ARCOLA, Ill. -- The bright blue logo on the sign in front of Kauffman Amish Furniture Outlet signifies a new destination for shoppers looking for locally made products in Illinois’ Amish Country.
Owner Kevin Kauffman opened Kauffman Amish Furniture Outlet in the former Country Charm store on Jan. 1. After the addition of new products and a bit of redecorating, the new outlet store held its grand opening the first weekend in March.
As its name implies, the showrooms are filled with furniture made by local Amish craftsmen. Most items carry the Simply Amish name, the brand Kauffman has owned for 28 years. Before now the focus was on national distribution to dealers and sales through a retail location in Indianapolis. But now Kauffman is ready to promote his products to a new set of shoppers -- the local community.
“The people who come here to shop are definitely interested in locally made products,” Kauffman said. “The main focus is to get things locally made, first and foremost.”
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And that is something he can deliver. A vast majority of the 50 Amish craftsmen that build the Simply Amish furniture live within 20 miles of the store. The hardwoods they use are sourced following sustainable forestry practices.
Living room, bedroom, dining room and office furniture is available in a variety of styles such as modern farmhouse, arts and crafts, traditional and contemporary. According to Kauffman, the transitional style is one of the most popular right now and is a blend of traditional and contemporary styles. Dining room and bedroom furniture are the most popular products, accounting for about two-thirds of the store’s inventory.
“One thing people don’t realize is how much furniture is in the store,” Kauffman said. “There is a misconception that Amish furniture is a style of its own. People are surprised at the different styles that we have to offer.”
The team at Simply Amish does a lot of the furniture design in-house. The Amish craftsmen then build each piece to those specifications and standards, Kauffman said.
The furniture carried in the store is all custom-built, but is offered with one minor detail missing -- everything on the showroom floor is available without the traditional wait time for custom orders.
“The inventory changes weekly,” Kauffman said. “The goal is to sell product off the floor so you don’t have to wait. They (customers) get to take it home today or have it delivered tomorrow.”
The complete line of Simply Amish furniture is also available to order as well. In fact, during the grand opening, over half of the sales were custom orders, Kauffman said.
While hardwood furniture is the foundation of Kauffman Amish Furniture Outlet, a new collection of outdoor furniture lines the store’s front walkway and side patio. The porch swings, Adirondack chairs and other outdoor items are built by Amish craftsmen in Indiana using polywood, a product made from recycled plastic jugs. A bent polywood chair with a lumbar support is unique to this area and has been the most popular outdoor product so far, Kauffman said.
Kauffman is also looking to fill any voids in the showroom floor with other types of locally made items that would be of interest to customers. So far he has added homemade jams, jellies, butters and salsa, meat products, freehand painted signs made of reclaimed pallets, rugs, candles, photography and even kitchen towels shaped like angels.
“We really want to support the local artisans,” he said. “We want people to shop locally for locally made products.”
With the strong tourism industry in the Arcola area, Kauffman Amish Furniture Outlet draws those visitors as well.
