Vermont Woods Studios - Eco Furniture Blog

Bella Notte Restaurant: Almost in VT

 

Look who we found at Bella Notte! That's the owner, Abaz Cecu sitting next to our friends, Dawn and Kim.  Ken's in the foreground.

Ken and I were working with David Brown and Suzanne King of Masiello Real Estate today, checking out a possible new home for Vermont Woods Studios Furniture.  It was a gorgeous day to be outside so we hiked around the perimeter of the property. 

The place was on Huckle Hill Road in Vernon, Vermont so after we finished our tour we decided to continue up the road a few miles to Bella Notte Restaurant for a cold drink.

If you haven't been to Bella Notte Restaurant yet, I can say that it's probably the best kept secret (and has the most beautiful view) in all of Western MA / Southeastern Vermont.  It's incredible!  The view stretches south for 50 miles or more of lush green forest.  Granted it's Massachussetts you're looking at... but it's still absolutely breathtaking.  Check out the back terrace on a nice day.  That's where the view is best.

And if you go to Bella Notte, be sure to say hi to Abaz, the owner and tell him Ken and I sent you.  He'll make you feel right at home. 

Oh I almost forgot, the food is excellent too!

 

Welcome to Vermont Woods Studios, Heather G!

 

Heather G settles in during her 3rd day at Vermont Woods Studios

 

We are excited to welcome our new Sales Associate, Heather G to our Vermont Made Furniture store this week.  Heather just completed her third day at Vermont Woods Studios and we are all feeling very lucky to have her on our team.

 

 

Heather's background is in banking and sales.  She is fluent in American Sign Language and certified in First Aid, CPR, and Crisis Prevention Intervention.  It's nice to have those skills around, just in case!

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Vermont Woods Studios, Heather!

Heather rode her bike to work on National Ride Your Bike to Work Day

 

 

Did you know that yesterday was National Ride Your Bike to Work Day?  Yes it was and Heather celebrated by riding her bike to work at Vermont Woods Studios.  I'm hoping she inspires me to do the same (I was supposed to ride to work on Earth Day, but I think it was too cold or rainy... or warm or sunny or something). 

 

Anyway if you call in and Heather answers the phone, please take a minute to see how she's doing and welcome her into the new job.  I think you'll find, as we have, that she's a pleasure to work with.

 

Lyndon Furniture: The Real (American Made) Thing

 

Ken (on left) and the management team at Lyndon Furniture:  Christine Drown (sales and marketing manager), Dave Allard (owner and founder) and Brian Ball (general manager)

 

 

Ken and I traveled up to Lyndon, Vermont today to meet with Lyndon Furniture.  We carry all of Lyndon's line of Shaker, Mission, Modern and Traditional hardwood collections.

 

That's Lyndon's owner and founder in the middle, Dave Allard. 

 

Dave started Lyndon Furniture over 30 years ago, building his first woodworking shop from timber he cut on his family farm and had milled locally.  Since then his business has grown and earned a reputation for producing high quality, eco friendly furniture that lasts a lifetime.

 

One of the things I love most about Lyndon Furniture is that when times got tough and all the other American furniture companies fired their employees and went to China to cash in, Dave Allard and Lyndon Furniture stayed right here in Vermont.  They remained true to their employees, their community, their integrity and their quality.  I see that integrity in their furniture.

 

Lyndon Furniture in Lyndonville, Vermont. American made hardwood furniture made to last for generations

 

It's interesting because we're seeing another mass exodus of so-called "American furniture companies" now.  But it's from East to West.  They're all hurrying back to American from China now that Chinese wages and trans-oceanic shipping are so costly.  But I have to wonder how long they'll stay.

 

I think it's safe to say, though, that regardless of global economics, Lyndon Furniture will remain right here in Vermont making high quality, handcrafted furniture and contributing to their community.  It's the Vermont way.

 

Packaging and Shipping Your Fine Furniture: White Glove or DIY?

Our new file cabinet was just delivered DIY from Copeland Furniture. This is the "outside" box.  It took 4 of us to get the file cabinet out of it.

 

We received our first fine furniture order from Alaska last week and that makes the 50th state we will have delivered furniture to.  Once the bedroom set arrives safely, we'll have to have celebrate this milestone with a little party. 

 

It's actually a pretty exciting accomplishment for a small company like Vermont Woods Studios Furniture.

