OUR MISSION:
Vermont Furniture Designs strives to build the most beautiful and durable
furniture possible. We believe that the outside of the furniture should
appear as if built with traditional techniques, with an emphasis on color
and grain selection and matching boards. Inside, we apply the technology
that is most appropriate for the use in question-the most up-to-date
parts and the strongest and smoothest operating slides and hardware.
Those parts that are not visible are chosen because they do the absolute
best job in the application.
We make parts in multiples, but each piece of furniture is bench-crafted
by a small team of Vermont Craftsmen. Everyone on our team is a quality-control
person, and parts and furniture can be rejected at any time.
This results in an old-world look with a high degree of quality and
durability. We are considered the top quality vendor by all of our wholesale
customers, and this is backed up by a return rate near zero. We feel
comfortable comparing our furniture with pieces costing two to three
times as much – Vermont Furniture Designs produces a great value!
JOINERY
Mortise and Tenon Joints
Wherever structural
right angles meet, a mortise and tenon joint is used. As shown in the
photo, a solid wood tenon connects two adjoining components. The tenon
secures the joint and holds it tightly together. This insertion of one
wood block into another gives the joint its superior strength and flexibility
of movement. In high stress joints additional glue blocks are used to
insure durability.
DRAWER BOXES
 Chuck
and Bore Joints
Our standard drawer boxes are Baltic Birch plywood with Chuck and Bore
construction. This plywood is the strongest made in the world (it originates
in Russia) and has many plies of solid veneers with absolutely no voids.
The wood pegs, or chucks, shown in the photo are carved from the same
solid piece of wood used to create the side panel. They are NOT inserted
dowels. This precision joinery, also called round mortise and tenon,
creates a strong and durable drawer box. The use of plywood removes the
weaknesses associated with wood movement; mostly, that constant expansion
and contraction eventually will break glue lines.
This drawer box technology was originally invented for office furniture – a
use requiring much stronger construction than home furniture. They have
been lab-tested to be stronger and resist more stress than a solid wood
dovetail drawer box. We believe that they are the strongest and most
durable drawer boxes available and we have NEVER had one fail under any
circumstances. In addition, they are finished with an extremely smooth
and tough polyester finish – the only part of our furniture not
treated by hand with oil. This protects your clothing and linens, as
well as making cleaning easier.
For the traditionalist, we offer solid wood dovetail drawer
boxes. They
have the feel and look of old-world furniture. They are treated with
the same finish. Ask us or your dealer about purchasing your furniture
with dovetail drawers.
DOORS AND ENDS
Floating Panels
Solid hardwood floating
panels are used on the sides and doors of our case pieces. Each one is
fitted and inserted into the frame. This construction method allows the
panel to breathe within the borders of the frame and prevents the piece
from warping or cracking. Floating panels are also aesthetically pleasing.
They add a decorative element to the piece.
Frame and Drawer Fronts
The wood used to create a drawer front or a section of the frame is
a single board. This solid wood construction enhances the simplicity
of the piece with undivided grain patterns. In addition, all horizontally
aligned drawer fronts are cut from a single board, continuing the grain
pattern across the entire front of the furniture in a natural, eye-pleasing
sweep.
All legs and beams are one piece of solid wood- not glued up from smaller
pieces. On rare occasions, as in exceptionally long legs or a wide top,
the lumber is not available to create these and we are forced to laminate
them. In that case, we always make sure the glue lines are hidden and
the grain matches across the glue line to avoid an unnatural appearance.
FINISH
Oil and Wax
We take great care in sanding our furniture and, as mentioned above,
in selecting matching color and grain. This allows us to use a hand-rubbed
oil finish which highlights the natural color and beauty of the wood.
Particularly in cherry, but also in maple and walnut, this oil brings
out the depth of the wood and speeds the darkening that develops with
age. With a little care, our traditional oil and wax finish will protect
your furniture and develop the patina that distinguishes hand-crafted
furniture.
In addition, our finish is less toxic to the environment. The process
produces no emissions to pollute the air.
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