The Amish Dining Room

Amish culture is very much centered on the family. Not only are there generally seven to ten children to a family, but the Amish often share their homes with elderly members, making meal times quite lively. With fathers and older sons working in nearby fields or workshops and mothers and older daughters working around the house, each day the entire family is able to gather together for meals. For the Amish, mealtimes are considered to be a treasured tome of family bonding—something that’s often lacking in our busy world. Close ties are likewise maintained with extended family and members of the local settlement community, and many choose to spend their free time visiting during meals. The family table is also an important part of the weekly church gatherings hosted by alternating families, as well as Amish families’ large wedding celebrations.

Amish woodworkers work painstakingly in their woodshops in order to provide high quality and enduring dining furniture, not only for their families and communities, but also for the “English” around them. But there is great satisfaction to be had in creating heirloom pieces that reflect Amish values of utility, simplicity, and excellence. These superior pieces are built in the Amish tradition of the finest wood and they complement the family meal-time tradition.Newly married Amish couples begin to set up their own household months after their wedding ceremony. During this time they live with the bride’s family, seeking out foundational pieces, including a dining table, to build upon. These couples know that as they start their own family, the family dining table will prove its worth over and over as a centerpiece for family bonding, and will eventually become a treasured, long-lasting heirloom.

Large family gatherings to celebrate special events and holidays have been a lasting tradition in American cultures. But now many in our modern society have rediscovered the value of regular family meal times. It seems that nowadays more and more families are actively striving to reinstate this crucial time of family bonding in their busy routines. A durable Amish-made dining set can add significance to traditional meals and special family gathers as more and more families strive to gather round the table.

Historically, farming has been the mainstay of Amish communities, but rising land prices and a growing population have led more and more young men to turn to a craft such as furniture building. Either outbuildings are converted to woodshops or new buildings are built to house new woodworking businesses. An increased number of craftsmen has created a thriving market for handcrafted Amish furniture. Due to the growing number of woodworking shops, a wide variety of furniture is now available in many styles. Custom-ordered furniture is even available, allowing customers to determine preferences in wood type, leg style, skirting, dimensions, and finish. Amish furniture can be purchased directly from the craftsman’s shop, or many furniture makers have partnered with local “English” businessmen to distribute their goods in nearby stores or over the Internet.

Amish dining sets come in a wide range of styles ranging from the familiar Mission to Shaker, Windsor, Queen Anne, French Country, Hoosier, sheaf-backed, Franklin, Malibu, Portland, and more contemporary styles. Whether you piece is crafted from solid oak, cherry, walnut, maple, or pine, Amish craftsmanship dictates that the wood will be of the highest quality, with no imitations or laminates. There are many important details to consider when choosing a dining table, including the leg supports, which might be the basic four legs, trestle, or pedestal. For the table top, you can choose from circular, oval, square, rectangular, and octagonal. Leaf styles come in side drop, separate center, or stowleaf.