 

It turns out that packaging and safely shipping your fine furniture is the most challenging part of our business and we're always working to make the system work better, faster, cheaper and stress-free.

 

 

 

DIY delivery requires double boxing with lots of padding for the edges and corners.  Upacking can be difficult.  The file cabinet inside weighs almost 100#.

Our preferred method of shipping fine furniture is to blanket wrap it and send it "white glove delivery" with the world's number one, award-winning furniture shipper:  Clark and Reid.  They are the best.  When you receive your furniture from C&R, they carefully bring it into your home, set it up wherever you like, help you inspect it for any shipping damage and remove the wrapping.  You do nothing but smile. 

 

However Clark and Reid is not the fastest or the cheapest.  So when customer's are in a hurry and need to save money, we can sometimes (depending on size) package and ship their furniture via common carrier or even FedEx to get it there faster and cheaper.  We call it DIY delivery and it has just recently been made possible with advances in packaging technology.

 

If your order is eligible for DIY packaging and shippping, we'll let you know.  As you can see, it's not your typical UPS delivery.  It took 4 of us to wrestle this filing cabinet out of the box. 

 

 

 

Finally we get to see what's inside! The 3rd layer of packaging consists of more edge and corner protectors and shrink wrap.

I always try to emphasize to our customers that unpackaging and moving solid wood furniture is not easy.  It's heavy (often >100#) and if it has doors or drawers, you want to be especially careful not to damage or unbalance them.  If you're a "handyman" DIY can save you money and time but for most customers I wholeheartedly recommend the luxury and peace of mind that white glove delivery brings.

 

Copeland Omni Laptop Desk: Going, Going....

Copeland's Omni computer workstation - laptop desk will be discontinued as of June 1, 2012. Last chance to buy it now!

Copeland Furniture is doing their annual housekeeping.  The other day I broke the news that their Sarah and Berkeley armoires are being discontinued as of June 1, 2012.  Today I have another victim to add to the list, the Omni Laptop Desk and Mini Workstation.

I thought it was a cool idea, especially for urban apartment dwellers looking to maximize the use of small spaces.  A desk, printer table, file cabinet and storage piece all in one.  Perfect for the guest bedroom or kitchen corner.

But I think desktop computers are becoming obsolete in micro offices and (thankfully) people aren't printing much anymore.  So maybe the need for micro-office furniture is just a small bookcase or shelf now.

What kind of furniture do you have or need in your home office or micro office?  If the Omni fits your needs, better give us a call today!  A few more weeks and it'll be gone.

If you miss the deadline, take heart... Copeland will continue to offer it's Catalina and Astrid style laptop desks.

Happy Mother's Day

 

Happy Mother's Day from the staff at Vermont Woods Studios

 

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers - of people and animals. 

The staff at Vermont Woods Studios send you warmest wishes for a delightful day filled with love and pampering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to Jacquie Lawson and her family of artists for the image.  We think hers are the most beautiful greeting cards on the web.

Copeland Berkeley and Sarah Armoires - Last Call

 

Copeland's Berkeley and Sarah Armoires are being discontinued as of June 1, 2012

We are sad to say goodbye to a couple old friends, Copeland's Sarah and Berkeley armoires.  The are being discontinued by Copeland Furniture as of June 1.

I guess most people now prefer to store their clothes and linens in California Closets or other built-in organizers.  The other former life for armoires was as TV and media cabinets.  But, alas that use has also become obsolete.

So, if you have a Berkeley or Sarah bedroom furniture collection and you've been thinking about completing it with an armoire, the time to act is now.  They will be discontinued and unavailable after June 1.

See the entire Sarah and Berkeley bedroom furniture collections by Copeland Furniture.

Cherry and Walnut Wood: Custom 2 Tone Furniture Designs

 

The Copeland Berkeley Furniture Collection features Cherry and Walnut Wood in Custom 2 Tone Designs

Two Tone Wood Furniture

Americans are rediscovering Vermont made furniture.  Maybe the trend is due to recent awareness campaigns by the news media about how buying USA made goods stimulates the American economy. 

 

Or perhaps it's because the organic food movement is migrating into other aspects of our lives.  In addition to thinking about where our food comes from we're now beginning to think about where our furniture comes from.  And where our clothing, computers, appliances (you name it) come from.

Both the American-made and organic movements are reflected in the Vermont furniture brand.

