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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Last updated on December 16th, 2019 at 11:27 am

Modern and contemporary are used interchangeably in most contexts—after all, even the dictionary lists them as synonyms—but when it comes to talking about furniture, architecture, and interior design, these two terms are not one and the same.

In most situations modern translates to “here and now”, but when discussing modern design and furniture, it is referring to various periods from the early to mid-twentieth century. Contemporary on the other hand is forever changing as it all about what is hot and trendy this decade.

Here is an easy way to remember the difference between modern and contemporary furniture: modern design will never change, while contemporary design is always being redefined.

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The term “Asian style furniture” isn’t just reserved for black lacquered chests and painted tables. Asian design philosophies have influenced hardwood furniture even here in the United States.

This kind of Eastern design influence is evident in the use of vertical moon-shaped cuts and irregular joinery techniques, such as is seen in our Contemporary Craftsman and Exeter collections, respectively.

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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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