American Made Furniture: Top 3 Styles in 2019

December 11, 2013May 28, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on May 28th, 2019 at 07:59 pm

2013, our first year at Stonehurst gave us another reason to study and analyze what our customers’ favorite American made furniture styles are. With limited space in our showroom, we wanted to display the very best selection of Vermont furniture, as defined by customer purchases. After looking through the sales statistics, we found these Top 3 American Furniture styles, which we’ll be featuring often at Stonehurst:

Shaker Style Furniture

This Vermont Shaker bed, nightstand and chest are pretty accurate reproductions of the original Shaker style furniture crafted by communities of the United Society of Believers starting in the late 1700’s. Born here in the Northeast, this American furniture style is a simple, utilitarian design characterized by straight tapered legs and mushroom-shaped wooden knobs. Vermont furniture makers have become today’s authority on Shaker furniture and customers seeking a simple elegant, solid wood design have grown to love their work. It’s our top seller and customers are customizing it in their choice of cherry, walnut, maple and oak woods (preference is in that order). Sometimes customers will choose two contrasting wood colors like cherry and walnut or maple and walnut to trick it out– if there is such a thing for “Shaker furniture”.

Craftsman Style Furniture

This Contemporary Craftsman Bedroom Furniture collection is a modern rendition of the American craftsman and “arts and crafts” furniture that became popular in the late 19th century and remained prevalent through the 1930s. It’s handmade of real solid cherry wood with contrasting drawer pulls in solid walnut wood and reflects the true craftsmanship of this period. The finish on this collection is a traditional hand-rubbed oil and wax. If you like this contemporary craftsman style furniture, learn more about the details and craftsmanship here.

Mission Style Furniture

This mission sofa table and mission dining chair have the rectilinear design and heavy proportion characteristic of Mission style furniture which became popular in the late 19 century. At Vermont Woods Studios we have a traditional American Mission Furniture collection and a Modern Mission Furniture collection, both constructed of real solid woods in your choice of traditional oak or cherry, walnut or maple woods.

Stop by our new fine furniture showroom at Stonehurst anytime to see what we’ve got on hand in our customers’ favorite furniture styles: Shaker, Craftsman and Mission furniture.

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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.

The Ultimate Cherry Storage Bed

December 1, 2013December 3, 2013 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on December 3rd, 2013 at 03:46 pm

The biggest, best cherry storage bed you'll ever find — This beautiful cherry storage bed* is a customized version of our Modern Incline Bed and our Cherry Moon Dressers. It’s handcrafted in a small workshop in Montpelier, VT using solid cherry wood with black walnut accents, all coated with a hand-rubbed, natural linseed oil finish. Stop by our new fine furniture showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst to see it!

Customized Furniture

The large Cherry Moon Storage Bed you’re looking at is a one-of-a-kind custom creation*. As with much of our furniture, this bed is a customized version of other pieces. In this case our Modern Incline Bed has been combined with our 8 Drawer Cherry Moon Dresser. The resulting storage bed was handcrafted in a small workshop just north of here in Montpelier, VT. Robin and his craftspeople used all solid cherry wood with black walnut accents, and coated it with a hand-rubbed, natural linseed oil finish. The bed headboard has a nice, gentle incline which makes reading or watching TV in bed super comfy.

Storage Solutions for Small Spaces

Large storage beds have become popular with our Manhattan, Boston and Washington DC based clientele. They are a real space saver in urban apartments and townhomes. Worried about getting it up the elevator? No problem! Free shipping and white glove delivery is included in the price. And of course, Robin built this storage bed so it’s easily disassembled and reassembled when moving is necessary.

Merry Christmas, Here’s Your New Bed!

I think this is the Ultimate Cherry Storage Bed– it has 8 large drawers for storage! And unlike most of our furniture that is made to order, this bed is currently in our showroom and ready to be shipped to your home immediately. I daresay if you’re in New England, you could be sleeping on it for Christmas. You’d better hurry though because there’s only one of these babies and it’s on sale for 30% off. Here’s an idea: if you want it and think you might get in trouble for indulging, you could do what Ken always does to me… give it to your partner as a gift, right? Something to think about…

* Post Script – Sorry This Custom Storage Bed Did Indeed Sell Today

But we could make another one just like it, if you’re willing to wait for the customization. Give us a call to get things started!

