When Jim Fisher gets a call from one of his suppliers, he drops everything to go to the phone. “I never know when he will be able to call again,” said Fisher, who along with wife Jamie owns the Amish Furniture Shoppe in Deerfield.
Low technology is all part of conducting business with the Amish, whose restrictive lifestyle discourages such “luxuries” as telephones, Fisher explained. Most orders and instructions are transmitted via handwritten notes sent through the mail, he said.
But cumbersome communications are a small price to pay for the privilege of selling the quality products the Amish produce for the store from workshops based on their Midwestern farms, the Fishers said. The pieces reflect the lifestyle of the makers: simple, sturdy, “not overdone,” Jim Fisher said. They are constructed of solid wood-no plywood backings or veneers-and often include special touches, such as hidden compartments and false-bottom drawers.
The Amish reputation for being honest, hardworking people is a draw, Jamie Fisher said: “Customers expect the furniture will last a lifetime, and we have to live up to that.”
Unlike Shaker-style furniture, with its distinct square design, Amish furniture offers a lot of variety within the country look, achieved with different stains, woods, leg styles and edgings. Because pieces are crafted individually, they can be altered to fit a variety of tastes and size needs.
About 80 percent of the furniture sold at the store is Amish-made, and the remainder comes from manufacturers that meet the same high-quality standards, Jim explained. Color-coded tags identify where the products originated. Prices vary according to a piece of furniture’s features.
The Deerfield store opened in June, but the Fishers have been selling Amish furniture in Evanston for eight years.
The move to the Deerfield site, a former grocery store, was to gain space for the growing business, Jamie said. At 14,000 square feet, the new location is almost three times larger than the Evanston store they left.
The expansion allows space for items not previously carried by the store, such as leather sofas.
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The Amish Furniture Shoppe, 636 Deerfield Rd., Deerfield, is open 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-267-1994.
