Simply mention the words “Amish furniture” and a certain image likely arises for the typical listener, featuring carefully crafted pieces of furniture born from the hard woods tracing direct roots from the forests of North America. These home furnishings – easy chairs and couches, dining room and kitchen tables, bedroom sets and individual pieces, coffee tables and end tables, home office equipment like desks and computer chairs and unique themed decorations – present a complete package following an initial visual inspection.

But there is far more than meets the eye following the first cursory glance at virtually any piece of Amish furniture. While the careful detailing and focus on flawless craftsmanship can be immediately observed, there are certainly some extremely subtle contributions that can easily go unnoticed to the untrained observer. Bringing these aspects to the forefront can only enhance an already undeniable attractiveness, and build upon a mystique surrounding Amish furniture that focuses on the potential for passing pieces from one generation to the next.

After all, hand-crafted Amish furniture is built to last, thanks in part to the very careful selection of building materials like hardwoods that include oak, maple, cherry, coupled with proper maintenance. (Underestimating the value of the proper finish be it paint, stain, varnish or another choice can radically undermine the prospects of making the Amish furniture piece in question capable of being passed from one generation to the next.) Just as important as the wood selection is the Amish furniture hardware that is selected by the craftsmen to complete the overall package. And since these pieces of hardware represent the first touch point for the average consumer, it’s important that these accompaniments must engender the same impression of overall quality. These hardware pieces complete the overall positive impression of any piece of Amish furniture, contributing dramatically to the mystique of antique-looking furniture, something entirely contemporary or a blending for a delicate balance lying somewhere strategically placed in the middle.

What are some of the furniture hardware pieces in question, that represent the sum of all the parts that make an Amish furniture piece complete?  The list is a widely varied one that includes top knobs for dressers that come in a wide array of finishes that include rust, pewter, copper, bronze and antique brass, bed bumpers and coasters, glide hardware pieces, casters and toe caps.

All of these components and so many more complete the overall package, and each individual element can help contribute to making any piece of Amish furniture into a prospective family heirloom ideal for passing on to a future generation of the family. And it’s important to remember that every Amish piece of furniture is created by hand in the artisan’s workshop, where that artist learned his trade in the time-honored tradition of learning from family members. In other words, fathers instruct their sons in the fine art of woodworking.

This time-tested tradition helps the practicing Amish adhere to their faith that frowns upon the use of modern technological amenities that includes electrically powered tools and the ensuing obligatory electrical connections. Bearing these guidelines in mind, it becomes possible to appreciate Amish furniture to an even greater degree.