Amish Furniture – Utah

Beehive State Amish craftsmanship

A guide to Amish furniture in Utah While no Utah Amish communities yet exist, residents of the Beehive State can find Amish furniture via at least a pair of outlets, bringing Amish furniture within reach of Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, Sandy, West Jordan, Orem, and other UT cities.

Simply Amish of Salt Lake‎
2892 Highland Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84106-3177
(801) 487-6300
simplyamishslc.com‎
Nationwide network of Amish furniture under the “Simply Amish” label. Amish furniture includes dining tables and chairs, beds, dressers, nightstands, hutches, rockers, benches, coffee tables, children’s furniture and toys (children’s rockers, rocking horses, high chairs, bunk beds, changing tables), armoires, gun cabinets, desks and desk chairs, hickory rockers, curios, barstools, sideboards, wine racks, bureaus, more. Also carries outdoor Amish furniture such as Adirondack chairs, rockers, porch swings, gliders. Also sells custom Amish furniture in a wide range of woods and stains (woods include Soft Maple, Hard Maple, White Oak, Red Oak, Hickory, Cherry, Walnut) as well as hardware options. Salt Lake City location Simply Amish dealer.

Vintage Oak‎
838 East 9400 South
Sandy, UT 84094
(801) 523-3553
vintageoak.com‎
Mainly Utah-crafted non-Amish furniture but with link to at least one Amish furniture vendor (Borkholder Amish furniture).

Searching for Amish furniture dealers beyond Utah? The Amish Furniture directory lists Amish furniture dealers and Amish woodworkers in the USA and Canada.

Note to Utah residents: Please be sure to check opening hours of any Amish furniture businesses listed in this guide before traveling long distances.  While we strive to keep this directory up-to-date, business locations and schedules can change.  Not responsible for changes to information. 

Amish in Utah?

Despite their tendency to migrate in search of better (economic and spiritual) conditions, and with new Amish settlements popping up in Western states fairly frequently in recent years, no Amish have yet settled in Utah.  No doubt Utah’s growing conditions would present some challenges for any potential Amish settlement in the Beehive State, although Amish in other drier and less-than-idea growing zones have opted for small businesses outside of agriculture, such as woodworking shops, to some success.  With Amish in neighboring Colorado (a half-dozen congregations as of 2011), perhaps in the not-too-distant future an adventurous clan will make the leap next-door to found the first Utah Amish community?

 Amish woodworking

Amish furniture-making has a lengthy and growing history.  Though Amish roots are in farming, recent decades have seen Amish adopting entrepreneurship in large numbers.  Amish have found furniture craftsmanship and other small businesses attractive options in the face of expensive farmland and population pressures (Amish average 7 children per family).

Amish furniture craftsmen in the Midwest provide home furnishings for Utah residents

As the industry has expanded, and more furniture buyers have encountered Amish handiwork, Amish furniture has developed a strong reputation.  Amish furniture dealers emphasize certain points in their websites and catalogs.  Amish-crafted furniture is promoted as high quality, a claim that typically reflects reality.   Amish furniture buyers appreciate the solid craftsmanship, use of high quality materials such as solid wood and durable construction techniques, as well as the use of high-quality stains and finishes.  Amish furniture is often advertised as “heirloom-quality” for these reasons.

Amish furniture also holds appeal for its contrast to large manufacturers and imported furniture.  Most Amish furniture businesses are small-scale, with some operating as individual operations, or employing family or a handful of employees.  Rarely does an Amish woodworking business exceed 30 employees in size.  Careful attention to detail is one hallmark of the Amish woodworker.

Contrary to belief, Amish furniture shops do in fact use a wide range of technology in producing their furniture.  Some Amish permit more advanced technologies than others.  Differences often appear in the form of power used to drive shop tools.  The more conservative Amish branches use a shaft and pulley system, with a long drive shaft running underneath the floor of  a shop, with pulleys rising out of the floor to power various pieces of equipment, such as saws and planers.  The apparatus is driven by a diesel engine.  More progressive Amish use hydraulic or pneumatic power to operate their drills, air hammers, saws, and other shop equipment.

Thanks to their use of modern equipment adapted to Amish restrictions, Amish furniture craftsmen are able to produce a wide range of furniture in an efficient manner.  Amish woodworkers create home furnishings in a range of styles as well as innovating their own designs.  Amish furniture is crafted in Shaker, Mission, Queen Anne, Arts and Crafts, Prairie, Craftsman, Contemporary, and other styles.  Amish are also adept at doing custom furniture work as well.

Buying Amish furniture in Utah

Even though the nearest Amish communities are hundreds of miles distant, Utah Amish furniture seekers have a few options for finding Amish-crafted woodwork.  Firstly, with at least a pair of Amish furniture outlets in-state, Utahans have an accessible source enabling viewing and purchase of Amish-made furniture in person.  A number of online Amish furniture sellers also provide shipping to addresses in Utah.  Finally, some Utah Amish furniture buyers may wish to visit a community in person and buy directly from an Amish craftsman.  Though this is a more time-consuming option, there are numerous Amish communities beyond Utah where this is possible (see the Amish State Guide in the menu of this page for more info on Amish settlements across North America).