Handstone Furniture Guide: Custom Solid Wood Furniture Made in Ontario, Canada

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About Handstone Furniture

Handstone started as a one-person woodworking shop in Wallenstein, Ontario in 1999. The company remains family-owned and Mennonite-operated, producing all of its furniture in Ontario using locally sourced Canadian hardwoods.

Their approach is straightforward: every piece is built to order. Handstone does not mass-produce furniture or keep large inventories. When you place an order, their craftspeople select the wood, cut it, build the piece, apply the finish, and ship it to your dealer. This means lead times of 8 to 12 weeks on most items, but you get exactly what you want.

The company has grown from that single woodworker to a full production facility with modern equipment, but they have kept the custom, built-to-order model. Each piece passes through multiple quality checks before leaving the shop.

Furniture Collections

Handstone organizes their furniture into themed collections that share design elements across room categories. This makes it easy to furnish multiple rooms with a cohesive look.

Current Collections

Collections expand regularly, and Handstone dealers can provide the full current catalogue. Some collections are available across all room categories, while others focus on specific rooms.

Wood Types and Finishes

Handstone works with three primary Canadian hardwoods. Each has distinct characteristics that affect the look, feel, and long-term aging of your furniture.

Cherry

Cherry is a warm-toned hardwood that deepens in colour over time. Fresh cherry has a light pinkish-brown tone that gradually darkens to a rich reddish-brown with sun exposure. This natural aging is one of cherry's most appealing qualities. Cherry has a fine, straight grain with occasional mineral streaks that add character.

Best for: Formal dining rooms, traditional bedrooms, pieces you want to develop a patina over decades.

Maple

Hard maple is one of the densest domestic hardwoods available. It has a light, creamy colour with subtle grain patterns. Maple takes stain exceptionally well, which means it can be finished to look like almost any wood species. It resists dents and scratches better than cherry or oak.

Best for: High-traffic pieces like dining tables, children's furniture, and pieces where you want a lighter or painted look.

Red Oak

Red oak has a prominent, open grain pattern that gives furniture a distinctive texture and visual depth. It is slightly less expensive than cherry or maple and is one of the most abundant hardwoods in Canadian forests. Oak takes stain well and offers excellent durability.

Best for: Rustic and traditional styles, larger pieces where the grain pattern adds visual interest, budget-conscious buyers who still want solid wood.

Finish Technology

Handstone uses a multi-step finishing process. The wood is hand-sanded before applying post-catalyzed vinyl sealers followed by post-catalyzed conversion varnish. This professional-grade finish resists water rings, scratches, and everyday wear far better than basic lacquer or polyurethane finishes used on most furniture.

Handstone offers dozens of stain colours across their wood species. Because each wood absorbs stain differently, the same stain colour will look different on cherry versus oak versus maple. Your dealer can show you actual wood samples to help you choose.

Bedroom Furniture

Handstone's bedroom furniture line includes beds, dressers, nightstands, chests, armoires, and mirrors. Bed frames come in standard Canadian sizes from twin to king.

Bed Frame Options

• Panel beds: Traditional look with solid wood headboard and footboard panels
• Platform beds: Low-profile designs that work without a box spring
• Storage beds: Built-in drawers underneath for extra bedroom storage
• Upholstered headboards: Some collections offer fabric-upholstered headboards on solid wood frames

Bedroom Case Goods

Dressers, nightstands, and chests use dovetail drawer construction with full-extension soft-close drawer slides. These details matter for daily use. Dovetail joints are stronger than basic butt joints, and soft-close slides prevent slamming.

Dining Room Furniture

Handstone's dining room line is one of their strongest categories. Tables come in fixed-length and extension designs, with some tables extending to seat 12 or more guests.

Table Styles

• Harvest tables: Long, narrow tables with breadboard ends. Classic Canadian farmhouse look.
• Pedestal tables: Round or oval tops on a central pedestal base. Good for smaller dining rooms.
• Trestle tables: Supported by a horizontal beam with vertical supports at each end. Offers more legroom.
• Live edge tables: Natural wood edges preserved for an organic, rustic appearance (Kenova collection).

Chairs and Seating

Handstone offers both wood and upholstered dining chairs. The AlaCarte program lets you mix and match table bases, tops, and chair styles to create a custom dining set rather than buying a pre-configured package.

Buffets, Hutches, and Sideboards

Dining storage pieces are available in most collections. These range from compact sideboards for condos to full-width buffet and hutch combinations for formal dining rooms.

Living Room and Entertainment

Handstone's living room furniture includes coffee tables, end tables, sofa tables, bookcases, and entertainment centres.

Entertainment Centres

Their entertainment units accommodate modern flat-screen TVs and include cable management features. Options range from compact wall-mounted shelving to full wall units with closed storage, glass doors, and adjustable shelving.

Occasional Tables

Coffee tables and end tables are available across most collections, making it easy to match your living room pieces to your dining furniture. Many designs include a lower shelf or drawer for storage.

Customization Options

Customization is the core of Handstone's business. Here is what you can specify on most pieces:

This level of customization is rare at the price points Handstone offers. Most furniture brands charge significantly more for custom options, or they simply do not offer them at all.

Canadian Pricing

Handstone furniture is priced in the mid-to-upper range for solid wood Canadian-made furniture. It costs more than imported furniture from big-box retailers, but considerably less than designer or luxury custom furniture shops.

Prices vary based on wood species (cherry is typically the most expensive), stain options, hardware selections, and piece size. Custom sizing may add 10 to 20 percent to the base price.

Quality and Construction

Several construction details set Handstone apart from mass-produced furniture:

Joinery

Handstone uses traditional joinery methods including dovetail joints on drawers and mortise-and-tenon joints on structural connections. These joints are stronger and more durable than the dowels, staples, and cam locks used in flat-pack furniture.

Wood Selection

All wood is kiln-dried to a precise moisture content before construction. This prevents warping, cracking, and seasonal movement that can affect furniture made from improperly dried lumber. Handstone hand-selects their cherry, maple, and red oak for grain consistency and minimal defects.

Finishing

The multi-step finish process using post-catalyzed conversion varnish creates a hard, durable surface. This is the same type of finish used in high-end cabinetry and commercial furniture. It resists water, heat, and everyday abrasion far better than the lacquer or polyurethane found on most consumer furniture.

Hardware

Drawer slides are full-extension, soft-close ball-bearing mechanisms. Hinges on doors are also soft-close. These components are commercial-grade and easily replaceable if needed decades down the road.

Where to Buy Handstone in Ontario

Handstone sells exclusively through authorized dealers. They do not sell direct to consumers from their factory. This means you will always work with a local furniture store that can show you samples, help with customization, and arrange delivery.

Authorized Dealers

Ontario has a strong network of Handstone dealers, particularly in Southern Ontario. Dealers include independent furniture stores in cities like Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie, and the surrounding regions.

What to Expect When Ordering

• Lead time: 8 to 12 weeks for custom orders (this is normal for built-to-order furniture)
• Delivery: Your dealer arranges delivery. Many offer white glove service (room placement and packaging removal).
• Warranty: Handstone provides a warranty through their dealer network. Specific terms vary, so ask your dealer for details.
• Returns: Custom-built furniture is typically non-returnable. This is why seeing samples in person before ordering is so important.

Handstone vs. Other Canadian Furniture Makers

Frequently Asked Questions

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