We’ve decided less is more. With so many options out there, we specialize in 4 natural wood species.
If you frequent our blog or have visited our website, you know then that we talk at length about the characteristics of natural cherry wood. If you’re new, not to worry! I’ll go over it in here so you won’t feel behind. But, what I really wanted to do for you, was breakdown the four natural wood species we work with: cherry, maple, oak and walnut.
What This New Englander Has Learned about Our National Parks and Nature.
Growing up in a small, rural, New Hampshire town, I was born loving the outdoors. Being raised in a log cabin situated in the middle of a forest gives you a unique perspective on nature and wildlife. My sister and I would spend our days climbing huge glacial rock formations behind our house, using the roots of trees growing on the rocks as our rope. We’d pretend we were pioneers in the winter and hike through the snow covered woods. We got tips at a young age on what to do if we crossed paths with a black bear on our walks. And thunderstorms were always a little scary because we worried a tree would fall on our house.
Can you spot all four caterpillars in this photo? These are just some of the little guys we’ve adopted this summer.
From barely noticeable caterpillar to one of nature’s most beautiful creatures.
Monarch Butterflies have long been a popular and famous insect. Their image is used everywhere from GMO free food labels to makeup ads. And, just a couple of months ago President Obama met with the Canadian Prime Minister and Mexican President to discuss how these three countries can save the monarch. With seven states including Vermont calling it their state insect, it’s a wonder how we’ve let the monarch butterfly population reach the endangered zone.
Mark Your Calendars! We’re Bringing Monarch Habitat Expert Jose Luis Alvarez to the North East this Summer! Save The Monarchs Tour Sponsored by Vermont Woods Studios & DJ Agnew.
A few months ago, our Founder and CEO, Peggy Farabaugh, wrote a blog post about how our small Vermont furniture business is connected to a Monarch Butterfly habitat restoration organization in Mexico. Well, today Peggy and I are very excited to announce that the Save The Monarch Tour with Jose Luis Alvarez is happening this August and September.
So you like the way a bed looks but do you know which is right for you?
Gone are the days where everything was simple. Remember when everything was paid for in cash, you could only watch shows when they were on TV and you had to use a map when traveling somewhere new? Now your phone is a mini-computer, you don’t have to actually hold a book to read it and cars have a camera to help you back up so you don’t have to even turn around and look.
Last week I visited Michoacan, Mexico, the winter home to Vermont’s big, beautiful orange and black Monarch butterfly. As a wood furniture company we at Vermont Woods Studios wanted to support a reforestation project that would help protect the endangered butterfly’s habitat. I did quite a bit of research, trying to understand who was leading area environmental efforts and then I traveled to Mexico to see if we could help them.
A close up of our Cherry Moon Home Office Furniture
There’s a popular saying, “You weren’t born to just pay bills and die” and we agree.
When I was 20 and studying in the Netherlands, I took a weekend trip to Trapani, Sicily (those were the days) and instantly fell in love with the cobblestone streets lined with the famous stucco houses that Italy is known for. Every window it seemed had a small balcony often filled with planters full of flowers and herbs. The sky seemed bluer and the Mediterranean Sea greeted us like the North Star. Once we settled into our apartment we were renting, my friends and I went to a local market and bought enough fresh vegetables, pasta, garlic and Peroni for a feast.
Our Modern American Executive Desk in natural Cherry wood
With so much imitation out there, we’re here to help you see what natural cherry wood really looks like
Recently our Founder and CEO, Peggy Farabaugh, wrote about what to expect with natural cherry wood furniture. One of the key pieces of information she shared is that cherry wood furniture’s color matures over time. It will start in a light pink tone and as it’s exposed to light, it will ripen into a rich reddish brown color.
I wanted to create a list featuring a variety of our products in cherry wood to showcase the different stages of maturity you’ll see with real cherry wood. (note: Our natural cherry pieces are not finished with stains or toners to alter its color, just a surface protecting finish is applied. Stains are available on some pieces if a deeper, richer color is desired)
In this picture you see both light pink and golden red coloring amongst the boards, which is not uncommon as the lumber could be coming from two different trees. Over time as the wood darkens though, the pieces should blend into the same classic rich red color.
Our Modern American Dining Table in Natural Cherry Wood
Both of these modern designed pieces are made with real cherry wood and an oil and wax finish was used. As the picture shows, these pieces have a rich, golden-red color to them with the pink undertones still blending into the wood.
Our New England Shaker Bed in Natural Cherry wood.
As seen here, this piece has less of a pink tone to it and more of a red/brown coloring typically seen in cherry wood furniture that has aged over time. It has turned from a light colored wood, to a classic, rich red and golden-brown hued color.
Our Berkeley 3 Drawer Small Chest of Drawers in Natural Cherry Wood
Here you see a nightstand in natural cherry wood with a lacquer finish (walnut pulls) that looks very light in comparison to the rest of the furniture I’ve shown you. But even this piece will darken the more it’s exposed to light.
By now you’re probably noticing that cherry wood furniture really can vary in wood tone even on the same piece of furniture.
Click each picture below to see more examples of our cherry wood furniture.
Natural wood furniture is truly a unique and evolving investment and we hope this two part series on real cherry wood helped clear up any uncertainty you may have had. If you have further questions about cherry wood or any of the products featured, don’t hesitate to call our knowledgeable sales team at (888) 390-5571. If you’re in the area, we’d love to show you around our historic Stonehurst Showroom.
