Black Friday Furniture Sale: Relax, Shop and Save

Shop Black Friday the Vermont way.  Relax.  Our 5 Day Storewide Black Friday Fine Furniture Sale starts on Thanksgiving Day, November 22 at 8:00 am and goes non-stop through Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Shop till You Drop Sunday and Cyber Monday.  No lines.  No crowds.  Plenty of time to browse through huge discounts on luxurious American-made fine furniture this holiday season! 

So pour yourself a cup of tea or glass of wine and relax in your PJs for this fine furniture sale.  Black Friday is our biggest sale of the year! Shop at your convenience, 24/7 and receive 20% off our high quality, handcrafted bedroom, dining room, living room and home office furniture.

Our handmade fine furniture is built to last and is backed by a lifetime guarantee. Handcrafted in natural cherry wood, maple, oak or walnut woods and delivered to your dining room or bedroom at no extra charge. Customize your new fine furniture to fit your space and style and still save big! Don’t miss out on our biggest sales event of 2012!

Celebrate Black Friday with Vermont Woods Studios! You can shop for your new furniture securely, easily and conveniently from our online store. Or contact us at 802-275-5174 to place orders or discuss your questions about our Vermont made, fine wood furniture. This Storewide Black Friday Fine Furniture Sale  ends at midnight on November 26th.

* Excludes Copeland, Polywood, Artisan & Barnwood furniture | Minimum $2000.00 purchase necessary

VT Furniture Makers Are Back!

Hurricane Irene, the Wicked Witch of the South has taken over Vermont. Many people are still digging out and assessing the damage which will take years, even decades to recover from.

Those of us lucky enough to escape Irene's viciousness are eager to help others out but in most cases we have no access to affected areas yet. Washed out roads are being re-built but makeshift temporary access is only available to road crews and emergency vehicles.

In the meantime, businesses are eager to get back to work. The vast majority of woodworkers, furniture makers, retailers, hotels, inns and restaurants are ready, willing and able to serve you today. Please don't hesitate to patronize Vermont businesses. They still offer some of the best quality goods, services and experiences in the world. And the sooner they get back up and on their feet, the sooner they can help the rest of Vermont recover from Irene. So come have a good time in Vermont! Buy your favorite, American made furniture, ice cream, cheese, maple syrup and more. Be a part of our recovery. Thanks from all of us!

Furniture Sale To Benefit Vermont Hurricane Victims

It's been over two weeks since Hurricane Irene blew through Vermont destroying homes, businesses, roads and wildlife habitats. Since then Vermonters and good samaritans from throughout the region have been working around the clock to rebuild and restore the area. I'm amazed at how fast the roads are being rebuilt. Route 9 between Brattleboro and Bennington was ripped to smitherenes but, with the help of the National Guard and others, our incredible road crews have already gotten it passable. Shannon said she even got to drive on a newly paved stretch of Route 9 on her way in today.

But there is much work left to do. As with all disasters the news media moves on, but so many people are still in need of assistance. At Vermont Woods Studios Furniture we are trying to think of ways to help. One thing we are doing is donating 100% of profits from all furniture sold online or in our showroom this Saturday, September 17. If you have been thinking about buying furniture, this would be a great time to do it! All of our Shaker Furniture is on sale that day; we have 6 Dining Room Sets on Sale that can be installed in your home for Thanksgiving Dinner plus (how cool is this?) our donation will be matched by local employer Entergy-VY. Talk about leveraging your hard-earned money. So it could be a win for you and others-- in a big way. If the promotion is successful, we'll sponsor similar events periodically to continue to help out where we can.

Thanks for your continued well-wishes as Vermonters work to rebuild after the storm.

Furniture Sale To Benefit Vermont Hurricane Victims

It's been over two weeks since Hurricane Irene blew through Vermont destroying homes, businesses, roads and wildlife habitats. Since then Vermonters and good samaritans from throughout the region have been working around the clock to rebuild and restore the area. I'm amazed at how fast the roads are being rebuilt. Route 9 between Brattleboro and Bennington was ripped to smitherenes but, with the help of the National Guard and others, our incredible road crews have already gotten it passable. Shannon said she even got to drive on a newly paved stretch of Route 9 on her way in today.

But there is much work left to do. As with all disasters the news media moves on, but so many people are still in need of assistance. At Vermont Woods Studios Furniture we are trying to think of ways to help. One thing we are doing is donating 100% of profits from all furniture sold online or in our showroom this Saturday, September 17. If you have been thinking about buying furniture, this would be a great time to do it! All of our Shaker Furniture is on sale that day; we have 6 Dining Room Sets on Sale that can be installed in your home for Thanksgiving Dinner plus (how cool is this?) our donation will be matched by local employer Entergy-VY. Talk about leveraging your hard-earned money. So it could be a win for you and others-- in a big way. If the promotion is successful, we'll sponsor similar events periodically to continue to help out where we can.

