Made in America: Importance of American Furniture Stores

By Peter Nisbet

Made in America is an important slogan for Americans, and American furniture stores are an important factor in the recovery of America from recessionary periods. This country is home to some of the best furniture craftsmen and women in the world, and this is reflected in the products offered by many furniture outlets in the USA.

Stickley of New York, Sherrill Furniture and Southwood of North Carolina, The Custom Shoppe of Wisconsin and Georgia's Jamison bedding, which is a designer of some of the best mattresses in the country. Add to that many others, such as Simply Amish in Illinois, and you have a fabulous selection of American furniture stores that can truly brand their products as 'Made in America.'

So what is the importance of furniture stores in America, and why should residents of this great country buy products made in America? For exactly the same reason why the Brits came out with the 'Buy British' slogan! To support your own county in an era where the health of our economy is becoming increasingly less in our own hands!

Take Europe, for example. Should the Euro fail, the impact on the world economy could be vast - it has been reported in the Huff Post that American banks could lose up to $1 trillion - or they could lose nothing. History indicates that effect will not be nothing, and in fact it is liable to significantly affect most major economies and exchange rates. Iraq, Afghanistan and now Syria indicate other areas where foreign events could affect America's economy.

So what has this to so with the importance of American furniture stores? Not a lot to be honest, but the USA will fare best if Americans buy 'Made in America.' American cars, American goods and American furniture! Some of the most beautiful and best built furniture in the world is made in America. Here are some of the styles with which every American should be familiar.

Mission Style

The mission style of furniture originated in Mexico and the South-West American states, while the architectural style was adopted and developed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Mission furniture was part of the Arts and Crafts movement, particularly influenced by Gustav Stickley, the founder of the Stickley Furniture Company of Syracuse, New York.

The style is associated with large pieces of solid wood, originally characterized by oversized chairs and tables. It is believed such designs were created as an antithesis to the fine slender and often over-embellished styles of the Victorian era. The mission style is available from Stickley and several other American furniture manufacturers.

The Stickley style of mission furniture is hand crafted from solid oak and quarter sawn oak, with exposed joinery displaying the American style of mission craftsmanship. All materials are natural, and none of the Stickley pieces were painted - these standards remain to this day.

Colonial Designs

Colonial furniture harks back to the 18th century Revolution era, and is not a specific style per se. However, there are some characteristics, such as the simple Shaker style and the more ornate William and Mary style of the Protestant northern colonies while the southern states focused more on the English and European styles of the day plus some simpler country styles.

Colonial styles today tend to reflect the William and Mary and Regency periods of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Stickley's Williamsburg collection and Southwood's Historic New England collection. Colonial furniture today appears to be a mix of Chippendale and Sheraton styles together with Queen Anne and Jacobean designs.

Shaker and Amish Furniture

Although noted for its simplicity, Shaker and Amish furniture is very popular in the USA. Designed and hand-crafted in the USA, this design is truly Made in America. Simply Amish is likely one of the better known American furniture manufacturers that offers both Shaker and Amish designs. Although located in Illinois, this firm does not sell direct, but offers its products through a series of distributors and dealers.

One of the major USPs of Simply Amish is the ability of the buyer to customize their furniture. You can choose your wood, finish, dimensions and also a variety of other design aspects such as the style of your table legs.

So what does Made in America mean to you? It means that by purchasing American-made products you can support your country in times of economic difficulty. The country has just recently come through such a period, although it seems that the Eurozone might be triggering another difficult period. Buying American sure helps, and purchasing your furniture from American furniture stores might seem just a small contribution - but success is the result of many small steps!

You will find more information on American Furniture Stores on the Patterson Furniture website. This is just one of many furniture stores in Atlanta where everything is Made in America by a number of high quality American furniture manufacturers.

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