Profile: Katie O’Neil

Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on August 24th, 2022 at 04:44 pm

Katie O headshot

Katie joined us early in 2019 to help out our sales & operations team. She’s on the front lines answering phone calls and live chats from customers, communicating with craftsmen about customizations, and touring guests around our showroom.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

Raw vs Boiled vs Polymerized Linseed Oil

Riley Farabaugh 2 Comments

Last updated on April 9th, 2019 at 10:07 pm

Oiled Wood Furniture
Our Andover Bedroom Set in Natural Cherry with a Raw Linseed Oil Finish

Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, is one of the most popular wood finishes in the world. Like other hand-rubbed oil finishes, linseed oil saturates deep into the wood grain to protect against scratches and changes in humidity. It is easy to care for, eco-friendly, and produces a satin finish that really brings out the color and grain of the wood underneath.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

Linseed Oil vs Tung Oil: What’s the Difference?

Riley Farabaugh 1 Comment

Last updated on April 9th, 2019 at 10:07 pm

Often times when considering an oil finish for a piece of wood furniture, you might be comparing tung oil to linseed oil or danish oil. All three terms are often misunderstood and misused.

The term danish oil is a catch all term used by manufacturers to describe a blended oil finish that may or may not contain linseed oil and/or tung oil. But what are linseed oil and tung oil and when is it appropriate to use each?

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

What Color is Walnut Wood?

Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on April 9th, 2019 at 10:07 pm

Modern Walnut Office Furniture
A Catalina Office Set from Copeland Furniture in solid black walnut wood

American black walnut wood is dark, hard, dense and tight-grained. It’s prized by woodworkers for its strength, grain and color. It polishes to a very smooth finish, and the color ranges from creamy white in the sapwood to a dark chocolate in the heartwood.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

11 Rustic & Reclaimed Wood Farm Tables

Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on October 7th, 2021 at 10:11 am

holiday dining furniture sale
Our Reclaimed Barnwood Farm Table with Tapered Legs and Country Windsor Chairs.

These wood farm tables are handcrafted in Vermont and guaranteed to last a lifetime. Built with solid wood and customized to your specifications, farmhouse tables like these are a great way to bring the family together and bond over a hearty meal.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

Shaker vs Mission Style Furniture: What’s the Difference?

Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on March 13th, 2019 at 12:40 pm

Shaker and mission style furniture are often associated because both styles have been adopted by traditional furniture craftsmen. The Amish are often cited as the source of both design philosophies, although that’s not true in either case.

Shaker style furniture originated from the Shaking Quakers in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. It wasn’t for another few decades that mission style furniture began to emerge. Both styles originated in New England.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

Green Team Profile: Geoff Strawbridge

Riley Farabaugh 1 Comment

Last updated on February 28th, 2019 at 04:01 pm

In this #VWSGreenTeam profile, we’re introducing Geoff Strawbridge. Geoff has previous work experience in high-growth tech startups including Tripod (acquired during his time there by Lycos) and MyWebGrocer, and is the founder and CEO of BootstrapVT, a marketing consultancy based in Burlington, VT.

Geoff is an important part of the management, marketing, and IT teams here and is helping us define our segment of the online furniture market.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

6 of Our Most Popular Polywood Adirondack Chairs

Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on January 10th, 2020 at 04:26 pm

Polywood Adirondack Chairs

If you’re not familiar with Polywood outdoor furniture, it’s worth reading up on. Polywood is made out of HDPE recycled plastic lumber (RPL). The company is based in Indiana and manufactures all their outdoor furniture right here in the USA. Besides being 100% american made and super eco-friendly, Polywood is also super durable, easy to care for, and looks great!

They make all sorts of cool stuff including outdoor dining sets, deep seating patio furniture, Tete-a-Tetes and more.

Here’s a look at some of our most popular Polywood Adirondack Chairs:

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.