When living outside a big city, it can be hard to decide what to do with your outdoor living space. Some people scrap together a seating arrangement and a grill, others lay down a fire pit, and still others consult outdoor furniture specialists. It’s this last group who is probably onto something.
For the better part of a century, Amish made outdoor furniture has been a staple in rural and suburban settings. The reason is simple: the Amish are indoor and outdoor furniture specialists. They make hand-crafted wood furniture, typically out of hickory, oak, cherry, walnut, and maple woods, which mean they last a long time. For example, a shed — for a garden or backyard — should last at least 15 years and, if properly maintained, can last well beyond 20 years. This is perfect because in a survey of those who purchased outdoor furniture, more than 90% of respondents said that they expected the furniture to last more than 15 years.
Amish furniture has a great reputation. Public opinion shows that Amish furniture (although it’s not just limited to furniture – they might make you a shed, gazebo, garage, dog house, kennel, or dozens of other things) is more trusted than something that was outsourced from another part of the world. There’s an inherent expectation of quality due to the lack of corporate process. To explain further, customized Amish furniture can take over a month to build while a “custom” piece from a store is often a quick order online.
The only downside to Amish furniture is that there are times when it’s more expensive than store-brand items. However, this makes perfect sense. As mentioned above, Amish furniture is not going piece-by-piece through an assembly line. It takes longer to make, it lasts longer, and it’s made by hand. The quality you receive outweighs the cost of the product, making it a better long-term investment.
When choosing what items to purchase, that will depend on what you’re looking to do with your space. Thus far we’ve been looking at it from the point-of-view of outdoor furniture specialists, but the consumer outcome is the deciding factor. If you’re on a farm, you could be looking for something as small as a chicken coop or as large as a horse barn. While wooden chairs and tables are certainly common, sheds and garages are just as easily done. Be sure to explore your options, as Amish furniture makers are almost exclusively working based on your needs.
Lastly, for the city-dwellers who don’t have the option of outdoor furniture, Amish furniture isn’t just limited to outdoors. In fact, chairs and tables are possibly the most popular of the bunch. City-folks need somewhere to sit and eat, too, so consider that the next time you go to a department store.
