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Handstone Furniture: What to Know Before You Buy, From Your Ontario Dealer

5 hours ago
7 min read

By Mark and Denise, owners of Oak Unlimited Furniture, family-run in Bowmanville since 1995 | Last updated September 2026


Quick answer: Handstone is a family-owned Canadian furniture maker in Wallenstein, Ontario that has built solid wood furniture since 1999. Every piece is made to order in cherry, maple or red oak, with your choice of stain, hardware and size. Oak Unlimited offers more than a dozen Handstone collections through our Bowmanville store and delivers free across the GTA and the Kawarthas.

If you have been shopping for solid wood furniture in Ontario, Handstone furniture has probably come up more than once. It is one of the most respected names in Canadian made furniture, and for good reason. After more than three decades of selling solid wood in Bowmanville, we still recommend it to customers who want a piece that will stay in the family.


This guide covers who Handstone is, how their furniture is built, how ordering works, and which collections suit which homes, so you can walk into a showroom already knowing what to ask.


Handstone solid wood bedroom furniture on display at Oak Unlimited Furniture in Bowmanville, Ontario

Who makes Handstone furniture?

Handstone furniture is made by Handstone, a family-owned manufacturer based in Wallenstein, Ontario. The company started in 1999 as a small woodworking shop and still builds every piece in Ontario from hand-selected Canadian cherry, maple and red oak. Its craftspeople are local, and its raw materials come from Canadian forests.


That combination of family ownership and modern equipment is what sets Handstone apart. The team hand-selects its lumber and hand-sands each piece, but it also designs every piece using a CAD (computer-aided design) system, so joints and proportions are precise from the first build to the hundredth.


In practical terms, Handstone gives you the feel of a small workshop with the consistency of a well-equipped factory. You get furniture with character, and you can trust that the dresser you order will match the nightstand you add three years later.


What makes Handstone furniture different from mass-produced furniture?

Handstone furniture is different because it is built from 100% solid hardwood, made only after you order it, and finished with a durable catalyzed finish. Mass-produced furniture is usually built in advance from particleboard or veneered panels, which limits your choices and shortens how long the piece lasts.


There are three differences you will notice right away.


  • The wood is solid all the way through. There is no particleboard core hiding under a thin veneer, which means scratches and dents can be repaired rather than being permanent.

  • The drawers are built properly. Handstone uses details such as four-corner English dovetail drawers and full-extension glides, which hold up to decades of daily use.

  • The finish is built to resist daily life. Handstone sprays on the dye, wipes it by hand for an even colour, then seals it with a colour-matched, post-catalyzed sealer and a post-catalyzed conversion varnish. The two layers bond chemically, which makes the finish durable and resistant to household chemicals.


Longevity also matters beyond your own home. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans discarded 12.1 million tons of furniture and furnishings in 2018, and 80.1% of it went to landfill. A piece built to last several generations is one of the simplest ways to stay out of that statistic.


How does made-to-order furniture work at Oak Unlimited?

Made-to-order furniture means your piece is not built until you place your order. You choose the collection, wood species, stain colour, hardware and, on many pieces, the size. Handstone then builds it to your specifications, and Oak Unlimited delivers it free across the GTA and the Kawarthas.


Here is how the process works when you order Handstone through us.


  1. Choose your piece. Start with a collection you love, or bring us a photo of the room you are furnishing and we will suggest options. You can browse our Handstone collections before you visit.

  2. Customize the details. Pick your wood, your stain and your hardware. Our stains and finishes page shows the range, and we can walk you through the options for the piece you have in mind.

  3. We build and deliver it. Handstone builds the piece in Wallenstein, and we deliver it to your door at no cost anywhere in the GTA and the Kawarthas.


Because each piece is built for you, lead times are longer than picking something off a warehouse floor. Most customers find the wait worthwhile, since the result fits their room exactly and does not need replacing in five years.


Which wood should you choose: cherry, maple or red oak?

