Handcrafted, Made in America
“High-tech/High-touch” – we used to say in the sixties. 21st century life full of mass-produced goods, technical communications gizmos, ever-changing software requirements, impersonal on-line shopping make hand-made, personalized, one-of-a-kind products that much more attractive to each of us. Logo t-shirts make bill-boards of our kids. Throw-away phones, adding machines, appliances, home furnishings add to the landfill and despoil the earth.
Another approach entirely features American handiwork – the “high-touch” of today. Look at the 20,000,000 quilters in America today. Consider the craft fairs in every community across our country. Look at the American ingenuity found in the labor-saving tools of yesteryear in our antique stores today. There is a wealth of handwork knowledge and skill in our past that could be lost if not used in our 21st century lives. Ironically the demands of those 20 million quilters support the textile and sewing machine industries in America today as American housewives no longer sew the family wardrobe. There is a large – and largely unmet – demand for personalized, hand-made goods today.
The Buffalo Collection in rural western Colorado features hand-crafted braiding and lacing from the western rein-making tradition as well as leather appliqué stitching in its furniture designs. We use only leather from the American icon – the American Buffalo. Hides come from the Midwest, are tanned by a European-trained tanner in Mexico, and are upholstered by the best in the business, Hancock & Moore in Hickory NC using designs drawn for the contemporary American West.
Our local skilled American artisans translate the handwork of the past into heirloom pieces made for today.
Imagine hand-braided welting edging your sofa. Imagine appliquéd raised designs on the back of a show-stopping sofa or chair in your living room. We’ve just found a collection of Western etchings to use in these designs. Your design suggestions and patterns are welcome for incorporation in a piece made for you.
Others in our area make wooden case goods, tables – coffee tables, side tables, console tables etc., blown glass lamps and chandeliers, turned wood bowls. Their works compliment ours and make a unique contemporary American West look. We include these local artisans’ goods in our showrooms and furniture vignettes places in 20 showrooms across the country.
I’d like to hear from you, tell me about your handcrafted wares.
And to learn more about leather check out…buffaloleatherstore.com to see the variety of American Buffalo leather available for your design projects such as reupholstering, stair runners, and wall treatments.
Hope to talk with you more.
Julie Littlefield
The Buffalo Collection at Scenic Mesa, owner
