Creative Ways to Use a Wagon

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Remember that old red wagon everyone used to have in the garage or the playroom? You probably hauled your dolls and stuffed animals around showing them the neighborhood sights—or fell asleep on a cozy pile of blankets while your parents pulled you around at the state fair. Thankfully, growing up doesn’t mean you have to leave all of your childhood staples behind.

Embrace the nostalgia by transforming a classic wagon into a one-of-a-kind piece of home décor! Invest in a good quality wooden wagon so you can turn it into a functional home accent that will have you feeling like a happy-go-lucky kid again in no time. Check out a few of these creative ideas to get inspired!

A Garden Planter

Spruce up your backyard terrace with a rustic wagon garden planter. A wooden wagon will infuse your landscape with charm and whimsy you won’t be able to find at Home Depot. There are endless opportunities for re-purposing a wagon into a fun garden accent!

Grow a full mobile garden by filling your wagon with soil and cultivating your favorite plants—just don’t forget to add a few small holes to the bottom for drainage. Or if you wanted, you could nurture some vegetable seeds and make yourself a little portable produce stand. If you want something with a little less maintenance, try using potted plants to fill up a wagon for a garden that’s already in bloom.

Use a wagon to house your favorite succulents; or make it a family project and create a magical fairy garden. There’s a lot of fertilizing fun to be had with a classic wagon—not to mention that when it needs some water you can just roll it right over to the hose and save yourself the trouble!

Book Storage

A wagon is a great way to incorporate storage space into your interior design. Fill yours with books to make it a cozy addition to your home library or child’s room!

Since a wagon is easily moved and arranged you can adapt it to any space, even if you have to switch up the room. So when your newborn baby is suddenly a toddler in need of a big-kid bed or another toy chest, there’s no need to worry about dragging around huge bookshelves or finding a new place to keep their favorite reads! A reading wagon works especially well for children because it’s low to the ground and easily accessible.

A Fun Beverage Cart

Tired of shoving the cooler under the table to keep it out of the way during summer barbecues? Lay a tarp on the bottom and fill a wagon with ice to turn it into a beverage cart! It’ll be a unique and convenient piece of party décor that your guests won’t soon forget.

It’s perfect for toting around Huggies and juice boxes when you take your kids to the beach; or for outdoor events so kids can grab a beverage when they need it without interrupting the adults playing cornhole. Use it to distinguish the adult from the under 21 beverages—if you know what we mean—so there’s enough room to keep your beer cold in the cooler!

Create a Porch Display

If you want to get really artsy with it, wheel your wagon onto the porch and set up a different seasonal exhibit every few months to keep things fresh. Pack it with fun décor or use it to add some sophisticated charisma to a couple of cheap decorations.

Fill it with pumpkins and crunchy red and orange leaves for the fall; or head to the craft store and get a few miniatures to construct a scary scene to frighten trick-or-treaters. When Christmas comes around you could fashion it into a Christmas tree stand for a small tree and light it up to decorate the front porch! Or you could wheel it inside, throw some fake snow on the bottom, and make it the platform for your mini Christmas village or nativity scene.

Adorn it with flower arrangements and bird statues for spring, and artfully display a beach ball with a pail and shovel or some cute summer flip flops when the sun starts to shine!

A quality wooden wagon is the perfect tool to use to channel creativity and snag a unique accent for your home! At Carriage House Furnishings we have top-quality wagons built with the finest craftsmanship for the best value—and you can get them in different colors too.

Head on over to our website to take a look at what we have available and liven up your interior design today!

The Advantages of Outdoor Wooden Furniture

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When it comes to furnishing your patio or garden the options can be overwhelming. What kind of furniture is going to be able to express your unparalleled sense style, last reliably through your family’s biggest summer moments, and keep your bank account afloat? Has it even been created?

We’re glad you asked.

