Adrian Pearsall: Everything You Need to Know

June 20, 2020January 11, 2022 Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on January 11th, 2022 at 05:51 am

Adrian Pearsall's Compass Dining Table — Shown here, an authentic Compass Table, designed by Pearsall and built by Craft Associates in the mid 1900’s.

Adrian Pearsall may not be as widely recognized as other furniture designers like Frank Lloyd Wright or Gustav Stickley, but his contributions to the world of design have not been forgotten. After founding Craft Associates in 1952, Pearsall went on to become one of America’s most prominent furniture designers during the “Atomic Age” of mid-century modern stylings, known especially well for his use of American black walnut.

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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.

Frank Lloyd Wright: Everything You Need to Know

April 25, 2020April 25, 2020 Riley Farabaugh

Modern High Back Dining Chairs and Metropolitan Dining Table by Lyndon Furniture — Our Modern High Back Chairs mirror the High Back Chairs that Frank Lloyd Wright designed back in the early 1900’s.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) is one of the most well-known architects of all time. He is often referred to as the “father of organic architecture” for his work to pioneer and define the concept. Throughout his career, Wright designed more than 1,000 structures, many of which remain historical icons.

Although he was best known for his work in designing buildings, he also made significant contributions to the field of furniture design. Inspired by the mission & craftsman movement of the early 1900’s, many of Wright’s designs included the vertical rectangular cuts seen so often in the furniture of that period. However, Wright went beyond the established designs of the American Craftsman era, infusing his own signature style into chairs, tables, and more.

During the later stages of his career, Wright’s furniture designs would evolve from distinctly craftsman into what would help to define the style now known as mid-century modern.

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Indoor Plants: Trendy and Healthy!

March 20, 2020March 16, 2020 Loryn Dion Leave a comment

Bedroom with Indoor Plants — *Our Copeland Berkeley Bedroom Set looks so bright and warm with added house plants.*

Why Indoor Plants are Great for your Home and Health

It’s a fact that nothing classes up your home like an indoor plant or vase of fresh flowers. I’m not the tidiest person in the world, but I swear when I pick up a bunch of cut flowers at the farmers market on Saturdays, it makes my apartment look 10 times more neat. That may just be wishful thinking, but now that we’re in peak hay fever season and the changing of the climate is driving my allergies crazy, I’ve been looking for more reasons to add indoor plants to my apartment besides just for their beauty. Plants look great but have you ever thought of the health benefits behind adding greenery to your space? Here’s five reasons why houseplants are good for your heart, soul and decor:

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Top 5 Dining Table Designs: All About That Base

January 9, 2020January 9, 2020 Megan Fulton Leave a comment

We always put so much focus on the tabletop, but what about those legs?

I’m a perfectionist by nature and attention to detail has always been something I pride myself on. That being said, it can make doing things, like shopping for a new dining table, a challenge sometimes. I tend to be really indecisive because I like knowing what I’m choosing is the best possible product for me. I take everything from color, material used, shape, size and design into consideration. But what about the base of a table? It can aesthetically make or break a room, so why do the table tops get all of the attention?

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GreenGuard Certified Furniture: Everything You Need to Know

January 3, 2020August 16, 2021 Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on August 16th, 2021 at 12:47 pm

The furniture finishing industry is somewhat renowned for its use of questionable chemicals and behind-the-curtain practices. At one point in time, craftsmen used natural finishes like oil and wax or shellac.

But somewhere along the line there was a movement towards more durable, highly engineered wood finishes.

While these advancements in technology created finishes that are more durable, easier to apply, and cheaper than the traditional alternatives, they have also added some concerns about environmental sustainability and toxicity.

Just check out the standard warning that the State of California requires on many of the most common finishes sold in the US today:

WARNING: This product is known to the State of California to cause birth defects and other reproductive issues.

This movement towards chemically engineered wood finishes has created enough concern among consumers that third party testing organizations have sprung up to evaluate the safety of these finishes. One of the most common standards for verifying the safety of wood finishes is GreenGuard Certification.

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Wood Stains from Copeland Furniture

December 16, 2019October 5, 2022 Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on October 5th, 2022 at 01:49 pm

Copeland Audrey Table

If you’re not familiar with Copeland Furniture, they’re one of the leading manufacturers of modern and mid century furniture in the country. Located in Bradford, Vermont, Copeland was founded in 1976 by Tim Copeland.

Copeland offers furniture in cherry, walnut, maple, oak, and ash woods, and they use a clear, non-toxic lacquer as a wood finish.

In addition to offering furniture in several popular domestic hardwoods, Copeland also offers stained finishes on most of their collections. Here are their stain options for cherry, maple, ash, and oak (walnut is not typically stained due to its natural color).

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Biophilic Design 101: Everything You Need to Know

November 8, 2019December 3, 2019 Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on December 3rd, 2019 at 01:26 pm

Contemporary Craftsmen Collection with Plants on Dresser

Biophilic design is inspired by biophilia—a deep love of nature with an underlying, primal urge to connect to the natural world—and is commonly used to realign and reconnect urban centers with the natural environment. It accomplishes this by utilizing sustainable materials and building practices (WELL, FITWELL, LEED) that keep both the health of people and the planet in mind.

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Shabby Chic 101: What it is and How to Apply it in Your Home

October 28, 2019September 26, 2022 Riley Farabaugh 1 Comment

Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 12:36 pm

Shabby Chic kitchen decor — Notice the unsanded, unfinished, and reused wood palettes being used as shelves in this kitchen design, along with vintage rusting ornaments. These design aspects add a feeling of nostalgia and contribute to the shabby chic style. (Source)

Shabby chic is a style of interior design that utilizes distressed, worn, and antiquated decor to deliver an artistic and earthy aesthetic. It originates from Great Britain and in its early form, it was a rather grand style utilized by large country houses. Today this style usually isn’t quite as grandiose since it can be found in a variety of homes, both big and small, but one thing that hasn’t changed is that it still makes for instantaneously captivating accent pieces and furniture.

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7 of the Best Architects in Vermont

August 13, 2019August 16, 2021 Riley Farabaugh

Last updated on August 16th, 2021 at 12:52 pm

Interior Designer in Southern Vermont | Priscilla Cotton — Meet Southern Vermont’s favorite interior designer, Priscilla Cotton of Cotton Design in Newfane

We’ve often written about the rich history of craftsmanship in Vermont, but did you know this small state is also full of great architects, builders, and interior designers? Some of them even build furniture. In fact, there are many more that deserve to make this list.

Here’s a list of our favorite Vermont architects:

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7 Solid Wood Parsons Tables You’ll Love

May 25, 2019May 25, 2019 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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