Beth Rice is a content writer for DutchCrafters Amish Furniture. She is the primary author of Timber to Table blog posts and has spent the last several years researching and providing knowledge on wood types, furniture styles, and design trends. As a busy mother of two, Beth understands the value of furniture in helping create a welcoming home for family and friends, and often writes on the ways our furniture can help support that. Beth is a published author with a gift for identifying the special moments in everyday life. Most recently, she had a short story included in Chicken Soup for the Soul's "My Amazing Mom" edition. Since 2012, the DutchCrafters Timber to Table blog has been providing customers and other readers with furniture and interior design tips, information about the Amish, and woodworkers’ stories.
With the holidays once again upon us, it’s time to think about visiting relatives, dinner menus, gift shopping and yes, table centerpiece ideas. Setting the table and displaying the centerpiece have become as important as the food itself when it comes to entertaining and dining during the holidays. We’ve selected three easy DIY centerpiece ideas to share with you as we approach Thanksgiving. And we’ve chosen three stunning Amish dining tables to display them on.… 3 Centerpiece Ideas, 3 Amish Tables and a Little Centerpiece History
Life is a constant learning experience. I know as I journey through, I’ve found myself collecting life lessons that I learn from my husband, my children, my elders, my mistakes, my triumphs and my failures. I’ve learned that running through a drive-through for a quick meal most likely means I will eat in a hurry, and that might make my stomach hurt. I’ve learned that the excitement about a cheap price for a dress is… The Origins of the Slow Furniture Movement
Amish made furniture takes into account all the details that make solid wood furniture not only beautiful, but more functional and fitting for the family that’s using it. One of those details that’s not often discussed are table edges, also called table profiles. Thoughts On the Table Edge Think about a table edge for a moment. It can be your dining table, end table, or even the edge of a counter or desk. Hands are… 3 Things to Know About Table Edges
What is a dovetailed bed slat and what makes it better than other bed slats? Why use a full extension drawer slide in your bedroom dresser? What are the benefits of a Murphy bed? It’s time for a look at some Amish Bedroom Furniture Terms, 10 to be exact, and identify what they are, what they mean, what they do and the benefits they provide. Clue: I’m three beds in one and I start in… 10 Amish Bedroom Furniture Terms and What They Mean
“My middle name is Speed,” the Hare boasts in Disney’s 1934 version of The Tortoise and the Hare. The Hare tears through the race and kicks up lots of dust, but in the end he cannot compare to the slow and steady efforts of the Tortoise. The moral lesson of the Tortoise and the Hare? You can be more successful by doing things slowly and steadily than by acting quickly and carelessly. Amish furniture is… Welcome to the Slow Furniture Movement
Five-star ratings. Exquisite fabrics. Quality soft furnishings. It’s no secret we have a big thing for quality craftsmanship and taking time to make a long-lasting product. So does Patricia Marquis. If you haven’t visited Southern Shades on Etsy, we recommend you take a look. Southern Shades is home to handcrafted pillows, window treatments, and assorted soft furnishings. Started in 2013, this company and its beautiful products are featured on Etsy. Our paths crossed with the… Customer Spotlight: It’s All About Custom with Patricia Marquis
Our glider chair didn’t exactly outgrow a nursery. In essence, it got kicked out of my daughter’s room. Yes, when I was expecting my first child, my mother-in-law treated us to a convertible crib and a dresser with a changing table. My husband and I added the glider chair, and it was wonderful. It was the go-to spot in the middle of the night for feeding and then rocking our daughter back to sleep. (The… 6 Ways to Use a Glider Chair After it Outgrows the Nursery
A cozy, custom made, colorful, comfortable Amish made bed. Some Amish made breakfast foods. Put them together and what have you got? Exactly. Heaven on earth! Welcome to Breakfast in Bed with Amish Breakfast Recipes that include Mennonite Johnny cake, an Amish breakfast casserole, a refreshing parfait from the Amish Cook and a sleigh bed, panel bed, and storage bed. What do we do with all this breakfast and all these beds? We test them… Breakfast in Bed with Amish Breakfast Recipes
Love relaxing outside? Entertaining outside? Being outside with your plants? A pergola might be just the thing for you. While the word pergola might sound like the name of a shape from a geometry lesson, it is actually from the Late Latin “pergula” that means “projecting eave.” What is a Pergola? A pergola is an outdoor structure that consists of four sturdy columns that support a roofing grid of beams and rafters that create an… 5 Reasons to Pick a Pergola
Customized furniture is a step above the rest. Why? Because it lets you find a piece of furniture in a style you like. Then it lets you select options for it to fit your décor and needs just right. Custom furniture is a step above customized furniture and sits at the top above all the rest. Why? Because it gives you the opportunity to contribute to a design and help create something that fits your… Custom Furniture: What Does that Mean?
Pine furniture. What is it about pine that differs from the big players in Amish furniture like cherry, maple and oak wood? Why does it cost less? Even at a lower cost, are you getting your money’s worth for furniture made with pine wood? Will pine furniture last? Is it versatile? The direct answer: Yes, pine wood does make good furniture. Pine is durable, there’s room to get creative with it, and its versatile nature… Does Pine Wood Really Make Good Furniture?
My parents adopted my sister and me when they were in their mid-forties, and my grandfather O’Connor was the only grandparent I really remember from my childhood. My grandfather died when I was 8. My fondest memory of my Grandpa was this: catching sight of him walking on my way home from school on the days he came over for lunch. I walked to and from school every day. It seemed like it was 20… Ways to Celebrate Grandparents Day
What kind of study space works best for you? What spot do you like to settle in to read, concentrate, or get some work done? I think a place conducive to studying or working differs by personality. While some need their study space to have complete quiet in order to concentrate, there are many who can have the TV on or listen to a podcast while hitting the books or working on a project. It… Creating a Study Space for Great Thinkers
When it’s time to order new Amish furniture for our showroom in Sarasota, Florida, DutchCrafters’ Vice-President Linse Miller is faced with lots of decisions. With access to over 150 Amish woodshops that make gorgeous Amish furniture and thousands of custom options at her fingertips, where does she begin? While chatting with Linse about customizing new dining room chairs for the showroom, three things became clear: her understanding of custom furniture, her desire to supply customers… Fresh from the Woodshop: New Dining Room Chairs at DutchCrafters
What is a finial? What’s a tongue and groove back? What do they contribute to the style and function of solid wood furniture? And what’s the difference between an armoire and a chifforobe? We’re taking a look at some terms we often use in the Amish furniture world but that could use some clarification for those not studying furniture every day. One thing we can guarantee, they’re all important and all have purpose, because the… 10 Amish Furniture Terms and What They Mean
