Whether it’s fashion, new gadgets, slang, or home decorating, trends ebb and flow with steady regularity. New trends emerge and past styles return with labels such as retro and vintage. Many of these resurgences take on a new twist to create a fresh look. Amish Furniture is certainly not exempt from this parade of ideas.
Signs that trends are leaning back to classic Amish furniture
Throughout the last several decades, furniture trends have ranged from the bold and colorful rooms of the ’70s and ’80s to the muted tones and ample embellishments of the ’90s followed by minimalism with its austere lines, neutral colors, and sparse ornamentation or softness.
Classic Amish furniture styles have stood the test of changing trends and remained in use to one degree or another, regardless of the prevailing style of the era. Now they are back in focus as people are reaching for a balance of warmth and simplicity and a stronger connection to the natural world. These are furniture trends that were popular in the early 1900s. Some of those features include an emphasis on the wood’s grain and natural beauty, curved edges, and fawn-colored wood. While consumers are relying on old traditions, they do not remain strictly historically accurate. Traditional pieces take on modern stain colors and then merge into a farmhouse or modern minimalist décor style.
This is great news for Amish furniture makers as three different furniture styles in the Amish-made furniture repertoire fall into the ‘classic Amish furniture’ category: Traditional, Shaker, and Mission. These styles are leading the way in this return to unaffected elegance, and with a little bit of mixing and matching the old look becomes a new one.
Traditional
Traditional furniture is a broad category and includes many subset styles of furniture. Largely speaking, this style covers the styles popular before modern furniture was created. It also includes designs from the Victorian, Edwardian, and Queen Anne eras among others. It brought refinement and character to a home. Additionally, it was sturdy and meant to last a lifetime, becoming a legacy for generations to follow. These designs are subtle reminders of history and people’s past. They whisper that there will be those living after us, and our lives and stories will become what they remember.
Shaker
Shaker-style furniture was first introduced to the world in the mid-1700s by its eponym, the Shaking Quakers, a religious group commonly known as the Shakers. They believed in doing all their work with simplicity, efficiency, and perfection. These values carried over into the furniture that they both designed and built. Maple wood is often used in Shaker furniture. While this is the traditional look, we now use a variety of wood types. Shaker style features pieces with clean, gentle lines and hidden joints which contribute to the overall flawless appearance of the furniture. Builders round or taper the furniture legs outward, beginning smaller at the bottom and gradually widening until they meet the base of the piece. These aspects lend a softening touch to otherwise utilitarian pieces. It’s no surprise this style is increasing in demand. Simplicity is elegant and well done, and Shaker furniture captures this charming quality perfectly.
Mission
Finally, Mission style furniture is another design with roots in simplicity and function, and yet it is easily distinguishable from the other styles that possess similar characteristics. Mission furniture was first labeled as such in the late 1800s during the Arts and Crafts movement. However, it was inspired by the Spanish Missions furniture throughout Northern California several decades prior. In today’s homes, it brings a relief from the harshness of modern and minimalistic furniture while equally avoiding the more elaborate furniture of the ’80s and ’90s. Typically constructed of oak wood and accompanied by leather, copper, and iron hardware, its structure relies on uncomplicated vertical and horizontal lines, ninety-degree corners, panels (often inset), and mostly exposed joints. These techniques help set off the grain of the wood, which is another signature aspect of the Mission style. Sturdy and uncomplicated, Mission furniture brings stability and tranquility to a space.
Why We Love Classic Amish Furniture
Timeless and classic, these three styles of furniture have always held a place in the furniture market, but recent furniture trends have pushed them to the forefront of that market. Incorporating them into modern decorating trends involves more thought than randomly collecting older pieces at yard sales or thrift stores. It’s a carefully curated look that includes mixing traditional styles with modern ones to bring timeless elegance, warm tranquility, and unmatched quality back into our homes. Amish handcrafted furniture represents these values entirely, and this rising trend promises to keep them busy!