Your answer is an ancient gift from mother Earth herself: wood! That’s right! Wooden outdoor furniture presents a unique, resilient and economical option for turning your patio into the backyard lounge of your dreams. Here’s why:

It has a beautiful, natural look.

What fits in better with the great outdoors than wood? Wooden furniture will effortlessly blend in with its natural surroundings, while still serving as one of the focal points of your backyard. Draw the eye of your guests to the warmth of the different shades and intricacies of the different patterns of each piece. These qualities make wooden furniture so unique that even if you’re buying a set, each piece will be its own!

Wood is strong and durable.

Wood is produced with help from the elements, it was literally made to withstand them! Once a type of wood is properly chosen and treated, it won’t rot or become infested with bugs, and it won’t rust like metal. Wooden furniture is easy to maintain. This is especially true with Polywood furniture, which is made from a synthetic type of lumber. It’s resistant to any sort of corrosive substances, moisture or weather! Stains are easily treated with standard cleaning products. You can even leave it outside year-round without having to worry about damage from extreme weather. When the grass starts to peek out and you hear the birds chirping, just give your furniture a quick wipe-down and you’re good to go!

It’s affordable and adaptable.

Tired of your beige outdoor color scheme? Stain your wood darker! Do you want to ditch the natural vibe and go for something more modern? Paint it red (or whatever color is in this season)! Wooden furniture gives you the flexibility you want without having to buy a whole new set of patio furniture every spring. This makes it a long-lasting, quality investment. Plus, because of that durability thing we talked about, you don’t have to worry about finding a place to store it in the offseason. And would you believe me if I told you it’s also eco-friendly? It’s true! Making wooden furniture doesn’t have the same harmful side-effects on the environment as other materials, like plastic; and while Polywood furniture is made with elements of plastic, all of those materials come from recycled consumer plastic waste, so the environmental effects are just as positive.

If you want a beautiful, dependable, affordable option to furnish your patio, wooden furniture is the best fit for you. You’ll want to invest in pieces of good quality at a great price. Let Carriage House Furnishings take care of that for you with our outdoor Amish made furniture of unrivaled craftmanship and charm!

The Benefits of Giving a Wooden Toy Chest to Your Child

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Is the floor in your child’s bedroom covered with toys at the moment? If so, providing them with a place to put all of his or her toys could help solve the problem. One way to avoid a messy floor is by investing in a wooden toy chest for his or her room. It’ll give him or her more than enough storage space and provide several other benefits, too. Take a look at a few of the advantages of giving your child a wooden toy chest below.

It’ll teach your child about responsibility.

As a parent, you want your child to keep his or her room neat so that it looks nice. However, more importantly, you want him or her to learn responsibility for picking up after themselves and taking good care of prized possessions. What better way to illustrate that point than by purchasing a wooden toy chest for him or her? It can make him or her more responsible in no time and while also keeping his or her toys safe and sound.

It’ll last for a long time.

There are plenty of plastic toy containers out there that you can buy for your child. But they’re not designed to last for very long. In fact, you’ll be lucky to get more than a few years out of them before they’ll need to be thrown out and replaced. This won’t ever be an issue with a wooden toy chest. It’s built to last and will stand up to almost anything your child throws at it.

It’ll serve other purposes in the future.

Your child isn’t going to be a young forever. He or she is going to grow up, and when they do, they’re going to lose interest in most of the toys they played with as a child. When that day comes, you won’t have much use for an old plastic toy container. But you can easily repurpose a wooden toy chest and use it for something else around your house. It can be used to store blankets, pillows, and other household items if you want.

If you’re going to buy a wooden toy chest for your child, make sure you buy one that’s the very best. Carriage House Furnishings can provide you with gorgeous children’s toys and furniture, including toy chests. Call us at 717-768-8712 today to order a toy chest for your child’s room.

