Anyone seeking custom, American-made hardwood furniture might want to take a spin through the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer.
Nestled inside the shopping center off Route 28 is The Amish Home, a furniture showroom that in recent years built such a clientele that expansion was necessary.
It’s housed in an 8,000-square-foot space, double the size of the original storefront, not far from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
“What the Amish builders do is unlike anything else,” salesman Matt Frank said.
The Oakmont resident started at the store about five years ago after a former career in retail sales. He said the craftsmanship alone sells the pieces, which are built to order in a customer’s choice of wood and stain.
Bedroom sets, dining room tables, rocking chairs and more are designed to fit a range of styles and budgets, said Chelsea Marshall, who manages the store.
She has been with the store since 2010, just a year after it moved into the Mills.
At that time, the furniture store occupied two smaller spaces across the hall but built a strong reputation — which spurred expansion.
Marshall of Verona was responsible for a major website overhaul in 2016 that she said focuses on the one-of-a-kind merchandise crafted by 45 Amish families from Ohio.
“That was really successful and drew a lot of attention,” she said.
“Our furniture is solid wood and made with a focus on quality. It’s not cheap. It’s meant to last.”
Prices at The Amish Home start at $2,000 for a dining room table and four chairs, but can climb substantially depending on details. A bedroom set starts at $5,000.
Details are left to the customer’s imagination. From a beveled edge to site-specific size, the furniture can fit any desire.
“Everyone has different needs,” Marshall said. “We’ve gotten rid of computer desk drawers for tall people so their knees can fit. We’ve built drawers under a bed for storage. We just need to know what you want, and we’ll build it.”
She cited a Regent Square couple who needed to maximize efficiency in an oddly-shaped 1900s house. They requested a king-size bed with a bookcase headboard that had to fit up an L-shaped staircase.
“We made it happen,” Marshall said.
In recent years, Frank said the store has seen an uptick in young buyers attracted to the heirloom quality of furniture.
“We’re seeing more who choose to skip the disposable phase of furniture,” Frank said.
“You can buy it piece by piece as you can afford it,” he said, adding that Amish builders certify a match to wood and stain options from past builds.
Marshall and Frank said the store relies on reputation to sustain its growth. It has continued to thrive despite a lackluster atmosphere at the Mills, where 75% of storefronts are vacant.
Hallways that were filled with more than 120 retailers when the mall opened in 2005 are now mostly empty.
“We’ve never really been able to rely on people walking through the mall,” Marshall said.
“But we are fortunate that we have phenomenal word of mouth.”