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Susan Osgood: Brattleboro Artist’s Egyptian Show

November 21, 2013November 21, 2013 Peggy Farabaugh

EGYPT IN THE ART OF SUSAN OSGOOD — Brattleboro based artist Susan Osgood prepares for gallery opening at the University of Porto’s exhibition gallery in Porto, Portugal along with fellow artist Eberhard Dziobek. You can also see a nice selection of Susan’s original artwork at Stonehurst, Vermont’s newest Fine Furniture and Art Gallery.

Tomb KV 63, is the first Egyptian tomb to be discovered in Luxor, since King Tut’s tomb in 1922. A major event in history and it was recorded by Brattlboro’s own, artist Susan Osgood. We’ve highlighted Susan’s work before but now we wanted to let you know that she’s currently being celebrated at the University of Porto’s exhibition galleries, in Porto, Portugal through December 20, 2013. Here’s your excuse for a holiday trip to Europe!

Susan Osgood | Brattleboro Vermont Artist | Egyptian Art | KV 63 — *It’s exciting to see Susan’s name on the marquis at the University of Porto’s exhibition gallery in Porto, Portugal. Her exhibition runs from now until Dec 20.*

First jump on over to Susan’s new Facebook page to see behind the scenes details of the exhibition. Susan has been working in Luxor at the KV 63 tomb site on and off for several years, drawing the coffins “under remains of workmen’s huts, down a 20-foot shaft, in a rock cut chamber along with two gilded coffinettes and 28 large sealed ceramic storage jars”. Her drawing process begins at the temple wall, penciling over hieroglyphs and figures on a large black and white photograph of the scene. Often the work is completed in Vermont at Susan’s Brattleboro studio which, fortunately for us, is quite close to our fine furniture and art gallery in Vernon, VT. So if you can’t make the trip to Portugal, come see Susan Osgood’s original artwork at Stonehurst! It’s a great opportunity to see (and purchase) world class art in your own backyard.

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Stonehurst: So How Did the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Go?

November 19, 2013August 14, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on August 14th, 2018 at 12:18 pm

Stonehurst | Fine Furniture and Art Gallery | Vernon VT | Ribbon Cutting — These are the hard-working people who made Stonehurst possible. From left: Loryn Dion, Michelle Rooks, Neville Kerr, me with the scissors, *Dennis Shanoff,* Ken Farabaugh, Sean Henry and Douglas Fletcher (Liz Francese, Martin Corbin and Kelsey Eaton were also instrumental but were unable to make the ceremony). Our thanks also go out to the Vermont Working Lands Initiative for a grant that helped make Stonehurst renovations possible.

Sorry, I know I’m remiss. It’s been over a week since we officially opened our Stonehurst Fine Furniture Showroom and Art Gallery and you all have been very forgiving about my lapse in coming forward with a record of the event. Well, finally I’ve recruited Kelsey to help me round up some photos to happily share with you here. The ribbon cutting ceremony was by all accounts a success. Granted we never did persuade the governor to attend (I guess he does have other pressing matters) but we did have several VIPs (in our opinion) stop by including family, friends, neighbors, customers, furniture makers, artisans and other well wishers. Nina Markiw was kind enough to capture much of the activity in the images below so I’ll let them speak for themselves.

We want to thank everyone who participated, especially the good people at the Vermont Working Lands Initiative and our staff who worked so hard to pull the event off. It was not an easy feat but everything seemed to run like clockwork– even the early November weather. Let’s hope it’s a sign for the future of Stonehurst. Thanks Everyone!

Brattleboro artist Janet Picard with her painting

Carol, Neville and someone waiting patiently for a treat #2

Noelle Sevoian, representing the Vermont Working Lands Initiative

Tim Burke and Brian Ball of Lyndon Furniture, Mike Rainville of Maple Landmark Toys and Dennis Shanoff of VWS

Dan Mosheim of Dorset Custom Furniture with his reclaimed barnwood and steel occasional tables

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Highlighting the Moduluxe Bedroom Collection

November 10, 2013May 28, 2019 Kelsey Eaton

Last updated on May 28th, 2019 at 07:22 pm

Creatively Configurate with the Moduluxe Bedroom Collection – As seen in Dwell Magazine!