Thanks for your continued well-wishes as Vermonters work to rebuild after the storm.

Middlebury College’s Solar Decathlon Solar Powered House Entry Getting Ready to Roll

By Dennis Shanoff

Earlier this month I wrote a post regarding Middlebury College’s participation in a solar powered home design, build competition sponsored by the US Department of Energy. Well the Middlebury College team recently put the finishing touches on their energy efficient entry and celebrated the event with a housewarming this week. This was a great opportunity for friends, family, fans, and supporters to get an up close look at the team’s solar home before it has to be dismantled and shipped down to Washington, DC for the 2011 Solar Decathlon Event.

 

As a project supporter, we at Vermont Woods Studios were anxious not only to see the students hard work, but how the bed we contributed for the master bedroom fit in. So I made the scenic trek up to the Middlebury campus to attend the housewarming to get a firsthand look. And with a “finished” square footage competition maximum of only 1000 SF I was definitely curious to see how the design team would handle the layout. (especially as it was designed for a family of four) What I found was really efficient use of space in an open, yet still cozy arrangement. The interior had a very modern, clean and upscale look.

 

So we at Vermont Woods Studios certainly felt privileged to be chosen to provide the centerpiece of the master bedroom. And the cherry moon platform bed looked fantastic in the room and worked perfect in the space. The team had us craft the bed in natural maple and its color and it's strong yet simple design absolutely fit in with the light color and airy feeling of the home. Spend some time in this home and one may just start to rethink the need for larger homes. (and larger energy expenses!)

 

The next step for the team is to get the house down to the National Malls West Potomac Park in Washington DC for the September 23 through October 2 event. The event is free so if you are in the area I think you will find this to be a very interesting and educational event. We think the Middlebury team has a really good chance so stay tuned and we will let you know how they make out! Go Middlebury SD!

Vermont Made Heirloom Furniture: Craftsmanship Through The Ages

Vermont furniture lovers take note:  this Saturday, August 13, one of the largest known collections of Vermont-made antiques is going on the auction block at Skinner, Inc. in Marlborough, Mass.  Bob and Barbara Levine of Greenwich, CT amassed this elegant collection over 35 years and are retired and downsizing.  So now is your big chance!

Odds are, because of the economy, there will be some once-in-a-lifetime bargains.  Check out this Classical Carved Mahogany and Mahogany Veneer Sofa.  It is presumed to be made by Nahum Parker in Middlebury, Vermont nearly 200 years ago-- around 1825.  What an incredible piece!  And there are about 50 other stunning pieces in the collection.  Preview and bidding can be done online as well as in person.  The Bennington Banner has details.

 

 

For all you fine furniture afficionados, isn't it great to know that this same level of craftsmanship continues to be practiced in Vermont today?  Have a look at this gorgeous fainting couch created by Steve Holman.  Who said they're not making things like they used to?  Whoever did needs to visit us in Vermont.

Check out more extraordinary custom artisan furniture pieces made by the world's finest furniture makers.  Vermont truly is the Fine Furniture Capital of America!

Eco Friendly Furniture: Why North American Hardwood Is The Best Raw Material

What's the most eco-friendly raw material for furniture?  I guess there are different opinions on this but you have to admit that wood is naturally green.  It's sustainable, biodegradable and renewable.

The National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) puts out a brochure periodically that reports statistics for the American hardwood industry.  Are we harvesting our hardwoods sustainably in the USA? 

According to NHLA the hardwood inventory in the USA has grown by 98% during the past 5 decades.  I'd say that's pretty sustainable.

Here's another cool fact NHLA cites: Wood represents 47 percent of all raw materials used in the United States but the energy used to produce wood products (including furniture) accounts for just 4 percent of the energy used to make all manufactured materials.  Wow!  It makes sense though when you consider all the hard-core industrial processing that's required to make a piece of metal or plastic furniture, right?

At Vermont Woods Studios Furniture we specialize in eco-friendly solid hardwood furniture that's made from local and regionally harvested wood.  To help keep our forests healthy and sustainable, we're excited to be supporting the Vermont Council on Rural Development and their ambitious Vermont Working Landscape Partnership Program as part of our forest conservation mission. 

I just have to throw in one last random but amazing reason why wood is the greenest raw material for furniture-making:  the EPA estimates that each year our American forests remove the greenhouse gases emitted by 139,000,000 cars!  You gotta love wood.