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French Antiques
Bringing Old-World Style Home By Suzy Feine
The Farmhouse Collection in Twin Falls, Idaho, features high-quality handmade furniture utilizing the construction and finishing techniques of the old world – 18th and 19th century joinery methods like mortis and tenon and dovetailing, hand-applied stain, paint and gesso finishes, and free-hand art and motif work. Brooke Restemeyer and her mother, Ellen, began the business out of their love for country antiques.
The Farmhouse Collection specializes in numerous styles of fine, handmade wood furniture. "Originally, our line had about 13 pieces in it," says Restemeyer. "Today we have over 175 different styles and we offer a complete line of wooden case goods. We are probably best known for our beds, but our top sellers also include aroires, dining tables, chest of drawers, coffee, game and side tables and chairs."
Each furniture piece from The Farmhouse Collection is hand crafted. "All pieces are worked on by a master craftsman with the assistance of a journeyman and an apprentice," says Restemeyer. "Our staff is entirely from the State of Idaho; however, we have brought in talented finishers and craftsmen from the East Coast and the Midwest to train our craftsmen. Our artists are all formally trained and educated and we send them to seminars or workshop classes in San Francisco periodically to stimulate their creative process and further their art education."
Prospective buyers tend to select pieces from The Farmhouse Collection when they cannot find an antique that works for their living needs. "The Farmhouse Collection is creating the 'antiques of tomorrow,'" Restemeyer says. "All of our pieces are hand-signed and tagged with a brass plate to serve as a 'birth record,' ensuring that our pieces will be identifiable as original Farmhouse Collection works. Additionally, our hand-signed message can be personalized so that the original owner will always be tied to the piece's history."
