Made in the USA: Homegrown decor keeps your project patriotic
Americans who want to express their patriotism and help their fellow Americans remain employed have increasingly chosen to purchase as many of their goods as possible from vendors who stamp their products with a “Made in USA” label, which means that the product is “all or virtually all” made in the United States.
Those who wish to follow their patriotic leanings when redecorating their home are certainly able to do so.
When it comes to bathrooms, Bath Planet, which is based in Streamwood, offers stylish, cost-effective and low-maintenance 100 percent virgin acrylic bath improvements like walls, shower bases, tubs, seat benches and corner shelves and all of them are manufactured at their 260,000-square-foot plant in Libertyville where they employ about 200 workers.
“Our exclusive product line, ranging from spa showers to walk-in tubs, is constructed out of the toughest acrylic — specially designed to withstand the wear and tear of daily bathroom use,” the Bath Planet website states.
“The acrylic is custom-fitted to your existing bathroom and installed with triple-seal technology. Not only will your new bathtub or shower be stunning, but it will also fit seamlessly into your current design and protect your home from harmful water damage.”
“We have 149 dealers all over the country who order their customers' bath items from Libertyville,” explained Kevin Gustafson, sales manager. “Locally, we are fortunate that the factory is so close because if one of our crews is missing something when they get to a job, we can courier it there immediately and the customer doesn't have to wait like they might if it was being made overseas.”
Local customers can get installation of Bath Planet products right over the existing ugly wall tile and chipped or faded tub or shower in as little as four or five days.
In addition, customers' old cast iron tubs are often sent to scrappers for recycling and, if their discarded acrylic tub is still in decent shape, Bath Planet donates it to a local Habitat for Humanity for use in one of their houses. They do the same for bath fixtures that are still in good shape, Gustafson said.
New interior doors for bedrooms, bathrooms and closets, made by HomeStory, can be another American-made investment when you are improving your home.
Today, with almost no hassle, you can transform an entire home by replacing old, uninspiring doors with stylish new ones, thanks to major advances in technology, according to Chris Dufton, procurement manager for HomeStory, based in California, a firm which manufactures replacement doors for residences.
This American company is literally taking a home renovation that used to take lots of time and involved hiring a contractor, and is transforming it into something that only takes a couple of hours or days, depending on the number of doors involved.
“We do all of the milling and painting of our totally custom doors at our plant in Lincoln, California, and we purchase our supplies from North Carolina-based Jeld-Wen and Florida-based Masonite. In addition, much of the wood we use — alder and Douglas fir — comes from Oregon,” Dufton said.
“Ninety-nine percent of the doors we make are painted since we offer nine different shades of white and also a black. Only about one percent of our doors are coated with a water-based clear coat so that homeowners can enjoy the wood,” he continued.
“We are only limited in what we can do by the structure of each home. We only work with the existing frames. We do not widen doorways,” Dufton added.
And they work with another American company, Tru-Style in Colorado, to custom-make narrower doors like those needed for broom closets.
New furniture for that re-decoration project is also easily sourced from the United States. O'Reilly's Furniture in Libertyville offers a wide variety of American-made items, many of them wood ones made by Amish and Mennonite craftsmen, according to Michael Walsh, owner.
“Our Amish and Mennonite craftsmen, many of whom are based in central Ohio, take tremendous pride in their craftsmanship and quality and they stand behind it for life,” Walsh said.
They use North American hardwoods — primarily maple and oak, but also walnut, hickory, cherry and elm — and can create anything a customer desires, he said.
“We can show them a photo or drawing from a catalog and send them custom measurements and they will create what the customer wants with the exact edge and stain color, too. It is spectacular. You can't find this much choice elsewhere,” Walsh continued.
“They can even create a new dining chair if you lost or broke one and it will match the others you still have. In addition, if you bought a bedroom set and later want to add some additional pieces like side tables, they can make ones to match your set.”
O'Reilly Furniture has scores of Amish samples showing various styles, woods, stains and more to help homeowners make their choices.
“We understand that most people want visual cues to help them make their decisions because we offer countless options,” Walsh explained. “Those who are freshening up their homes today generally tend toward maple, often quarter-sawn maple. And others who want a newer, more unique look with a feathery grain, opt for elm.”
As for upholstery and leather items, you can also find quality pieces made in the United States, Walsh stated. Their opening price point upholstery line is made in Tennessee by England Furniture Inc. Delivery on items from this line generally happens within three weeks.
They also sell higher-end upholstery pieces, once again made by Mennonites, Amish and others at Smith Brothers of Berne, Indiana. “These are items of impeccable quality,” Walsh said.
Their top grain leather sectionals and couches are made by Omnia Furniture, based in California.
Across all upholstery and leather lines, Walsh said that browns, beiges and grays are still the dominant choices, but blue in all shades is coming on strong among accent pieces, as is red — but to a lesser extent.
“And when it comes to upholstery fabrics, we are mainly seeing abstract blendings of colors. Florals and other designs are no longer a top choice,” Walsh stated.