Table Setting 101: Casual to Fine Dining

October 5, 2013August 15, 2018 Michelle Rooks

Last updated on August 15th, 2018 at 02:55 pm

Table Setting Still Sends a Message To Guests

I’m about to out myself as an old-timer. When I was in Junior High most girls took a class called Home Economics. We learned cooking and sewing skills and actually got tested on the proper way to set a table. I have never forgotten the basics of casual dining place setting: Fork on the napkin to the left of the plate, knife and spoon to the right of the plate, with the knife closest and its blade facing the plate. A drinking glass would be above and to the right of the dinner plate. I admit I don’t often practice these skills. In our house we pretty much grab a handful of knives and forks and divvy them up at the table. I picture the Vermont Tavern Table as the perfect place for the family to gather and talk about their day.

If you want to invite a couple of friends to join you for dinner, you may want to kick it up a notch. That brings us to the informal place setting. In addition to the items found in casual dining place setting you may find a bread plate, an additional glass, a salad fork, and possibly a soup spoon. I think the Cherry Moon dining table would be the just the thing for a gathering of close friends.

For a more formal gathering, place setting can be much more involved. There are water and wine glasses and, for truly elegant dinner parties, enough silverware to ready a small army. These can include fish, dinner, salad, cake and cocktail forks, dinner and butter knives, teaspoon, soup and dessert spoons. Add to all of that a charger (a decorative plate slightly larger than a dinner plate), dinner, salad and bread plates and you’re going to need a lot of real estate to hold it all. My choice would be the Vermont-Made Shaker with a boat top. It just gives a vibe of elegance to me.

Place setting has become a bit of an art form. While there are “standard” placements for items, these days you can be much more creative. Add a favor for each guest, create your own napkin rings and place cards or learn napkin folding techniques. Add different levels of candles and some flowers, gourds, or other seasonal items to make an aesthetically pleasing centerpiece. Your table should be a reflection of your own style.

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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.

Lets Talk Apples!

September 26, 2013August 15, 2018 Kelsey Eaton

Last updated on August 15th, 2018 at 02:56 pm

Apples in Wooden Bowl at Vermont Woods Studios Showroom — *Ok…ok, so we love Pears too!*

There’s been a lot of buzz from Vermonters about apples lately. Probably because A) they’re delicious B) they’re perfect for fall and C) they have a long history in the state of Vermont! Well, we love these sweet natural treats just as much as any other Vermonter–so, lets talk apples!

Did you know that…

The first Macs grew in Canada. The first McIntosh apple tree sprouted from one of several seedlings that were discovered in 1811 by John McIntosh on his farm in Ontario!
In 1868, Dr. T.A Hoskins brought the McIntosh to Newport, Vermont right from Ontario. A descendant of John McIntosh, William McIntosh, planted these apples in his West Berlin, Vermont orchard in 1870…and the first printed reference to a mac apple appeared in 1876.
In 1920, the “big four” Vermont apple varieties were McIntosh, Fameuse, Northern Spy, and Wealthy.
In the 1980s, Vermont had an average of 79 growers on 3,500 bearing acres in total, and produced an average annual crop of 1.25 million bushels of apples.
In England, to destroy an apple orchard was seen as almost sacrilegious, and it was said that if an orchard was destroyed to make way for another crop, the crop would never prosper.
An old Samhain charm was for all the district’s unmarried young people to tie an apple onto a piece of string and whirl it around before a fire. The one whose apple fell off first was said to be the first to marry
McIntosh, Vermont’s “bread & butter variety,” remains within the top six apple varieties desired by consumers.
The 2007 census reported 264 farms growing apples on 3,241 acres of land in Vermont, and the 2011 survey found those same results!
If you loved these apple facts as much as we do, take a minute to check out Vermont Apples, a website with tons of information and history about apples, including more facts, orchard listings, and apple news! And for brilliant, tasty apple recipes… take a look at The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, a 300+ page book containing 100 magnificent apple recipes!

And let us know what your favorite apple recipes are & your favorite places around New England to apple pick in the comments section or on Facebook!

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Fall Asleep in Style

September 18, 2013March 13, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on March 13th, 2019 at 05:44 pm

Copeland Monterey Bedroom Furniture | Arts and Crafts Meets Asian Style — *The Copeland Monterey bedroom furniture collection fuses Arts and Crafts design elements with Asian style.*

Copeland Monterey Collection. Carefully Crafted, Elegantly Styled.