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Google image search results for ‘real cherry wood”. Half of these are NOT cherry wood. Many are illegal rainforest woods, brought to you by organized crime which has taken root in the global timber industry.
Cherry Wood: Will The Real Color Please Stand Up?
We have conversations with customers every day about the color of real cherry wood furniture. It’s no wonder! When I just googled “real cherry wood” well over 50 shades of red, brown and even yellow came up. Quite a variation, isn’t it? Truth be told, half of these images are NOT of cherry wood.
The Brighton Dining Set is shown in real, natural cherry wood. This photo was taken shortly after the set was made so the cherry is still a light color. Over time, it will darken to a rich reddish brown, similar to the color of mahogany.
When the big American furniture companies started off-shoring their furniture in the 1980s they found it cheaper to use rainforest woods than cherry. But consumers love cherry. So they stained rainforest woods and gave them various trade names containing “cherry”. For example Makore, an increasingly rare African wood being illegally logged in Sierra Leone and Gabon has been sold under the trade name Cherry Mahogany (though Makore is not closely related to either cherry or mahogany). Worse yet, it’s listed as an endangered species due to illegal logging and exploitation by organized crime which has taken root in the global timber industry.
Our Vermont Shaker Bedroom set shows how real cherry wood furniture “ripens” to a darker hue after about a month of exposure to moderate levels of sunlight.
Many times customers come to Vermont Woods Studios looking to buy real cherry wood furniture that matches existing cherry pieces in their homes. After discussions and emailing pictures back and forth they are shocked to find that their “cherry” furniture from Bassett, Ethan Allen or other big “American” companies is not cherry at all but rubberwood, poplar or engineered hardwood.
This rocker shows the range of colors for real, natural cherry wood. The chair’s darker than the cherry in the photos above because it’s older and has been exposed to more light. Notice too, that even within the one rocking chair, there are differences in cherry wood color that are created by grain patterns and grain direction.
At Vermont Woods Studios, our cherry furniture is indeed made out of real, solid North American Black Cherry wood. The color starts out as a light pink and slowly ripens to a rich reddish brown over time, as it’s exposed to light. Nina’s photo of the rocker above shows the range of natural cherry colors after the wood’s been exposed to light for a few months.
Are you interested to learn more? Find tons of information and photos of American made, real cherry wood furniture on our website & send us your questions on Facebook or in the comments section below.
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Our popular Copeland Dominion Storage Bed helps me introduce you to our newest collection of storage beds
Showcasing our Newest Collection of Storage Beds
When was the last time you looked under your bed? Does the thought of what might be hiding under it frighten you? Do thoughts of “so that’s where I put that” or “why is that under here” come to mind? If the time has come for you to make better use of the space under your bed then you are in luck. We just added 4 brand new stylish & functional storage beds that offer a perfect solution for organizing the clutter that may be living under your bed.
Before I go into detail about our new storage beds though, I want to tell you a quick story. Around Christmas time I decided to rearrange my bedroom. I brilliantly thought I could move my king size bed without worrying about the contents underneath it. Boy was I wrong.
After pulling out what felt like my entire life’s contents, I realized I was in over my head. I had three long plastic bins, two filled to the brim with clothes while the other was filled with knick-knacks, stacks of newspapers from my student journalism days and tons of books. In-between the bins were stacks of even more books, boxes filled with odds and ends, electronics and wires and a stack of grad school info pamphlets and an LSAT study book I had bought in my post undergrad panic.
Needless to say, under my bed had turned into a catch all place and I needed to do something about it. Does my story resonate with any of you? If not, I envy your organization! If it did though, maybe it is time to consider a storage bed like I did.
Beds with built in under-bed storage are great for holding bed linens, clothing you don’t wear very often or even out-of-season clothing if your home is short on storage space. And, they generally deter people from tossing things under them and inevitably being forgotten about.
We have integrated storage drawers into four of our more popular styles, creating both modern and traditional designs with the added benefit of 4 more drawers of storage space.
Here are four reasons to love our new storage beds:
Form and Function: As shown with our Raised Carriage Queen Storage Bed, our storage beds are functional with added storage space while maintaining a high-end, classic design.
Quality Craftsmanship: Our Andrews Spindle Queen Storage Bed exemplifies true Vermont craftsmanship. You will know when you see your new bed arrive that it was made with extreme attention to detail by local craftspeople who truly care about the quality of your bed.
Ambiance: Nothing ruins the look of a newly renovated bedroom quicker than the sight of plastic bins under the bed. Our Patti Smith Queen Storage Bed eliminates the need for bins or boxes completely. With the added 4 drawers of storage space, this bed flows with the atmosphere of your room and won’t detract from its sophistication.
While I have yet to master my underbed storage plan, that doesn’t mean you can’t! These beds and more are available at our online gallery. So save yourself from shuffling those underbed bins and boxes around and treat yourself to one of our Vermont made solid wood storage beds.
Our Vermont made furniture is available in Cherry, Maple, Oak and Walnut and the wood used is sourced from sustainably harvested forests in the Northeast. If you have any questions about our furniture or mission we’re always available at 888-390-5571. Our Stonehurst Showroom is open seven days a week and we’d love to show you around.
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