Give the Gift of a Jewelry Storage for Valentine’s Day

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Jewelry Chest for StorageIn addition to chocolates and flowers, Valentine’s Day is recognized as a time to gift jewelry to a loved one. Diamonds and gold are often seen as a sign of affection and can be a beautiful expression of love. However, over the course of many years, you’ll eventually need somewhere to store all that jewelry.

If you’re looking for a creative Valentine’s Day gift this year, consider giving the gift of jewelry storage such as a a jewelry chest or armoire.

It’s a Long-term Investment

While jewelry itself may have short-term shock value that eventually diminishes over time, jewelry storage could be considered as a long-term buy. The chests and armoires you buy for your jewelry, you’ll likely hold on to decades to come. They’ll accrue different items over the years and act as a display of your memories every day. Now isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is all about?

Safety and Security are Top Priorities

A major thing to think about when it comes to buying jewelry is protecting those expensive items. With jewelry storage, the safety and security of these precious possessions become top concern and you’ll only adding to their longevity by investing in a jewelry chest. All your items will be kept in one safe place and you’ll always know where they are. Believe us: you’ll sleep easier at night as a result.

Take Stock of Your Inventory

The last plus we’ll mention about buying jewelry storage is that you’ll take care of the jewelry you already have. It adds value to items already in your collection and allows you to truly take stock of what you have. In other words: it’s the gift that keeps on giving! When you do get a new piece of jewelry, you’ll have an immediate solution to storing it in a safe place that will maintain the condition of the piece.

If you’re looking for jewelry storage this Valentine’s Day, Carriage House Furnishings has a wide range of chests and armoires for you to consider. If you have any questions, contact us today!

Properly Caring for Your Bird House

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A beautiful summer day illuminates your garden, yet you still feel like something is missing.  Suddenly you realize; it is not what you see that is unsatisfying but instead what you don’t hear.  The air is still and quiet without the natural ambiance of your favorite feathery visitors.

Investing in a quality bird house, often known as a nesting box, will attract birds and provide them with a reliable shelter.

Benefits of a Bird House

Not only will a bird house attract specific songbirds to your yard, but those birds will often eliminate pesky insects, fest on unwanted weeds, and assist bees with pollination.  To do so, however, you must upkeep your bird house to encourages reuse year after year. When cleaning out your birdhouse, it is best to wait until the end of breeding season.  By cleaning the bird house, you will reduce the chance of hazardous factors such as rodents, bacteria, and insects.

Easy to Upkeep

To clean the bird house appropriately, clear out anything the birds might have added to their temporary home.  While scraping out clumped materials and potential feces is not desirable, they make for excellent compost.  Once the debris is removed, scrub and rinse the house well with plenty of water.  Allow the house to dry out in the sun, for at least a full day, before putting it back outside. To protect your visitors, check for loose hinges or screws when you clean it out as well.

Thoughtful Design

If you’re attempting to attract favorable birds to your yard, keep in mind that bright colored nesting boxes could discourage them. Some birds seek bird houses as a place of refuge from enemies and don’t want to stand out.  Carriage House Furnishing paints humble houses using a subtle cream coloring.  The wood is durable and porous allowing heat to escape, keeping birds comfortable.  The pitched roof hangs over far enough to prevent larger predators from attacking from above.

Carriage House Furnishing takes into consideration not only what you might find appealing in a bird house but also the practical needs of the birds themselves. Shop our bird houses today.

Start Thinking About Your Outdoor Living Space

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Outdoor Backyard Relaxing PatioTime flies by each year, quickly transitioning from one season to the next with fluctuating temperatures. Although for many parts of the United States, winter is just beginning, spring will usher in warmer weather before we know it.

Start planning an outdoor living space now to allow yourself plenty of time to turn your vision into a reality once the season shifts.

Prepare for spring and enjoy the following benefits of an outdoor living area.

Enjoy a Serene Recharging Station

Everyone needs some time to relax and recharge from a long day’s work. Whether you desire a serene escape perfect for a catnap or some space to reflect on your inner thoughts, an outdoor living space puts you in a calm and soothing natural environment.