After a stressful day at the office who doesn’t want to come home and melt into a comfortable cradle, drifting off to sleep in style?

Copeland’s high end Monterey Bedroom Furniture Collection updates traditional Arts & Crafts style with a modern Japanese touch. The headboard is reminiscent of a Shinto shrine’s torii gate, an icon that represents the transition from the “profane to the sacred“. Such an appropriate analogy for the transition from your day of hard work into a night of peaceful slumber!

Handcrafted in real cherry hardwood, the Monterey Bedroom set is made to order and can be customized online in your choice of natural cherry, windsor cherry, autumn cherry, congnac cherry, saddle cherry and smoke cherry wood stain. The platform bed can also be customized with an upholstered headboard in your choice of 5 different microsuedes and 3 leathers.

Storage Bed

Copeland also offers a Monterey platform storage bed which features four 8″ deep, under-bed storage drawers that provide plenty of stylish storage– now essential for small apartments. Nightstands are designed to allow easy access to the storage drawers– it’s great furniture for small spaces.

Craftsmanship and Construction Details

Learn more about the craftsmanship involved in building the Monterey bedroom collection in our construction details section.

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Front Door Feng Shui: What is Your Door Saying?

August 18, 2013October 20, 2017 Kelsey Eaton

Last updated on October 20th, 2017 at 05:10 pm

Did you know that we recently painted the front doors of Stonehurst? We decided on a color that was bright, unique, and fitting to the beauty of the space. In the spirit of our newest renovation, this blog post explains some common symbolism behind several eclectic front door colors.

What is the symbolism of a red door? — *Red… bold, fierce!*

1. Red: In Feng Shui, a red door means “welcome!” It’s full of powerful, warm energy. According to folklore, if a weary traveler stumbled upon a home with a red door, they would stop there and surely be welcomed with a good meal and a good nights sleep. A red door is great for people who have lots of guests visiting their home, and who aren’t afraid to make a statement.

What does a blue front door symbolize? — *Blue…intention, creation, prosperity!*

2. Blue: As you can imagine, the color blue inspires a feeling of calm and peace to those who see it, and beyond that, a blue door welcomes abundance, growth, and prosperity! Feng Shui suggests that when you walk through a blue door, you can more easily concentrate, focus on personal endeavors, and practice creativity!

What does a yellow door symbolize? — *Yellow… clarity, intellect, happiness!*

3. Yellow: Yellow can cheer you up, fill you with hope, and give you enhanced mental clarity. It also has a warm, nurturing tone. Use a yellow door if you want your home to always be a happy retreat from the outside world.

what does a green door say about you? — *Green… Natural, Balanced, Transformative.*

4. Green: Green is representative of earth, and brings in a feeling of the natural world. Green is associated with growth, balance, and total harmony. Use a green door if you always want to feel a little closer to mother earth!

What does a purple door symbolize? — *Purple… relaxed, spiritual, inquisitive.*

5. Purple: Purple is actually one of the most popular front door colors, surprisingly! Purple or violet hued doors are commonly associated with spiritual energy, and relaxed, meditative spaces. Sometimes purple doors are used in religious spaces like temples and churches! Purple would be an ideal color for you if you use your home as a low-energy place for quiet, spiritual contemplation, and meditation.

What does a white door mean in feng shui? — *White…new, clean, fresh!*

6. White: As you can probably imagine, a white door symbolizes purity, tradition, & freshness. It’s a color that represents things that are untouched and clean! Painting your door white is a good idea if you are someone who loves traditional style, or someone who wants to keep your home looking pristine. Some people say that if you are looking for a fresh start, or if you have just started a new phase in your life whether it be a marriage, a new baby, or a new job– to paint your door white to “start over” and reflect your new life!

Want to know which one of these colors we decided on for the front doors of Stonehurst? Keep your eye out for a new blog, coming early next week! 🙂

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Stonehurst Before and After: Kitchen to Sunroom Makeover

July 28, 2013March 13, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on March 13th, 2019 at 05:20 pm

Vermont Furniture Showroom | Before the Renovation — The country kitchen at Stonehurst, as it was for many years. Traditional pine cupboards and appliances were perfect when Stonehurst served as a farmhouse, boarding house, four seasons resort, ski area and private residence.