Your bedroom is far more than just a place where you sleep at night. It’s is a sanctuary where you often spend your most personal and reflective time, and it may even be a place where you are at your most productive. As such, the design of the furniture in your bedroom should be conducive to meeting your every need. In other words, it should be versatile.

The Moduluxe Bedroom Collection by Copeland Furniture is the definition of versatile, with the capability to be arranged as individual pieces that can stand alone, as one modular sectional for a semi-built configuration, or any version in between. Choose from platform bed or a high storage bed options for a roomier living environment, as well as cases and media units in a wide variety of configurations. There is even a desk option for those who enjoy working in the bedroom, or feel free to turn the desk into a vanity by adding a mirror above. Key to the Moduluxe Bedroom Collection are the numerous inconspicuous storage options, which make it ideal for rooms where storage space is at a premium.

The Moduluxe Bedroom Collection is crafted in solid maple, cherry or American black walnut hardwood and made-to-order in fifteen finishes with a variety of knob or pull options. The degree of attention paid to the space, style and function of the Moduluxe Bedroom Collection should comes as little surprise to those who are familiar with Copeland Furniture. Since the 1970’s, Copeland Furniture has been making furniture of classic proportion and modern simplicity from natural hardwoods. Copeland Furniture takes great pride in the quality of the environment and natural surrounding beauty, and uses sustainably harvested hardwoods from the American Northern Forest. The Moduluxe Bedroom Collection is yet another creative extension of the company’s commitment to good design, quality and value, as well as a strong desire to stay loyal to the New England tradition of quality craftsmanship.

For those who are seeking a bedroom collection that offers both unparalleled versatility and sensational style, the Moduluxe Bedroom Collection by Copeland Furniture will allow you to realize your vision.

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Custom Drawer Pulls by Donlin Foreman

November 6, 2013August 25, 2022 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on August 25th, 2022 at 11:25 am

Custom drawer and door pulls by Donlin Foreman — After an illustrious career in dance, Donlin Foreman is developing a business making handcrafted custom drawer pulls of unique combinations of leather, brass, bronze and iron suitable for doors, cabinets, and furniture. You can find a selection of his work at Hanna Grimes Market Place in Keene.

Last week I wrote about customizing your furniture by using unique drawer pulls. We have many different style (Shaker, Modern, Mission, Traditional, Wood and Metal) custom drawer pulls to choose from at Stonehurst (our new fine furniture and art gallery). But often customers want something very special and unique so we work with a variety of local artisans to serve as connectors when the need arises.

Coincidentally we had a visit yesterday from Donlin Foreman, owner of Horse Hill Handles a small business that makes custom leather, brass, bronze and iron drawer and door pulls. You may know Donlin as a professional dancer and co-founder of On Common Ground Dance Performance and Educational Products. He’s a “20-year veteran of the Martha Graham Dance Company and has performed with Eliot Feld Company, Jacques d’Amboise National Dance Institute, and La Scala Ballet. He has staged works for NJ Ballet, Ice Theatre of NY, La Scala Ballet, and North Carolina Dance Theatre. As co-founder/director/choreographer of Buglisi/Foreman Dance, Donlin choreographed 25 ballets and presented six seasons in NYC at the Joyce Theater, two seasons at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the America Dancing series/Kennedy Center, the Melbourne International Festival and other international venues.

Donlin performed at the White House for President Reagan and holds numerous honors, with critical and professional acclaim. He served as Professor of Professional Practice in the Dance Department of Barnard College, Columbia University, has published a book of poetic writing, contributed to the Martha Graham issue of Choreography and Dance, Dance Teacher and Dance Spirit magazines; and for two years chaired the Dance Panel of the New York State Council on the Arts. Donlin now lives in Harrisville with his wife Jenny and their two young sons. He is on the staff at the New England Center for Circus Arts.”