But I think one of the main reasons Vermont made furniture is experiencing a renaissance is that it's customizable.  This Copeland Berkeley Bedroom Set is a good example.  The Berkeley Collection features a 2 tone cherry and walnut wood design that you can customize online with your favorite shade of cherry wood.

Many of our other Vermont made furniture collections offer 2 tone wood combinations, for example the Modern American Collection.  These bedroom, dining and home office furniture sets are shown in cherry and walnut but they can also be customized in any other 2 tone combinations of maple, walnut and cherry wood.

Most Vermont furniture makers embrace the idea of customizing your furniture, be it with two tone wood combinations, specialty sizing or complete custom design from the start.  Learn more about custom furniture options on our website.

Living Room and Home Office Fine Furniture Sale

Shopping for new, real hardwood living room or home office furniture? Now is a great time to refurnish your Living Room or update your Home Office with our fine Vermont Made furniture.

With this Buy More - Save More Sale you will save 10% off any single piece, 15% off two pieces or 20% off 3 or more pieces (plus Free Delivery)*.

Your new hardwood furniture can be customized online and crafted in natural black cherry, sugar maple, oak and black walnut. Every piece is traditionally handcrafted one piece at a time right here in Vermont and made just for you. And all are solidly built to last for generations of use and backed by a lifetime guarantee.  Check it out and give us a call with your questions.

This Sale ends at midnight on May 22nd.

* Excludes Copeland, Polywood, Artisan & Barnwood furniture

Vermont Artisan, Johnny Swing Opens "Murmuration" in Manhattan

Southern Vermonters are spoiled because we can often see and experience Johnny Swing's art at the Newfane Cafe & Creamery in Newfane VT.  But for all of you who don't get to visit the Green Mountain state much, here is your chance.

Johny's "Murmuration" show is now on display now through June 29 in Manhattan at Chelsea's Sebastian + Barquet gallery and well worth the trip.

If you're not yet familiar with Johhn Swing, he's famous for his work using US currency as his medium:  benches made out of quarters, chairs created from pennies, pillows and teddy bears crafted out of dollar bills. Every piece is a genuine work of art, completely unique and incredibly engineered.  "Murmuration" is a must see! 

Now you're probably not going to be able to sit on his works of art at the S&B show.  You'll have to come up to the Newfane Cafe & Creamery to do that.

Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture

Gift Ideas for Mother's Day

 

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

© Wizdata | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

Flowers are always great for Mother's Day, but if you're looking for something a little different (and perhaps more extravagant) this year, how about something handmade in Vermont?

 

We're running a special for Mother's Day on Ken's handmade cutting boards (small and large), chopping blocks and wooden drink coasters.  These are gifts Mom can enjoy for many years!

 

If you think Mom should be relaxing instead of preparing and serving food, maybe you'll want to check out some of our new all weather patio, pool and deck furniture by Polywood. 

 

Whatever you think would delight Mom on this Mother's Day, it's probably time to get going on it today if shipping is involved.  At Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture, we're at the phone now and ready to help.  Give us a call!

 

What mother wouldn't enjoy relaxing by the pool or at the beach in this all weather patio, pool and deck furniture by Polywood?

The Ultimate in Eco Friendly Furniture

 

Peter Cook grows his own furniture at Pooktre

 

How cool is this?

 

Check out Peter Cooks website, Pooktre.  Peter's tree gardens are in Austrailia where you can learn how to shape your own tree, or commission him to grow and shape a tree for you.  If you choose the latter, it takes about 7 years or so till the tree is shaped and you can transport it to your own garden.

Pretty wild.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vermont Woods Studios Eco Friendly Furniture

 

 

Copeland's Monterey Platform Bed: Best Seller This Week

 

Copeland's Monterey Bed fuses Japanese - Asian design with Arts and Crafts style

 

Copeland's solid cherry Monterey Platform Bed was this week's best seller.  I love the subtle Asian style of this bed.  Copeland's designer fused traditional American Art's & Crafts style with modern Japanese lines to achieve the elegant look that's proving so popular.

The Monterey bed is handmade of solid cherry wood and can be customized online in your choice of 5 shades of cherry: natural cherry (no stain) or windsor cherry, autumn cherry, cognac cherry, saddle cherry or smoke cherry. The Monterey Bed is available with under-bed storage or as a standard platform bed. 

