Christmas Order Deadline

Frequently Asked Questions

▼Why are some prices not listed?

All our solid wood furniture is built to order by local Mennonites craftspeople. Due to the numerous choices of wood and finish options, all which can affect the product’s price, providing a single retail price can be wildly misleading. Moreover, providing multiple prices can be confusing, so we have chosen not to display pricing online. If there is a particular product you are interested in, please call us at 519-747-1832, or visit our showroom, and we’d be happy to answer all your questions.

◄How long does an order take?

All our products take 6-10 weeks to be produced from the date of ordering. This time-frame is required to ensure quality and coordinate proper finishing schedules between various craftspeople.

◄Do you sell infant or children's furniture?

All our bedroom styles are available in a twin (39") and double (54"). As all of our solid wood furniture is handcrafted to order, we can customize the size of any individual piece to make it friendly for a child's bedroom. We do not offer any infant (ie cribs) furniture. For a customer interested in solid wood infant furniture, we recommend Rooms to Grow (www.roomstogrow.ca), a family-owned business located in Oakville, Ontario. They offer a great variety of quality, solid wood infant furniture.

◄Do you have other store locations?

St. Jacobs Furnishings is a family-owned business run out of Waterloo, Ontario. We currently have one location found on the east end of the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market.

◄Where is your furniture made?

St. Jacobs Furnishings is a proudly Canadian furniture retailer. All our solid-wood furniture is produced locally by Mennonite craftspeople. We work with about 15 different builders. Some of our Mennonite partners are just small shops of only two or three builders whereas other shops are more industrious with 10+ craftspeople building various styles. While some of our builders do their own finishing, we also have a partnered finishing shop in the Region. Our upholstered goods are from Palliser which manufactures their Canadian products in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

◄What is the difference between old wood and new wood in your barn board furniture?

St. Jacobs Furnishings is proud to offer barn board furniture. We offer our barn board product in both “new” and “old” (reclaimed) wood. “New” wood is harvested pine that has gone through the traditional forestry and lumber process. Barn board furniture made in “new” wood is made to look old and worn, although the wood itself was recently harvested. “Old” wood is wood that has been reclaimed from barns in Southern Ontario. Consequently, each piece of “old” wood furniture has the unique character of the wood within it. Each board has a different story. Some boards are more worn and weathered, splintered, stained or nailed through. “Old” wood furniture is always a unique piece. As “old” wood boards are potentially hundreds of years old, all of our reclaimed wood is kiln dried to ensure they are treated properly beforehand

◄What are the custom options?

All of our solid-wood furniture is hand-produced to order - it does not come from a warehouse. Therefore, each piece can be customized to various degrees. Simple customizations like variations to height or depth are a daily part of our business. More elaborate customizations of unique one-only pieces may be possible, though there are limitations. To know more, please email or visit us here at the store with your custom ideas.

◄What wood options are there?

Our solid wood furniture is typically available in Maple, Brown Maple and Wormy Maple, Oak and ¼ Oak, and Pine. We also have the ability to offer Walnut and Cherry on certain products. Finally, we have a reclaimed barn board product offering that is available in both “new” and “old” wood (see above). On various products, different texturing is an option which can change the appearance of the wood and stain. Moreover, each wood and texturing style stains uniquely, so we have individual stain boards with our regular stains to help guide your choice. As always, it is best to visit the store to personally see and feel the wood and stain.

◄How do I care for my solid wood furniture?

To properly care for wood furniture humidity levels in a house should be maintained around 40% throughout the year. This level is generally achieved by utilizing air conditioners in the summer and humidifiers in the winter. Likewise, furniture should not be placed in direct sunlight to avoid the wood heating up or drying out excessively. As well, furniture should not be placed above or in the path of heat sources which could cause the wood to again dry out and crack. Conversely, solid-wood furniture should not be exposed to overly humid areas of your house like bathrooms. If you are unsure about your furniture please feel free to contact us here at the store, we would be happy to work with you to ensure your solid-wood furniture is passed on to future generations.

◄I have a question that isn’t answered here, where can I get help?

Feel free to get in touch with us at info@stjacobsfurnishings.ca, or give us a call at 519-747-1832 with any additional questions you have and our team will be happy to help. Or, feel free to go to our contact page to submit a request.