We’re trucking right along in our quest to transform Stonehurst from a private residence to a fine furniture and art gallery that showcases Vermont made sustainable home decor products. There are a whole host of finishing touches still in progress but I thought I’d share some before and after pictures of spaces where the renovation is pretty well complete. First up: the kitchen, my personal favorite part of the transformation. The “before” kitchen was functional but the layout didn’t provide much opportunity for windows to overlook the spectacular view out back.

Vermont Furniture Showroom | Stonehurst Before and After — Now Stonehurst is a fine furniture and art gallery, showcasing Vermont made sustainable home decor products, so no kitchen is needed. We replaced the cabinets and appliances with windows and an open atrium to take advantage of the view.

Since the kitchen is the entry into the building, we wanted to treat our customers to a cheerful space where they could relax and unwind after a long trip up from the city (customers usually travel from Boston, New York, Washington DC and beyond). The wall of windows we installed puts Vermont’s green mountains and meadows front and center when customers step inside. It’s pretty clear: you’re in Vermont now. Time to slow down and enjoy nature at it’s finest.

Where Does Wood furniture Come From?

With sustainable forestry being at the heart of our mission at Vermont Woods Studios, one of the main things we’re trying to do with Stonehurst is raise awareness about where your furniture comes from. So the view of Vermont’s Green Mountain Forest often opens up a conversation about legally, sustainably harvested wood. Loryn is working on an educational display which will be installed on the sunroom wall to tell the story of how our furniture gets from sustainably-managed forests to your home.

Kudos to Our Design and Construction Team

I can’t start showing before and after photos without recognizing and thanking our architect, Jeremy Coleman of Brattleboro, VT and builder, Bob Furlone of American Construction. They have done a tremendous job, especially in facing all the realities involved in transforming and modernizing a 200+ year old farmhouse. They’ve also been really knowledgeable in helping us select all Vermont made materials whenever possible. The wall of windows shown above was custom made by Green Mountain Window in Rutland VT and the slate floor was mined locally by Vermont Slate Company.

Let me know what you think of the transformation in the comments section below or on Facebook. Over the next couple weeks, I’ll post before and after photos of the:

barn–now a dining room showroom
boarding house– now a bedroom showroom
kids bedroom– now a kitchenette for our staff
several bedrooms– now administrative offices”
exterior paint color– from red to white, and
the parlor– which is still a parlor

I hope you’ll be as excited about this new Vermont fine furniture and art gallery as we are. Come and visit us to see it all up close and personal! Be sure to bring a bottle of wine and a picnic lunch so you can sit out back and enjoy the view.

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Furniture Fashion – Legs of Steel

October 14, 2012May 6, 2019 Dennis Shanoff

Last updated on May 6th, 2019 at 10:20 am

Wood and Metal Tables

Vermont furniture ancestry traces back over 200 years. Beautifully simple and functional designs in pure, natural hardwood is the Vermont signature style today. Could it be something very different is in the works? Within the past few months we have seen a new trend with tables large and small that is quite popular in the major metro areas. It’s a blend of live edge or reclaimed woods with sturdy raw or finished metal underpinnings, metal industrial in look. For decades metal furniture was commonly paired with glass tops and the ornate metal work was the style focal point. However, in traditional and even most contemporary Vermont furniture metal is typically reserved for simply the hardware components.

What’s the inspiration behind the pieces? It is driven by a love or appreciation of real wood in it’s minimally altered state. Others want a connection to the past when reclaimed wood is the chosen top. The choice of metal legs is one of pure function and minimal distraction allowing the unique wood top to float in your space. The style certainly makes a handmade statement.

Is there a name for this style yet? Not sure anyone has claimed one yet but my associate Heather likes to call it industrial meets rural. I have been calling it wood-n-metal. At first I wasn’t seeing it for me, but the more I look at this pairing the more it grows on me. I now can see where pinning wood legs underneath may distract from the beauty of the carefully chosen wood top which, rightfully, should get the most attention.

We’ve recently added this new (indus-tree-al) style to our online gallery with three coffee tables. Our versions include a reclaimed, live edge, and a hardwood plank top. Each of these unique wood tops are supported by a powder coated steel base.