Set up an outdoor area full of plant life with plenty of furniture to allow for napping and energy renewal. Outdoor spaces help you to clear your mind and to reset for the rest of the day.

Increase Your Guest List

When you throw a party or host a gathering in your home, you typically limit your guest list by the number of people you can realistically and comfortably accommodate. The amount of indoor space in your home often creates limits on the number of people you can host.

An efficient way to allow for more people on your guest list is by building an outdoor space for entertaining. Outdoor areas allow the people inside to spill outside to enjoy the extra hosting space.

Reap the Benefits of the Great Outdoors

The many benefits of spending time outside make investing in an outdoor living space more than worthwhile. Making time in your schedule to get outside helps you to unwind and increases your ability to focus. Natural beauty eliminates mental fatigue and combats negative emotions like anxiety.

Imagine listening to the sparrows chirp in the distance as you sip some iced tea and rock slowly back and forth in your glider. Sitting in your outdoor space helps you unwind, upping your creativity and lowering your stress levels.

Carriage House Furnishings is ready and waiting to construct high-quality Amish solid wood furniture for your outdoor living space. Fill up your space with wooden or poly gliders, rocking chairs, swings, fan back chairs, tables, and more.

Tips on Creating a Rustic Bedroom

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Rustic Bedroom DecorWith an emphasis on strong and rugged textures paired with simple and neutral colors, the rustic style suits bedrooms fairly well.

Transform your bedroom into a relaxing and rustic space with the following tips from Carriage House Furnishings.

Country Colors and Texture

Whether you’re a fan of wood paneling, distressed wood, or reclaimed wood, these textures are a must-have when creating a rustic bedroom. Wood helps to give rustic rooms their country charm and standout flair. Adding wooden elements to your room gives it an instant rustic appeal. Think reclaimed wooden signs, stacked wooden crates, wooden headboards, and so forth.

Neutral colors pop well against wooden features, such as bright whites and bold beiges. Cooler colors such as blues can also add interest to an otherwise neutral color palette.

Rustic Furnishings

Often serving as a main focal point, furniture can often make or break a bedroom theme. To create a rustic bedroom, focus on furnishings that amplify your space with country chic elements. Consider choosing wooden nightstands, side tables, and chests.

A hickory bed set can serve as a fitting statement in your bedroom and will hold up for decades to come. Pine bookcases can also tie into a rustic theme and provide extra storage into your bedroom as well.

Rural Accents

Small touches and attention to detail will help to pull your rustic theme together. Think of using different types of lighting that could completely change the feel of your space, such as glass lamps or a lamp wrapped in a rustic rope.

Don’t forget to add country-inspired décor into your rustic bedroom, such as horseshoes or mason jars. A white pitcher filled with flowers can help capture the charm and elegance of country living.

Carriage House Furnishings has multiple showrooms where you can browse our Amish made furniture for sale in Lancaster County, PA. Our products are designed and built of solid wood with unmatched attention to craftsmanship.

Decorate with Rustic and Fall Elements at Home

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Rustic Fall Elements at HomeWe’ll be honest: the fall is one of our favorite times here at Carriage House Furnishings. Why, you might ask? Aside from apple donuts and fall foliage, it’s the season where we can really bring in that rustic feel to everything we do and that starts first with the home.

Here’s how to decorate your home with rustic and fall elements today in preparation for autumn.

Bring in the Fall Fauna and Flora

This one is, perhaps, the easiest: decorate your home with what makes the fall so welcoming. Think about crafting a bouquet of yellow or orange leaves, with pumpkins and colorful gourds. Brown grass and cotton plants will also do the trick. That way, you can bring the autumnal palette indoors—along staircases, in living rooms, or in separate rooms—with an authentic look that’s practical and easy to maintain.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Everywhere

We’ll say it again and again: pumpkins are everything in the fall. And what’s even greater is that there’s a seemingly endless number of pumpkin possibilities. We’re talking pumpkin vases, where you have flowers sprouting out of them; jack-o-lanterns, once Halloween season grows near; and roasted pumpkin seeds, for a delicious, healthy snack, that will also leave the house smelling more like fall than ever.

