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Furniture Trends

Calais, Vermont - April 4, 2008

For generations, Vermonters have made homes alongside the woods and carved out careers from them. Strolling through his wood shop, Robin Chase says, "I just have a tremendous staff that works with me."

Chase turned the love of woodworking he learned from his grandfather into a business in the early 1980s, building Maple Corner Woodworks from the ground up. At a quarter-century in business, he's now found himself at the intersection of tradition and modernity.

Chase explains, "I would say half of what we do has customization to it."

This team of nine still makes furniture largely by hand, and still takes inspiration from classic influences like the Shakers. But Maple Corner adjusts its looks to meet design trends: what Chase calls "staying out there, staying connected."

He uses contemporary leg shapes, for example, drawer pulls, too. The company's eagerness to stay current has driven spikes in sales of certain 2008 products, namely entertainment units. Maple Corner realized early in days of flat-screen TVs that the sets would require different furniture than their deep tube ancestors: now, it's all about low, sleek consoles with plenty of storage space to hide DVD players and other gear behind doors.

Chase says those big old entertainment cabinets have gone the way of the dodo. He chuckles, "I've been asked to convert some of them from an entertainment unit to something like a bedroom armoire."

While flat screen entertainment centers are selling strong, the team here did have some worries. High quality hardwoods and the human touch mean Made in Vermont furniture is understandably pricier than cheaper-assembled pieces from overseas.

Manufacturer Denise Wands says, "We're pretty busy, considering the economy."

Robin Chase adds, "We made a choice to market more, and found it paid off."

With marketing advice from the Vermont Wood Manufacturers' Association, Maple Corner has found new wholesale accounts across New England and in New York City, where customers tend to have the disposable income for investments like this.

Denise Wands recalls, "I used to build houses and that was gratifying. You know that house is going to be there forever. [Making furniture is the] same thing: people are going to enjoy this in their homes."

With that as its mission, Maple Corner Woodworks even plans a small expansion in the next year that could mean more furniture manufacturing jobs. But Robin Chase says, "If it were just a job, I probably wouldn't be doing it."

In these parts, wood is a passion. One that has companies like Maple Corner Woodworks leaving its mark on home design.

Maple Corner Woodworks has full lines of bedroom, living room, and dining room furniture. But it sees some of its strongest sales in its home office line, saying more people these days are choosing to work from home.

Jack Thurston - WCAX News - Made in Vermont