FAQ

What is the average time to have a piece of custom Amish furniture made?
Timelines for all of our craftsmen vary from season to season.  Our average time to have most pieces of Amish furniture made is 8-12 weeks.  Large cabinetry pieces can range from 12-16+ weeks to complete.  We do our best to meet and keep track of timelines but we ask that customers realize that timelines can vary due to the workloads of our Amish craftsmen.

Does The Woodloft Custom Furniture deliver furniture nationwide?
The Woodloft does not have or operate a delivery service at the moment.  But, we will do our best to help customers find and arrange delivery of their custom Amish furniture.  We currently know of three independent delivery services operating in the Arthur, IL area that our customers have used numerous times with absolutely no trouble.  These delivery services usually deliver and setup the furniture in the customers house.  Also, since these are professional delivery services they offer insurance on all pieces that they deliver in case damage occurs enroute.  We also have sources that will deliver furniture nationwide, but we ask that our customers realize that the prices will be substantially higher for long distances and handling.  When pieces are being delivered cross country they will be crated and shipped by a freight service.

 

How much does it cost for delivery?
This is sometimes difficult for us to answer.  Since we ourselves don't operate the delivery service any answer we give to this is a guess at best and we have been known to be way off on our estimates.  We usually like to say that the best bet is to take whatever the gas price is per gallon and multiply that on the mileage from Arthur to your location one way.  That usually gives you a pretty close guess on what deliver would be (Example: Mapquest states that it is 45 miles from Arthur, IL to Champaign, IL.  The current price for gas in Arthur is $2.89.  45 X 2.89 = $177.75.  This would be a good guess on the price to Champaign.  I suggest using Mapquest with 61911 as your starting point).  Now realize that sometimes the delivery company will be coming to your area with other items as well.  If he has more than one delivery into the same general area then the costs will be split saving both customers money. 

 

Is your furniture really Amish made?
All of the furniture we have in our showroom and all of the furniture that we have custom made is 100% Amish crafted.  We deal with dozens of local shops here in Arthur, IL that can make everything from small oak mug trees to full cabinetry pieces for your living room entertainment center. The Woodloft does offer other home accessories in our store that are not Amish made, such as plate ware, table linens, and numerous other home decor.

 

What makes furniture from the Woodloft different than any other furniture shop?
This is a question that must be answered in many steps:
    (1) Quality: The Amish craftsmen we deal with use only the finest quality hardwoods that are kiln dried to proper dryness to prevent future warping, cracking, or splitting of the boards. 
    (2) Finish:  Our furniture is custom crafted in your choice of colors.  We can match virtually any existing stain color in your home.  Also, all of your locally made furniture is treated with a catalyzed finish which is harder than most finishes and protects the furniture better.  This finish also resists water, alcohol, heat, and even fingernail polish remover allowing you to use your furniture to its fullest potential.
    (3) Choice: All of our furniture is locally Amish handcrafted and not made in a factory.  This means all of our pieces are made one by one allowing you, as the customer, to make the changes you want.  You don't have to settle for what you see.  You can select from our many designs or even bring in your own design.  Our Amish custom furniture is made to suit you and your needs.
    (4) Experience: The Woodloft has been operating as a family business for over 20 years creating high quality, custom Amish furniture since day one. Our knowledgeable staff can help you craft your perfect piece of furniture that will last for generations to come.

 

What kinds of wood can I have my custom Amish made piece of furniture made in?
We deal in the main hardwoods such as Oak, Cherry, Maple, Brown Maple, Hickory, Quarter Sawn, and Walnut.  At the Woodloft, we use only solid hardwoods, not softwoods or jungle woods stained to look like hardwood.  Please visit our Wood information page to find out a little info about the different hardwoods you can use for you custom heirloom.

 

How do I order a Amish made piece of custom furniture?
There are numerous way to go about ordering a piece of custom furniture.  The way we recommend most of the time is to come visit us here in Arthur, IL so we can sit down with you and help you plan out your piece of custom furniture.  We know not everyone can get to us here in the Illinois Amish country, so we can also work with you easily over the internet and phone.  Visit our Long Distance Ordering Information page to see some basic tips on the steps of ordering custom furniture from far away.

 

Do I have to come to Arthur to order Amish custom furniture?
While we recommend you come visit us to ease the process of creating a piece of Amish custom furniture, we have had numerous pieces made completely off of discussion through email or over the phone.  Due to the process of custom making furniture the timeline may be extended in order to make sure all of the details are laid out before the furniture is made. We will discuss measurements, styles, and wood choice first in order to get a starting price.  After you receive the bid we will start discussing detailed aspects such as color.  If you are planning on having your piece matched to a current color we recommend sending us a stain sample to match to.  All in all, it is a painless process and can be done with little trouble.  Once again we do enjoy customers coming in to visit us so that we get the chance to meet face to face but it can all be done over the internet and phone.  For some wood example click here.