The Amish believe that their religious principles should be reflected in all aspects of their lives, including how they furnish and decorate their homes. When the Amish make furniture, they take pride in the process, from the way the timber is cut to the finished product and all the steps in between. Again, as part of their belief system, the majority of the methods used in furniture making don’t involve modern technology. The results are handcrafted furnishings that are well-designed, well-made and long lasting; furniture that is worthy of lasting from generation to generation.
But you can easily create the look of an Amish interior design living room by following a few general principles.
- Handcrafted furniture made from wood – true Amish furniture is made by them and purchased from an Amish community. If this is not an option, choose living room furniture that has simple lines and minimal decorative elements and is made of wood with a matte, distressed or low shine finish.
- Form and function – the focus of Amish furniture is on the practical and the functional and then blending these aspects with profiles that are simple yet beautiful.
- Functionality also applies to dressing the room – when accessorizing the living room, only add “functional” items like baskets, hurricane table lamps and pillows and throws in natural fabrics that have a handmade appearance. Wall art should reflect pastoral themes and country scenes.
While the typical Amish color palette does include neutral tones and earth shades, it also incorporates brighter colors that possess tints that are not as intense (as in bold-bright). This is because heritage paint colors used in Amish homes are made from natural pigments, resulting in shades that are softer. While they might not be technically heritage colors, paint manufacturers, like Sherwin-Williams, offer similar colors that can be used in Amish interior design.
Today’s living room is a multipurpose room that can fill several functions, aside from the obvious ones of relaxing with the family or entertaining friends. Furniture for this type of living space should be comfortable and practical, perfect for an Amish style living room. While Amish furniture is not truly rustic, as in knots or twigs embedded in the surface of the piece of furniture, an Amish style living room will still have rustic elements.
The heart of any living room is the sofa. The Lifestyle Solutions Fashion Hardwood Arizona Convertible Futon Frame displays all of the elements of Amish design.
The Jofran 036 Series Rectangular Wood Cocktail Table in Brown Mission Oak is a great place to put the remote, some munchies or your favorite book. It also adds function to your living room, one of the basic Amish interior design principles.
Another aspect of Amish style furniture is that it tends to be solid and oversized with square or boxlike profiles. Select end tables like the Powell Mission Oak Magazine Rack Cabinet that have a number of storage options, again increasing the living room’s functionality.
The appeal of Amish interior decorating is its simplicity and “low-tech” vibe. But even an Amish style inspired living room needs to make space for a television and its accompanying components. The Parker House Deer Creek Plasma/LCD Media System has plenty of storage to accommodate the entertainment needs of a contemporary home.
Next week in the last part of our mini series, we will be discussing how to design an Amish style dining room.
Right now, Cymax Stores is offering a really great deal on living room furniture. If your living room needs a makeover take advantage of these savings by using the coupon code SOFA10 at checkout.