Wooden Everything

This is certainly an element that we can contribute to: in our minds, fall means wood. The handcraft and charm of wood matches perfectly with the colors of fall (yellow, orange, brown, and red), to give up a seamless flow of color that brightens up every room. Not only can you apply this to wooden crates for decorations, but also, consider our diverse portfolio of wooden furniture to add to whatever room you’re decorating.

With these ideas in mind, get ready to cozy up and enjoy the fall season. Carriage House Furnishings has multiple showrooms where you can browse our Amish made furniture for sale in Lancaster County, PA. Contact us today with any questions.

How to Style and Display Your Cabinets

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Carriage House Furnishings CupboardFor a long time, people didn’t see cabinets beyond their usage. Cabinets merely stored things, and that was it. However, cabinets can be styled and displayed to complement a room’s aesthetic, and say something unique about its usage.

In recent years, display cabinets have increasingly attracted well-deserved attention as a key design component of any home.

Here are some insider tips on you can style your cabinets to enhance your space:

It’s All About Color

 A bland cabinet doesn’t add anything to any room. It’s exactly that: bland. But even the simplest of cabinets can be given a new lease on life through a tried-and-true method: finding the right color. Find the color you’d want to perfectly match the flooring, furniture, and mood of the room, and design your cabinet accordingly.

We suggest shopping for corner cabinets made from rich and sturdy wood. To take it a step further, extend that color palette into the cabinet’s interior. There’s no reason that the entire cabinet shouldn’t come alive. Search for pieces that match the wood of your cabinet to bring the color out.

Smart Arrangements

 Then again, you could have a beautiful cabinet with the perfect color, but everything can fall apart with the arrangement itself. We’ve all seen failed cabinets: the plates and cutlery are stacked high, without any intended effect, and it doesn’t look visually appealing in the last bit.

Many people forget that arrangement can be design-oriented; presenting your possessions in a productive way adds to that effect.

What’s Up Top?

 This happens all the time: people forget that the top of the cabinet provides us with ample space to either store, or present. Use that space wisely: it can act as a great additional way to build upon your cabinet’s style, that doesn’t take any more room. And it’ll be a talking point at any dinner party!

With these style tips in mind, your cabinet can become a focal point of any room it’s in. At Carriage House Furnishings, we offer Amish-style cabinets that can fit well into any space. Contact us today if you have any other questions!

Understanding Rockers and Gliders

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When decorating any nursery room, you’ll likely have to decide between a rocker and a glider.

Rockers and gliders are both essential items throughout your child’s development and will likely be in the family for years.

But many times, customers are unaware of the differences between the two chairs and end up buying a rocker when a glider would’ve been better or vice versa.

Rocker at Carriage House FurnishingsWhat to Know Before Buying a Rocker

Rockers are usually what you first think of when you see a chair in a nursery room—they’re the typical rocking chairs, that rock back and forth.

For infants, the rocking motion is particularly helpful in putting the baby to bed, which will come in handy on those late nights. Many rockers today come equipped with cushions for the parent, and an ottoman to rest their tired legs on as well. However, the classic rocker was typically just a wooden chair with an arched back and arm rests.

At Carriage House Furnishings, we offer a diverse selection of rockers, most of which capture that rustic feel, with aged wood and unique designs. Many of these also look great on a wooden porch or back deck where you can create a quiet, tranquil place to rock your newborn to sleep.

