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Black Carriage Furniture

A century ago, the idea of handcrafted furniture made with care from real wood had not yet passed from memory, yet today, the chances are that the most cherished piece of furniture in a home once belonged to someone’s grandparents or great-grandparents. Heirloom-quality furniture, the furniture we want to see our children and grandchildren inherit, enjoy, and pass along to the next generation, is rarely manufactured by today’s modern furniture companies and rarely sold in today’s modern furniture marts.

The tradition of handcrafted, heirloom-quality furniture has not died, however, and here in Grand Junction, that tradition is being carried on by Jerald and Candi Hawkins of Black Carriage Furniture. Tradition is, in fact, important to them both. “We’re both native to the area; Candi’s from Grand Junction, and I grew up in Collbran,” says Jerald. “My family homesteaded the Collbran area in the late nineteenth century, and Candi and I used to ranch up there. Then we moved to Iowa in 1987 and had a farm there. That’s where we met the Amish.” That meeting was fortuitous for everyone involved. “The Amish were our neighbors and they became our good friends. They made beautiful furniture by hand, the old-fashioned way, and Candi and I got the idea to open a store and sell it.”

“We missed Colorado, though,” continues Jerald, “and the weather, and the outdoor activities, so we decided to sell the store and our farm and move back home. We opened our store here, Black Carriage Furniture, in 1999, and we love it. It’s a family-owned and operated business. Both of us have had sisters working here with us. We have lots of family and friends throughout the area, and we like catering to our friends. We like being home. It’s kind of nice having that small town feeling where you can make friends with your customers.”

When moving back from Iowa, Jerald and Candi brought some of the best of what they found there home with them: the Amish furniture. “We still sell the very same Amish handcrafted furniture that we sold in Iowa,” explains Jerald, “made by our close friends. It’s not like working with a factory. They’re friends of ours, and we still see them regularly. They even visit us out here when they can.”

“The furniture they make is of absolutely the highest quality,” says Jerald, “heirloom-quality, and we’re proud to sell it. You can’t surpass it. It’s all handmade, and it’s all put together the old-fashioned way. The drawers are all dovetailed; there’s no particle board or plywood anywhere, not even the backs or drawer bottoms; real wooden dowels and wood screws are used throughout, no staples; it’s all hand-finished, hand-rubbed. It’s solid and beautiful, and it will last your lifetime.”

“If you buy a piece of Amish furniture,” continues Jerald, “you can be assured that a matching piece can be made for it later, because it’s all hand crafted. They’ll make it to your specifications. If you see a dresser or table you like but want it bigger or smaller or made of a different wood, we can special order it to your needs, and the Amish will be happy to make it for you. They have that old time work ethic, and they’re good, honest people to work with. They don’t cut any corners or take any shortcuts.”

Adds Candi, “I agree with Jerald one hundred percent. It feels good to know that when you sell someone a piece of furniture, it’s going to last their lifetime and their kids’ lifetimes and probably their grandkids’ lifetimes. We’re proud to sell the Amish furniture. And it’s not just about the furniture: It’s about servicing your friends and your community.”

Black Carriage Furniture is open 10am to 6pm, Monday through Saturday at 1340 North Avenue. For more information, call (970) 263-4433, or you can visit their Web site at www.blackcarriagefurniture.com. Jerald and Candi are happy to ship anywhere in the lower forty-eight states.