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!

Resolutions that are made to be broken

Well, we're now one month into 2009 and I'm trying to remember the last time my New Year's resolutions didn't include some alteration to my eating habits (the dreaded "D" word). and the solemn vow to turn my treadmill from a clothes hanger back into a fully functioning piece of exercise equipment. Well, I hate to break a streak so I've decided to resolve to eat more fruits and less junk. I will limit my diet soda habit to no ore than one per day. And dark chocolate — which I consider a health food for its antioxidant power — will no longer be one of my primary food groups. And I promise to take my eager dog for more frequent walks, with the firm understanding that cold temperatures and foul weather are reasonable excuses for skipping those jaunts.

I don't know if I'm still feeling some residual warmth from the holiday spirit but I have also resolved to be a better businessperson. No, I wasn't visited by three spirits. In a time when businesses are closing their doors and people are losing their jobs and their homes, the community as a whole needs to work harder for the good of the whole, not just the one.

Price reductions are not the answer — at least not for ClearLake Furniture. The process of hand-crafting furniture with the exceptional quality we produce can't be compromised. To save money and reduce the prices, we'd have to hurry it up, move faster, and cut a few corners, and that's just not acceptable.

Instead, we are looking at ways to support both our customers and the people who are in need. In 2009, I will look to you for suggestions as to how we can be part of the solution to help those most in need. In future posts here, I will share some of the suggestions from our staff, customers friends, and colleagues, so please stay tuned! We can work together to regain the strength that has been the benchmark of this wonderful country.