After an illustrious career in dance, Donlin is developing a business making handcrafted custom drawer pulls of unique combinations of leather, brass, bronze and iron suitable for doors, cabinets, and furniture. You can find a selection of his work at Hanna Grimes Market Place in Keene.

We wish you all the best of luck with your new venture, Donlin!

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Cherry Furniture: The Ultimate Buyers Guide

November 4, 2013August 14, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on August 14th, 2018 at 03:36 pm

Cherry Furniture | Handmade in Vermont | Real Solid Hardwood — *Dennis and Nina took this picture at Stonehurst, our new fine furniture showroom. It’s our Vermont Shaker Moon bed, dresser and nightstands*, handmade in Montpelier of natural cherry wood.

Cherry furniture is enjoying the top spot on our customer’s list of favorite wood species again this year. It’s been the trend for several years and no doubt 2014 will be another banner year for cherry wood. Most Vermont woodworkers are set up to offer customers a choice of at least the Top 4 American Hardwoods used in fine furniture making, that is: cherry, maple, walnut and oak. But cherry has always been the favorite as far back as I can remember.

In responding to customer preferences as well as the availability of high quality, sustainably harvested cherry wood, Vermont furniture makers have become America’s authority on fine cherry furniture. We work right alongside them at Vermont Woods Studios and have been sharing their knowledge on our website, in our blog and in a variety of articles. As we head into the furniture buying season, I thought I’d compile some of these resources and publish them as The Ultimate Buyers Guide for Cherry Furniture.

Check it out and let us know on Facebook, if you have additional questions we can add to the Guide.

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Extreme Furniture Showroom Makeover PT 1

October 30, 2013March 18, 2019 Kelsey Eaton

Last updated on March 18th, 2019 at 09:34 am

Now that summer is over and the initial excitement of moving to our new space is winding down, I thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on the progress we have made, and the extreme transformations that have occurred at Stonehurst in the last year!

Stonehurst has been fully transformed from an old farmhouse, to a one of a kind Vermont made furniture and decor showroom–making the perfect place to showcase the true beauty of wood both inside and outside of the showroom.

The photos you will see below document our journey at Stonehurst, with photos from before any renovation, during the construction process, and what it looks like now! I don’t want to say its the “final” look, because we are always transforming the decor and look of the space to highlight the particular furniture and art we are showcasing!

You’ll just have to come see it for yourself!

beforeafter_apartment — *On the left you’ll see the old apartment before renovations & on the right is during the construction process!*

*Above is the old apartment after the renovation. The space has been transformed into a part of the main gallery of our beautiful fine furniture showroom.*

kitchen_beforeafter — This was the farm house’s kitchen space before renovation (left), on the right you’ll see that we added larger windows so our visitors can experience the magnificent view outside the showroom. Our beautiful handcrafted dining room furniture in addition to the view help create an authentic Vermont Style dining room experience.

Now, this space is a wonderful place to display our fine furniture–the view outside the windows is breathtaking & is a testament to Vermont’s beauty. Through all seasons, the acres of woodland that surround Stonehurst is a sight to be seen!

Like what you see? Keep checking back for part 2 and 3 of our renovation reveal and tell us what you think on Facebook!

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Micah Ranquist’s Hand-Turned Wooden Pens

October 26, 2013May 4, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on May 4th, 2018 at 03:16 pm

Last week we welcomed Vermont woodworker, Micah Ranquist into our clan of local artisans at Stonehurst. Micah is a wood turner who crafts unique wooden pens, bowls and wine stoppers using a lathe. He works out of a small shop in Brattleboro, Vermont using local and exotic woods to create one-of-a-kind works of art.

Micah has been visually impaired since early in his life. He began slowly losing his vision at age 3 and has little vision left, but he hasn’t let that stop him from doing things he loves. He has taught himself to play several instruments including guitar, keyboard and bag pipes. When not turning wood, Micah can often be found making music or taking care of his 2 young children.