Going green?  Copeland Furniture is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council FSC, holds Silver Exemplary Status from the Sustainable Furnishings Council (of which it is a founding member, just like Vermont Woods Studios) and has been awarded the Sage Award for environmental excellence by the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA). Find additional information, direct from the source, about what Copeland is doing to become more sustainable here.

Worried about buying a high end bed online?  Check out our Craftsman's Lifetime Guarantee and Copeland Low Price Guarantee.

All Weather Polywood Outdoor Furniture: Recycled From Plastic Trash

 

All weather outdoor pool, patio, beach and garden furniture by Polywood is made from recycled plastic bottles

Many thanks to our Vermont Woods Studios staff members who volunteered to pick up trash today as part of Vermont's Green Up Day.

 

We bagged about a dozen pounds of old beer bottles, empty cigarette packs and plastic shopping bags, most of which we were able to place in Vernon's recycle bins.

 

So that's a fun project for us to do and besides supporting our community it also it dovetails into our new line of Polywood all weather outdoor furniture. 

 

Polywood is a line of patio, porch, pool and beach furniture that's made from (90-100%) recycled plastic bottles.  We love the Polywood brand because of it's eco-friendly, green nature but also because it's 100% made in America and the quality is superior to any comparable patio furniture we've seen. 

 

If you're looking for super strong and sturdy all weather outdoor furniture check out these polywood collections on our website:

  *     Adirondack Classic Furniture

  *     Deep Seating Patio Furniture

  *     Modern Euro Poly Wood Furniture

  *     Kids Indoor - Outdoor Furniture

  *     Traditional Garden Furniture

 

Vermont Woods Studios Green-up crew

Many additional collections are available on our Outdoor furniture Sets and Collections page or use the top navigation bar for further detail.  Most pieces can be delivered to your patio or beach in less than a week.

 

 

 

 

 

Vermont's Green-Up Day Is Tomorrow

 

Help keep your community clean, green and natural by volunteering for Green Up Day. Connect with your town's volunteers here.

Tomorrow is Green Up Day in Vermont. That annual Spring day when thousands of good, green Vermonters don their muck boots and head on out along our state's highways and byways to pick up the trash left by others who are... well, not so eco-conscious let's say.

 

This year Green Up Day has officially been designated part of Vermont's post-Hurricane Irene recovery effort.

Have you participated in Green Up day before?  If not, how about giving it a try? 

You can find out who's coordinating Green Up day in your community and join them. 

In Vernon, Faith Jobin and her son Jemez have volunteered to lead the project this year.  They'll get all the volunteers together in the morning at the Vernon recreation center, send us out with trash bags and snacks, then throw a pizza party at noon to thank everyone for helping.  It's a good time to get outside with your neighbors and help steward your community's natural landscape and waterways.

Manjula has volunteered to lead our Green Up efforts at Vermont Woods Studios tomorrow and we'll be working to clean up the Vernon Pond on Newton Road.  If you live nearby, come and join us!  We'll post pictures on our Facebook next week.  Green on.

Vermont Furniture Sale: Create Your Own Set

 

May 2 - May 8

Save 20% at our Create Your Own Furniture Set Sale, plus get free white glove shipping and delivery.

Today starts a new 7 Day Sale at Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture.  Manjula and Dennis have figured out a way to offer a 20% discount, store-wide*.  That's the highest discount we can offer and usually we do it only on Black Friday. 

 

But from May 2 - May 8, 2012 we are offering 20% off as part of a Create Your Own Furniture Set Sale.  Receive our free white glove shipping and delivery too.

So you choose what’s on Sale with this mix and match event.  No need to order within a single collection.  All of your favorite collections of Traditional, American Shaker, Modern, Mission and Craftsman furniture are eligible*.  Order exactly what you want and save 20%. 

We're able to offer this discount based on volume so orders must include at least 3 items and total over $2000.  Have questions?  Give Shannon a call.  She's looking forward to hearing from you!

 

* Copeland furniture and Polywood outdoor furniture are not included in the sale as they are always fully discounted, carrying a low price guarantee every day.  Artisan and barnwood furniture are not eligible as they are one of a kind, custom items that do not go on sale.

The Humble Kitchen - Brattleboro's Newest Restaurant

 

Summer noodle bowl from the Humble Kitchen, a food cart serving Vietnamese street food in the Harmony parking lot, Brattleboro Vermont

Yesterday Shannon suggested take-out food from Brattleboro's newest restaurant, The Humble Kitchen.  It's a food cart in the Harmony parking lot that serves Vietnamese street food, sourced locally where ever possible.

