From timber frame to modern mission – the story of an old mill
By Mark Weaver
The old feed mill in the village of Charm was doing okay, but as a man who loves to design new things, Leon Mast had to make just a few changes. So he and his father turned it into a furniture store.
True, they cleaned out the last of the grain, tore down part of the building, renovated what was left, and added on a few times. But it is the old feed mill, and Ole Mill Furniture comes by its name honestly. There’s not much to see of the original structure. But a few hand-hewn beams remain; a reminder of the solid old building that stood the test of time.
So Leon Mast didn’t get rid of the old building, or the traditional conviction that doing the right thing is good for business. At Ole Mill Furniture the old values remain, the unseen structure supporting a solid business. For Mast, there’s a simple test of his effectiveness. “I like selling to local people, because that means you’ve got good quality, you’ve got good prices,” he said.
While there’s an expectation that Amish craftsmen are building furniture of the same quality they have for generations, Mast sees it differently. “We probably have better quality now than we’ve ever had.” Part of that is in response to customers’ expectations. Mast believes buyers are more discriminating than they were when Ole Mill started in 1986. As a result, the local craftsmen that build his furniture are paying more attention to detail.
But it’s not just quality that’s improving. They’re also paying attention to changing styles. Mast said of his furniture builders, “They’ve worked pretty hard, coming up with new styles to keep up with what people are asking for.” He pointed out a traditional bedroom set that’s been popular for 15 years, but that’s the exception. The store is selling more of the Mission and Shaker styles, the arts and crafts look, and more modern looks, too.
But Mast’s real love is what you won’t find in any other store – his very own designs. “I like to come up with my own designs, especially my bedroom furniture,” he said. “I like to have something different that nobody else has.” He pointed out one dark-stained suite of brown maple with straight lines, which he described as a Modern Mission style.
Just like some of their furniture isn’t the traditional style Amish Country is known for, so their building is more than it appears to be. “A lot of people are surprised when they start walking through,” said Mast, “because from the outside it doesn’t look that big, and then you go into all these different rooms, and it just keeps going.” There’s more than 7,000-square-feet of furniture and accessories, and the smaller rooms of the original building and renovations are well suited to room-style displays. There’s no expansive warehouse space here, and there’s no warehouse mentality either.
Instead, there’s time to spend with individual customers. “I enjoy working with people, finding out what their furniture needs are,” said salesperson Joanne Chupp. Of course, every customer is different. “Some people come in knowing exactly what they want, other people don’t have a clue,” she said. Either way, “forming that relationship is key for me.”
With all the choices available, that individual attention is important. Choices such as wood species for their furniture, whether it’s the current favorite rustic cherry, the antique look of quarter-sawn white oak, or the increasingly popular brown maple. Then there are door styles, colors, hardware options, and more. If the standard choices aren’t quite right, Ole Mill will build a special size or create a custom color. Or Mast will sit down with a customer and design a one-of-a-kind piece.
Ole Mill Furniture has a full range of wood furniture, all created by local craftsmen. They have bedroom suites, dining room furniture, sofa tables, entertainment centers and hutches, kitchen islands and even office furniture. There’s a lodge style room for the guy who would rather be outdoors. They also have upholstered furniture and P. Graham Dunn pieces, pictures, plaques, candles and other accessories.
So for the person who just wants more of the same, this might not be the place to look. Mast is clear about what he really loves. “I want to continue to design new things, that’s what I enjoy.” It takes a stop at the old feed mill to see the styles created by Leon Mast, a visit to Ole Mill Furniture.