Micah Ranquist | Handmade Wooden Pens | Vermont Woods Studios — Micah works with cherry burl, cypress and many other species to create these unique handmade wooden pens. “I grew up in Florida and in Maine, thereby I like using materials that reflect both places”.

Often called a Renaissance man, Micah explains his gift for woodworking as: “I simply enjoy doing things with my hands, and things that have a great amount of history in our world”. Stop by and see Micah’s pens at Stonehurt, Vermont’s newest artisan gallery located in Vernon, VT.

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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: Come Celebrate Stonehurst!

October 24, 2013August 14, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on August 14th, 2018 at 12:18 pm

Consider this your official invitation to the Stonehurst Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

On Saturday November 9, 2013 we’ll be celebrating the opening of Vermont’s newest fine furniture showroom and art gallery. We’d love to see you there! At Vermont Woods Studios, we’ve been working for the last 2 years on acquiring Stonehurst (a 220 year old farmhouse perched on “Pine Top”, a former ski area) and renovating it into a destination shopping experience worthy of showcasing Vermont made furniture. Now our work is done and we want to share it with you.

Linking Vermont’s Wood Furniture to Sustainable Forestry

Our mission at Stonehurst is to use the beauty of Vermont’s handmade wood furniture to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable forestry. The Green Mountain State is a leader in educating the public on how sustainable furniture makes the journey from healthy forests to your living room. Vermont’s furniture makers partner with local land owners, loggers, sawyers, professional foresters, lumber mills and distributors to create eco friendly, wood furniture that homeowners can feel good about.

Like our state’s annual Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival in Woodstock, the Stonehurst fine furniture gallery is designed to help customers experience each link in the “Forest to Furniture” chain. It’s a place to combine your shopping with a hike through our 110 acres of sustainably managed forest. Or enjoy a relaxing glass of wine while taking in panoramic views of the Green Mountains. Your experience here just might make you a lifelong advocate for sustainable forestry. We hope so.

Vermont’s Working Lands Initiative

Today we send our heartfelt thanks out to Vermont taxpayers and everyone behind the Vermont Working Lands Initiative, as their contribution of a $100,000 competitively awarded grant made it possible for us to complete Stonehurst 2 years ahead of schedule. Learn more about the VT Working Lands Partnership here.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Details

Date and Time

Saturday, November 9 2013. Open house from 1pm-5pm. Ceremony at 2pm.

Location

Stonehurst, Vermont Woods Studios, 538 Huckle Hill Road, Vernon, Vermont 05354. Here’s a map.

Invited VIPs

Completion of Stonehurst is a significant milestone for both furniture and sustainable forestry industries in Vermont. This is a chance for us to thank the VIPs who put their trust in us through the VT Working Lands grant program. We have invited a number of them, including:

Governor Peter Shumlin
US Senator Patrick Leahy
US Senator Bernie Sanders
US Representative Peter Welch
VT Working Lands Enterprise Boards and Administration
VT Commissioner of Forests, Parks & Recreation Mike Snyder
VT Secretary of Agriculture, Food, and Markets Chuck Ross
Secretary of Commerce Lawrence Miller
VT Representative Michael Hebert
The Vernon Select Board

Please RSVP

It’s not absolutely necessary but it would help us out if you could RSVP on Facebook.

Parking is Limited

We have limited parking at Stonehurst but the Vernon Recreation Center is just a mile down the street at the intersection of Pond Road and Huckle Hill Road. If Stonehurst parking is full, we ask attendees to gather at the Rec Center and carpool to Stonehurst.

Also Happening in Southern Vermont…

Need something else to make us worth the trip? Immediately after our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, the Brattleboro Retreat will be presenting the 2013 Anna Marsh Award to Governor Peter Shumlin at 5:30 pm, a short distance away at The Hermitage in West Dover, Vermont (details online). Windham County Fans of Gov Shumlin, here’s the photo op you’ve been waiting for!

Top 10 Reasons to Attend our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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Peggy Farabaugh	Kelsey Eaton	Riley Farabaugh
Megan Fulton	Marina McCoy	Alexandra Thompson
Dennis Shanoff	Katrina Moore	Loryn Dion
Sasha Weilbaker	Michelle Rooks	Admin