My promise to our customers

The economy has grasped businesses in a stranglehold that is choking the life and breath out of our sense of security. Every day, the news headlines have a depressing array of more announcements of layoffs and business closures. We've seen starving businesses respond with drastic reductions, slashing their profits in order to keep their doors open a little bit longer.

I don't think the answer is to do business more cheaply. We should be doing it better. We are all working as hard as we can, so perhaps we need to work smarter. 

What does that mean? Well, we need to focus on doing our job without distractions or shortcuts, to forge ahead with innovations that will continue to improve our products and services, and keep our eyes on our number one priority: you, the customer.

I believe the best thing we can do for our customers is to look at what you need for your home or office and to provide you with the quality that lasts a lifetime. The way I see ClearLake Furniture, it is our job to:

• Live up to your standards of excellence — and then exceed them with furniture that is crafted to your liking and built with only the best materials by highly skilled artisans.
• Continue to create new designs for fine hardwood furniture that meets your need for function and desire for style.
• Help you to customize your furniture with your choice of materials, sizes, and details so that you get exactly what you want.
• Communicate with you throughout the process of crafting your furniture so that you know how it's progressing and when it will be delivered to you.
• Coordinate delivery that is convenient for you!
• Back up everything we build with the guarantee of your 100% satisfaction.
• Be your resource for solutions about your furniture, its maintenance, your decorating challenges. and other needs we can meet.
• Respect your concerns, welcome your inquiries, and address your requests promptly courteously, and professionally at all times.

If you ever feel we have not lived up to any of these responsibilities, please email me at brent@clearlakefurniture.com. And if we've done a good job for you, feel free to let me know that, too!

Smith Brothers joins our furniture family.

There are a lot of comings and goings in our ClearLake Furniture showroom, particularly with our upholstered pieces, which comes in on an almost weekly basis, but disappears from the showroom floor with equal speed.

Smith Brothers of Berne's upholstery has proven to be the right addition to our furniture "family" When we were looking to expand our choices in this area, we looked at a lot of companies, but none came so close to our own business mission as Smith Brothers. The quality craftsmanship, timeless designs, and attention to detail and personal service were a solid match with our own.

We looked at many companies and got a lesson in furniture buying! There is a vast difference in the construction of upholstered furniture, just like with hardwood pieces. But at least with our hardwood furniture, you can see every bit of the construction! With upholstery you can be so easily distracted by the fabric and style that you might miss some of the simple flaws.

Here's what I like about Smith Brothers of Berne and, more importantly, why YOU should, too:

• The frames are made of kiln-dried hardwood maple to resist warping, which can occur from household humidity.
• Smith Brothers' coil spring suspension is machine-tied for maximum durability.
• The suspension features an elevated front support edge for better sitting and longer life.
• Each seat is individually supported and floated over the frame.
• The legs are built-in so they won't loosen or break.
• The back and seat cushions are polyester-wrapped, which adds plushness and prevents the covers from slipping around the foam core.
• Every piece carries a lifetime construction warranty.

When you're shopping for upholstered furniture, be sure to compare these features with the pieces you're considering. And if they can't offer a lifetime warranty, be sure to ask why!

The story of the "All Come Home" table

Every year, we at ClearLake Furniture support the public schools in our area by donating to the live auction for the Okemo Community Challenge Ski Ball. This black-tie event is one of the biggest fundraisers each year. In the past, we've contributed gift certificates. Auction guests "won" $500 certificates for a little less than the face value and the Challenge raised much-needed money. All were happy.

I decided to do something more interesting this year. I designed and crafted a one-of-a-kind console table with two drawers. The top was made of Vermont maple with a cherry base and legs. But this is a one-of-a-kind table for a different reason. I added a cherry inlay on the maple table top with the words "all come home", which is the English translation of the Indian word "Okemo".

I've done many wood inlays in my career as a furniture crafters, but this one was by far the most challenging. Getting the curves right and fitting them tightly into the table top took many hours. I enlisted the help of the sign shop at Okemo Mountain Resort with their laser-cutting tools, which was a definite help.

The "all come home" table has a few other features that make it truly unique. For the top, I chose tapped maple because it had some beautiful streaks that resulted from moisture seeping in around the tap holes. This particular maple was "rescued" from being firewood, having been felled at a construction site in northern Vermont. The cherry for the base and legs was FSC-certified wood.

I also built in a secret drawer, which is a common feature in antiques. This practice dates back to the days when people didn't trust banks to store their precious treasures and papers. It seemed like a good add-on for this table, given the current state of our financial system.

In all, I invested more than 50 hours working on this one piece. It was a labor of love because I, too, support our schools and recognize that they need more than their meager budgets can provide. The table which would retail for $3,500 (if I had the energy to do this again) sold for $2,550 at the auction.

I feel good that this year, I donated more than gift certificates. I contributed my time, creative energy, and the skills that I have invested a lifetime in building. Giving doesn't need to require writing a check. Time is precious. Give it wisely!

Upholstery: The "cushier" side of ClearLake

Our marketing maven Sue has been bugging me to write more about our upholstery. She says people don't realize that we also sell upholstered furniture that reflects the same quality of our custom-crafted hardwood pieces.

Maybe I spend so much time in the workshop beneath our showroom that I don't see these pieces coming and going so quickly. I know the upholstered furniture is wonderful, even though I'm not usually permitted to sit in it because of my sawdust-covered pants.

Since Sue is also a customer, I suggested that she should stop nagging me and use that energy to write about our collection of Smith Brothers Upholstery furniture herself so I could get back to the workshop. So, here is what she gave me:

Our family purchased a new recliner from ClearLake Furniture for my 85 year-old father for Christmas. He was thrilled to get a replacement for the tired, old chair in which he has been spending his days, where he eats, watches (and yells at) the television, and snuggles his beloved poodle. I think my mother was even happier to see that old chair go to a local charity. But let me tell you about the process of getting this chair, because I think THIS is what truly distinguishes ClearLake Furniture from its competitors:

• Hannah took the time to help me choose the chair and showed me the exceptional construction of both the frame and the cushions. Then she guided me through the fabric choice, wisely helping me pulling out swatches that reflected the wall colors and other pieces in the living room so we could find the fabric that would work best. She was fantastic!
• Once I ordered the chair, Barbara stayed in touch and let me know when it arrived at the shop — a week earlier than expected! She went to great pains to coordinate the shipping with me. She's a real asset to ClearLake!
• The delivery men showed up on time. That, in itself, is a phenomenon in these days of "we'll be there between noon and whenever." They were very careful with the chair and extremely friendly, even after the long day they had already endured.

ClearLake Furniture is not just a furniture maker. You are a team of highly talented professionals who make the experience memorable!

Here's one more compliment for you. Both my sister and sister-in-law said the recliner was so beautiful that they would want it in THEIR homes — and if you knew how picky both of these women are, you'd know this is the highest compliment!

So, when are you going to start telling the world about your wonderful upholstered furniture???

Thanks, Sue I think I just did!