Hickory Swivel Glider at Carriage House FurnishingsWhat to Know Before Buying a Glider

Now, gliders are a lot like rockers and they’re also exactly what they sound like. They’re on a bit more of a rotation than traditional rockers; Instead of rocking, gliders move, or glide, gently along their axis. They take less work to glide than rockers tale to rock, which could

be convenient in the middle of the night when you’re tired and just need a simple, fluent motion. They often come in a variety of styles, either modern or more antique. At Carriage House Furnishings, we offer both: gliders that are both new and cushioned, and others made of aged wood. Take your pick! If you’re going to place it in a nursery for naps and snuggles, we’d suggest a cushioned one.

With this information in hand, you’ll be able to choose the right type of chair for your home.

If you have any questions, just ask us here at Carriage House Furnishings, where rockers or gliders are one of our many specialties. Contact us today!

Tips on Achieving Farmhouse Style at Home

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Tips on Achieving Farmhouse Style at HomeIn recent years, many homeowners located within suburbs and cities have started to decorate their homes in a farmhouse-focused motif.

Farmhouse décor often creates feelings associated with warmth, comfort, and family and many people are busy creating a space that reflects that.

Consider these ideas for creating the charm of a farmhouse within your home.

Creative Signage

If you want to start light with your farmhouse décor, you might consider the use of a  rustic sign for your kitchen or family room. Signs that contain comforting quotes such as “Home,” “Simplify Your Life” and “Bless this Home” will give you and anyone who enters your home a feeling of warmth and inclusion.The

Dining Room

For real farming families, no matter how hard the work might be, they always make time to come together at the sound of the dinner bell to share some quality family time. You can create that feeling in your home by incorporating a finely crafted wooden dining table and chair set. Combine that with expertly made wooden cabinets, side tables, and folksy signage, and you could have a dining room just like those on the farms.

Farmhouse Seating

Think of any farmhouse you have seen in pictures and most people will envision comfortable seating and rocking chairs. There really is nothing like sitting on a finely crafted rocking chair after a long day, and there are many different styles to choose from including single chairs, rocking chairs made for two, and rocking chairs for the kids.

Distressed Paint Finishes

While many people cringe at the idea of chipping at the paint on furniture, when it is artistically done, this technique can give your home the ultimate farmhouse design. Whether you want to take on the project yourself or buy furniture that already has distressed paint finishes, it is a look that is sure to charm. This design is perfectly suitable for tables, chairs, and even shutters.

Whether you decide to settle on a farmhouse motif or you decide to go in another direction, you can find what you need at Carriage House Furnishings. We sell professionally handcrafted furniture and accessories for every room of your house. Contact us today to learn more.

Setting Up Your Ideal Patio

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Setting Up Your Ideal PatioThe warmth of the summer months persuade us to spend most of our time outdoors where we can enjoy the season.  Setting up your ideal patio for the summer depends on your purpose for the patio; will you use your space to accommodate large gatherings of family and friends or for more private, special occasions between you and a loved one?

Patios offer the perfect space for extending your living area and hosting guests outside, here are some ideas on how to set up your summer patio.

A Patio for Entertaining

 Setting up your patio for quality entertaining requires enough furniture to seat and host numerous guests. Gliders fit multiple people comfortably and give guests the choice of moving back and forth or staying still, while fan back gliders offer additional comfort for laying your head back.

Utilize bistro tables spaced out on the patio as the perfect holders of drinks and snacks, especially when hosting larger groups.

A Patio for Romance

Arrange a romantic patio for you and your spouse perfect for misty, glimmering mornings and dreamy, starlit evenings.

Focus on furniture built for two and cuddle close with your special someone on a curved swing or glider and enjoy the great outdoors, and one another, from the comfort of your own home.

A Patio for Relaxing

There is no better way to relax outside your home than by rocking on the patio. Single rockers and gliders placed next to an end table create the perfect combination for relaxing in the seasonal breeze while sipping fresh lemonade in the sun. Grab your favorite book or simply take in the feeling of the sun on your face.

Set up your ideal patio this summer with quality made Amish outdoor furniture from Carriage House Furnishings in Lancaster County, PA.