What most people love about Shaker style wood furniture is that it simply feels like home. It's comfortable, subtle, and nostalgic-- bringing you back to a time when things were made slowly and with purpose. A time where furniture was always made with precision, care, and quality. It's unassuming, and while it's presence is always noticeable, it doesn't demand the absolute attention of the room. For these reasons, Shaker Style wood furniture is the perfect furniture for the holiday season.
Shaker Furniture Encourages Buying with Purpose
If Black Friday Sales this year are any indication of the shifting in American values (Black Friday sales across the country plummeted while Small Business Saturday sales grew exponentially), than my belief is correct in that American people are growing tired of the craze surrounding low quality, mass produced items. They want simpler things like quality time with the family, a warm comfortable home, and beautifully crafted items to fill it.
Shaker furniture has a long, rich history of sustainability and tradition. In their prime, Shaker communities were largely self sufficient. They attempted to separate themselves from the busy outside world and create a peaceful haven that focused on growing their own food, constructing their own buildings, and manufacturing their own tools and furnishings. Every thing they did they did slowly, meticulously, and with intention.
Honesty, Utility and Simplicity in Shaker Craftsmanship
Their guiding principles of honesty, utility, and simplicity found expression in their unique craftsmanship, as furniture, boxes, and textiles. Their work is world renowned for it's beautifully minimalist design and unyielding quality. Their work rejected excessive ornamentation and focused on overall form, proportion, and quality.
The Shaker Style wood furniture we carry at Vermont Woods Studios is carefully crafted by expert Vermont woodworkers who pride themselves on creating beautiful, high quality pieces built to last a lifetime. Their craftsmanship is a great reflection of the ever cherished Shaker wood furniture.
We hope that this holiday season, you'll take some time to reflect on your own traditions and values. What kind of items do you want to fill your home with? What are your purchases saying about your values? We can all take a little inspiration from the Shakers, slow down a bit, and connect with what's important this holiday season!
