Hall Benches are Marvelous for any Entryway!

Amish Entryway Furniture Lattice Weave Hall Tree Bench

Every entryway should have a place for storing coats, hats, purses and other items when you, your family, or guests arrive. The Hall Benches from Dutchcrafters are a useful and stylish addition to any home that will fill up that hallway in your home that appears empty. Made by Amish woodworkers using hard woods such as oak, cherry, and quarter sawn white oak, these Hall Benches are built solid will become an heirloom piece to be passed on to the next generation. 

Amish Entryway Furniture Mission Hall Tree with Mirror

These Hall Benches will also enable you to take a quick seat when you’re ready to go but you’re waiting for the rest of your family to get out of the house. With complementary End Tables and Coffee Tables to place other items you might need when you go out, you’ll be able to get great use out of your hall or entryway. Get a Hall Bench from Dutchcrafters today and you won’t be disappointed. 

Amish Entryway Furniture Hall Tree Storage Bench

Corner Hutches are Great for Saving Space!

Amish Dining Room Furniture Corner Hutch

If you’d like a new Hutch for your Kitchen or Dining Room, but you don’t have much space, a Corner Hutch might just be the solution you’re looking for. The Corner Hutches featured at Dutchcrafters are purposefully built for being placed into a Corner and this not only saves space but also utilizes the space you do have more efficiently by being placed out of the way as much as possible. 

Amish Hand Painted Primitive Corner Hutch - Sunflower

The Corner Hutches at Dutchcrafters are all built by Amish Craftsmen here in the United States using solid wood. The most common wood options chosen by our customers are Oak, Maple, Cherry, and Quarter Sawn White Oak. We also have a variety of stains and finish options to choose from so that our customers can customize their made to order Corner Hutch as much or as little as they’d like. 

Amish Plantation Corner Hutch

Refinishing Details

I have had several people ask me about refinishing techniques... I will begin with a preface that I am just beginning this hobby so my technique may not be the best, and may change over time. However, I have been really pleased with the results.

Some of the frequently asked questions:

1. Where do you find your furniture?

Thus far I have been able to find some really nice stuff at our local thrift store (D. I.), through craigslist and our local newspaper's online classified ads. Because my primary goal is to develop a hobby, I plan to resell most of the furniture after I refinish it. And because I do not want a houseful of desks... I try to find items that are inexpensive, sturdy and have a more classic design style.

2. Do you sand your furniture first?

I sand the furniture first if it has a major dents or scratches, or if their is a heavy varnish/polyurethane finish on top. For the varnish I just do a quick sanding with a 120 grit sandpaper on an electric sander to rough it up a little bit. For scratches I typically use a 80 or 60 grit sandpaper to create an even surface and then 120 grit to smooth the top layer.

3. Do you prime your furniture?

Yes, I use KILZ latex primer... it is really nice and thick and will evenly cover most light scratches or dings.

4. What paint do you use?

I love Behr brand paint... I have used in several of my home over the years and have been very pleased. For my furniture, I just buy the mistinted or damaged paints in a neutral, latex base. I typically buy the premium plus because it is usually the least expensive. I do finish my furniture with a polyurethane so I do not worry about the gloss-style.

5. What sand paper do you use to distress?

Either a 120 or 220 grit sand paper depending on what I have convenient and how distressed I want to make it. For distressing I try to mimic natural use patterns... where ever hands and feet commonly touch I distress (i.e. the ends of arm rest, top of chair back, near the "foot rests" at the bottom). Also, I lightly distress all the edges and corners. I have found that I really like to show the original and primed colors underneath so I with distress with varied pressure to bring out different colors.

6. Do you finish with a polyurethane?

Yes, I use a clear (not color or tint added) water-based Varathane polyurethane for interior wood. I choose water-based for ease in cleaning up.

7. Do you use spray paint, an air compressor, paint-brush or roller-brush?

I usually paint with a hand brush... although I have heard really great things about using an air compressor... Maybe someday.

I have used spray paint on some of my picture frames and smaller pieces... but I didn't like the finish as well... probably I just applied it too heavily.

Furniture for Sale...

Beautiful Vintage Solid Wood Desk - $95.00 ** SOLD **

(Dimensions 60"L x 38"D)

Cottage Table - $60.00

(Dimensions 48"L x 29"D)

Farmhouse Table - $90.00

(Dimensions 50"L x 40"D)

Farmhouse Table

I have wanted to learn how to refinish furniture for a very long time. So I finally jumped in to my first project... a Farmhouse Style Table. I must admit... I am very pleased with the way it turned out. I sanded down the previous scratched varnish. Applied primer and a beautiful off-white latex paint. Then I distressed the edges and finished with several layers of polyurethane.

Before

After

I have linked this post up with:

Kimba's DIY Party over at A Soft Place to Land.

Miss Mustard Seed Workshop Series... This has a fantastic tutorial with it.

Posted with Remodelaholic's Anonymous Meeting 8...