 

Wow, is it delicious and worth the trip, even if you're travelling from NH,  MA or anywhere in Southern Vermont.

Fried mango wontons with a sugar lime sauce might sound a little exotic but you have to try them.  I can't even begin to describe how wonderful they are.

In addition they have specialty dishes for meat lovers, vegetarians and vegans, like the  Banh Mi sandwich, Hot Noodle Soup, Summer Noodle Bowl and a salad with local greens & ginger-lime or toasted sesame vinaigrette.

Today was opening day for The Humble Kitchen and by all accounts they had a nice turnout of support from the community.  If you live in the Southern Vermont area, be sure to take advantage of this great opportunity to enjoy authentic fresh, Vietnamese cuisine.  I guarantee you'll be glad you did.

Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture

Solid Wood Desks - Furniture Care Tips and Advice

If you have a solid wood desk, check to see that your laptop isn't overheating the wood. Although unlikely, laptops with no ventillation have been known to expose desks to heat so intense that over time it cracks the wooden desk top.

I recently learned of a case where the top of a solid wood desk cracked under prolonged, intense exposure to heat from a laptop computer.  I've never heard of this before, but I guess it can happen.

Do you use a laptop as your desktop computer?  I do.  I like the flexibility it offers me and at work.  I connect it to a big 40" flat screen TV so I can still have a large workspace.

If you do the same, and your desk is made of wood, be careful to move your laptop around and check the bottom of it for heat now and then.  Many people use a laptop cooling pad as well, especially for Macs which reportedly run hotter than PCs.

We have lots of other tips and advice for caring for your solid wood desks and other wooden office furniture our website at VermontWoodsStudios.com.

If you're looking to buy a new solid wood desk, browse our handcrafted American made selection below:

• • All Solid Wood Desks
  • Writing Desks
  • Laptop Desks
  • Shaker Desks
  • Copeland Desks

Zen Furniture: Simple, Serene, Organic, Sustainable

 

A customer who purchased this Copeland Astrid bed last week told me she found Vermont Woods Studios Furniture after searching online for "Zen furniture". 

 

Well, I'm no expert on Zen but I can see where the simple, organic forms of Copeland's Astrid Furniture Collection would appeal to someone looking to introduce an element of serenity into their home.

 

 

Astrid features pure, simple, minimalist style.  It's designed to "create an oasis of quiet harmony for the modern urban bedroom".   I guess that is rather zen-like.  The fact that Astrid furniture is handmade right here in Vermont from local, sustainably harvested wood was an important part of Corey's decision too.

 

Copeland's minimalist mid-century modern Astrid furniture has a certain "Zen" quality to it.

 

And speaking of Zen, I love Copeland's new dining room furniture too.  These minimalist, mid century walnut seats are Copeland's Catalina Estelle chairs.   I think they might have some Zen qualities.

Mattress and Box Springs Beds - Dinosaurs in the Bedroom

 

If you already have a box springs and are looking for a bed, we've got lots of beautiful solid wood box-springs style beds to choose from. But if you're shopping for a new mattress, be aware that there's no longer any need to purchase a box springs with todays mattresses.

OK, we still have box springs in our beds at home, but I'm here to tell you they are a dying breed.  If you're out shopping for a new bed or mattress don't be conned into buying a box springs.

Todays new mattresses are deisgned to be used without a box springs.  Think about it... what were the old box springs for anyway?  To keep your mattress from falling on the floor if your bed frame had no slats.  And to give you some height so you didn't have to squat to get in and out of bed. 

But nowadays, mattresses are thicker (many with pillow tops) so you don't need the extra height.  New beds are built as platform beds at the proper height for new mattresses, using slats to support the mattress.  New mattresses often have restrictions that specifically negate their warranty if the mattress is placed on a box springs-- particularly memory foam and latex mattresses which need to "breath". 

Now if you're like me and you have perfectly good mattress-box springs sets in your home already, you may have a hard time finding a good selection of beds to support them.  So we've put together this page of all our solid wood beds that will accommodate a box springs.  Most are available in twin, full, queen, king, Cal king and XL sizes and you can order online or give us a call with your questions.

No dinosaurs in your bedroom?  OK, here's our full selection of 100% American made, solid wood beds from Vermont.  Welcome to the new world of platform beds!