Solid Wood Furniture

At DutchCrafters we offer solid wood furniture, made by the Amish.

There are several important benefits in solid hardwood furniture:

1.) The beauty of solid wood furniture is undeniable. It looks and feels natural - the individual characteristics of each plank of hardwood bring out the individuality and natural beauty of the furniture.

2.) Solid wood furniture is strong and sturdy. The strength of the wood, combined with the strength in superior construction, beats cheaply made synthetic or veneers hands-down.

3.) Solid wood furniture is an ecologically friendly choice when the lumber is harvested from sustainable managed forests, as it is with nearly all of our Amish furniture at DutchCrafters.

4.) Solid wood furniture can be finished with a wide variety of varnishes, stains, oils or paints. Though there are some variations in wood type, solid wood furniture generally absorbs the finish well and maintains its beauty for years to come.

5.) In the event that solid wood furniture loses some of its finish after years of use, solid wood furniture can be refinished. This means the furniture itself can be maintained and passed along for generations, outlasting the life of the first finish.

6.) Along the same lines, solid wood furniture can be repaired if it is scratched or dented. This is not the case with many wood alternatives.

7.) Because of all these reasons, solid wood furniture retains its economic value far beyond plywood or particleboard furniture. It is a sound investment.

Nearly all of DutchCrafters' Amish made solid hardwood furniture is available in oak or cherry wood. Some furniture is also available in quartersawn oak, hard maple, brown maple, walnut, hickory or birch. Refer to the QuickSpec information at the top of each product page to find out which wood types are available for any piece of furniture.

These descriptions and pictures identify differences between the hardwoods that we offer:

Oak is a naturally light wood with a prominent grain, which makes groves in the wood that you can feel when you slide your finger across them. This grain is evident even with dark stains and usually appears darker than the rest of the wood. Knots may occasionally appear in the wood, which add to its character. Oak has a strong heavy hook and the look isn't deceiving. When finished in a natural stain it will have a pale blonde reddish cast, which overtime will oxidize to a golden honey color. Oak is a great choice for staining and generally is our most inexpensive hardwood.

Quarter Sawn Oak stains very well. Beautiful irregular markings or flakes are a result of logs cut in a special way. Quarter Sawn Oak is known for its amazing strength and firm texture. Quarter Sawn Oak is a top choice for many of our customers who want the look of Oak without the standard grain patterns.

Cherry has less grain and is quite smooth. Cherry is a favorite for good reasons! Cherry has many interesting characteristics. Aging to a rich reddish brown color over time and often peppered with exotic black specs and swirling grain. It has a soft light gold/red tone but can be stained to create many appearances. Cherry has very small knots that are dark in appearance and sometimes create a dip in the wood. (These are normally filled with a professional grade filler to maintain smoothness.) Cherry naturally darkens with age and sometimes features contrasts in color, which is why we recommend that you don't expect to match new cherry furniture to old cherry furniture, and that you buy cherry furniture sets at the same time. This is part of the charm of cherry, and should be expected. We recommend a light to medium stain on cherry wood.

Hard Maple is naturally a light hardwood with very little grain that is quite smooth. Maple mellows to beautiful golden tone overtime. Maple is sometimes flecked with naturally occurring black mineral deposits. Maple is an excellent choice for strong durable furniture. Maple can also be stained to create many appearances. Dark stains may stain unevenly. Brown Maple comes from the same logs as regular maple but is the darker heartwood. Can be a smart choice for darker staining or painting. It can stain unevenly, which can be charming if expected. Brown maple is often an alternative to cherry, since it has a very similar look and is less expensive. It looks so much like cherry that it is often difficult to tell them apart!

Walnut is a dark wood with a medium amount of grain that makes slight groves in the wood. Even with different stains, the appearance of walnut does not change much. Knots may occasionally appear in the wood. Walnut will bring extra elegance to some rooms. If your tastes run more toward the formal, then the rich dark browns of walnut may be a sensible choice. Walnut is something special, but not for everyone.

Hickory is a very hard, heavy and durable wood. By mixing the color tones the finished product is a characteristic piece of natural art. The appearance of natural hickory does vary from a very light appearance to a medium light appearance. Hickory has the heaviest weight of all our wood options, which can become quite noticeable in a large piece of hickory furniture. Birch grain often has a curl which creates an iridescent effect. Birch is a light to medium blond sapwood usually, but not always, contrasted against darker toned heartwood. Curl can also cause uneven staining. Birch will age to a golden color.

Rustic Cherry wood has slightly more open surface knots, pin knots, mineral streaks, heart wood, sap wood and other characteristics  than standard cherry wood.  These features give the wood a more rustic feel.   Some may deem these as imperfections, but to others they add more distinguishing features that contribute to the beauty and uniqueness of the wood.  These traits do not affect the structural integrity of the furniture. 

Rustic Hickory is cut from the same log as regular hickory wood however it has an even more rustic look.  You can expect mineral streaks, knots, and contrasting light and dark heart sapwood in the furniture.  These features do not affect the quality or structural stability of the furniture.  If you are looking for a truly rustic look, rustic hickory is a very good option.

In general, DutchCrafters furniture is made with solid wood throughout. There are some exceptions:

1.) Our case good pieces (hutches, armoires, dressers, chest of drawers, pie safes, etc) are made of solid wood except for the back. They come standard with a solid plywood back unless otherwise specified in the quick specs. The backs are not intended to be displayed. Some hutch backs may be a shiplap tongue and groove or mirrored back. Some of our case good backs are finished while others are not.

2.) In general, our drawers are not made with solid wood. Poplar, pine or same specie plywoods are often used because they do not expand and contract as much, which improves the functionality of the drawer.

If these exceptions are a concern, please call DutchCrafters at 866-272-6773 to speak with a furniture specialist before placing your order.