Look for more Furniture Fashion posts in the future!

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Trend Alert: What is Green Interior Design?

October 9, 2012September 29, 2022 Loryn Dion Leave a comment

Last updated on September 29th, 2022 at 08:44 pm

What is Sustainable Interior Design
Interior design is not a new concept. For decades, people have been making a living by creating works of art with furniture and accessories as their palette and empty rooms as their canvas. It is probably not a surprise that fashioning the perfect design for the inside of your home is crucial to how you feel and react in your environment. Interior design is all about aesthetics. It’s about taking items that are visually appealing and combining them with your personality to create something unique and personal to you.

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Stonehurst Fine Furniture Showroom: Repurposing Our Trees

October 4, 2012December 3, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on December 3rd, 2018 at 02:15 pm

Custom milling by Vince Johnson in Vernon VT — Vince Johnson of Johnson Custom Milling in Vernon, VT is milling trees at Stonehurst that had to be taken down for safety reasons. Now we can use them for future phases of construction at our new Vermont Woods Studios fine furniture showroom.

Since forest conservation is a big part of my mission at Vermont Woods Studios, it’s been a little heart-breaking for me to see some of the 100 year old trees at Stonehurst being taken down. There were a handful that were leaning over the house and garage and Ken insisted that they were a hazard and had to go.

But lucky for me, Vince Johnson of Johnson Custom Milling in Vernon, VT came to the rescue. Vince is milling the trees so we can use them for future phases of construction at Stonehurst, our fine furniture showroom. Here’s a video of his portable sawmill in operation.

Ken and Jeremy Coleman of J Coleman & Company Architects are looking into building a solar kiln to dry the wood so we can use it as soon as possible.

And Dennis has plans to siphon off some of the wood to build bluebird houses, owl boxes and such. It’s turning out to be a fun project after all. Let us know on our Facebook if you have any thoughts or advice for us as we go down this road of renovation at Stonehurst, our future fine furniture showroom. We’ll be posting photos of the transformation and announcing details of our open house as we get closer to completion.

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Mission, Arts & Crafts and Stickley Style Furniture

November 26, 2011September 27, 2022 Peggy Farabaugh 2 Comments

Last updated on September 27th, 2022 at 09:53 am

stickley style furniture

Vermont Craftsmen Bring the Art of Mission and Stickley Style Furniture to the Green Mountain State.

Today we say thanks to Chad, one of our favorite Vermont fine furniture makers. He was kind enough to join us on Tuesday when ABC World News came to town. Chad and his quintessential Vermont workshop (located in an historic, old red barn) were featured in a film segment for the Made in America Shopping Challenge. I can’t wait to see that part of the video because Chad speaks about his craft so beautifully and powerfully– straight from the heart.

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Rebuilding the Economy on a Green Foundation

November 15, 2008October 27, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment

Last updated on October 27th, 2019 at 10:24 am

As we start picking up the pieces of our broken economy and trying to sort through them, what kinds of changes will we make to avoid another meltdown? We’ve unwittingly become such ravenous consumers, that we’ve gotten accustomed to forsaking quality in our purchases for instant gratification at the expense of frequent disposal and replacement.

We hear people say things like, “I like to freshen up my home and replace my furniture every few years to stay up with the trends.” In the furniture business, we call those disposable purchases curbside furniture.

If you’re lucky enough to have antiques and heirlooms that have been handed down to you through the generations, I’ll bet that even after 50-100 or more years, you’ll find the quality of those items to be superior to that of today’s equivalent.

Rebuilding the economy on a green foundation is going to involve a cultural shift away from cheap, imported, transitory goods in favor of high-quality, long-lasting, timeless items that are crafted from sustainable resources and sold near the source with a minimum of transportation and fuel costs. Green American furniture companies are leading the way toward this kind of a paradigm shift. We have the sustainable resources, the talent, the facilities and the will to make it happen. Visit the Sustainable Furniture Council to learn more.

Vermont Woods Studios.

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Peggy Farabaugh	Kelsey Eaton	Riley Farabaugh
Megan Fulton	Marina McCoy	Alexandra Thompson
Dennis Shanoff	Katrina Moore	Loryn Dion
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