Choose red oak if you want a bold, visible grain and a traditional look. Choose maple if you want a smooth, even surface that suits modern and painted-look finishes. Choose cherry if you want a rich, warm colour that deepens naturally over time. All three are hardwoods that will last for generations.


Each species has its own personality.


  • Red oak has an open, prominent grain that shows through stain, which gives it a classic, textured look. It is a great choice for busy family homes where a little character hides everyday wear.

  • Maple is dense and fine-grained, with a clean, uniform surface. It is also the base for the textured Brushwork, Heritage and Sawmill maple finishes available through Oak Unlimited on selected pieces.

  • Cherry starts with a lighter pinkish-brown tone and darkens gradually as it is exposed to light, developing a deep patina over the years. Many owners consider that change the best part of owning cherry.


If you are torn between them, our guide on how to choose a stain colour for solid wood furniture walks through how each species takes colour. For a deeper look at why solid wood is worth it in the first place, read the benefits of solid wood furniture.


Which Handstone collections can you see at Oak Unlimited?

Oak Unlimited carries a wide range of Handstone collections for the bedroom, dining room and living room, from rustic and industrial to clean and contemporary. Bedroom collections available through Oak Unlimited include Tribeca, Rafters, Laguna, Pemberton, Chattanooga, Brooklyn and Yorkshire, and every one can be customized in wood and stain.


Here is a quick way to match a collection to your style.


  • For calm, modern rooms: Tribeca is minimalist and balanced, and Electra adds open, airy metal work for people who love uncluttered living.

  • For rustic and industrial homes: Rafters takes its cues from old barn timbers, with clean lines and battered iron handles. Cumberland pairs an industrial steel base with a rustic textured finish.

  • For a mix of wood and metal: Laguna blends eclectic metal work with handcrafted solid wood, and Algoma uses angular details with custom metal-formed hardware.

  • For classic, heritage-inspired style: Chattanooga draws on the history of the railroad industry, while Yorkshire reinvents the Shaker look with sweeping curves.

  • For condos and smaller spaces: Brooklyn has a compact footprint, which makes it a natural fit for apartments and smaller bedrooms.

  • For transitional homes: Catalina blends flowing curves with straight lines, sitting comfortably between traditional and modern.


You can browse many of these on our bedroom collections page and our Handstone dining collection. If you are furnishing a bedroom, our guide to choosing a solid wood dresser that lasts is a good next read.



Is Handstone furniture sustainable?

Yes. Handstone sources all of its raw materials from Canadian forests and employs local craftspeople. Its workshop recycles sawdust into livestock bedding, uses scrap wood to heat homes, recycles used solvents, and uses solar heat and cogeneration in its finishing process to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


The biggest sustainability benefit, though, is how long the furniture lasts. Furniture you keep for thirty years replaces several cheaper pieces you would otherwise buy, move and throw out. That is the core idea behind buying solid wood once and buying it well.


Caring for it is simple, too. Our guide on how to care for solid wood furniture explains the handful of habits that keep a Handstone finish looking new.


Why buy Handstone from a local dealer instead of online?

Buying Handstone from a local dealer lets you see the wood, feel the finish and open the drawers before you commit. A dealer also helps you choose sizes and stains that suit your room, handles the order with Handstone, and delivers and sets up the piece, which is difficult to replicate with an online order.


At Oak Unlimited, Mark and Denise run the showroom themselves, so the people helping you choose your furniture are the same people who follow up on your order. We have been in historic downtown Bowmanville for 31 years, and our showroom has floor models you can sit in, open and inspect up close.


We also deliver free to communities across the GTA and the Kawarthas, including Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Toronto, Markham, Peterborough and Lindsay.


Where can you learn more before you visit?

The best preparation for buying Handstone furniture is to decide on your wood, stain and sizes before you visit, then compare collections in person. Our buying guides cover each of those decisions in detail, from choosing a stain colour to choosing a dresser, a dining brand and a mattress.



Frequently asked questions

Where is Handstone furniture made?

Handstone furniture is made in Wallenstein, Ontario, by a family-owned company that has been building solid wood furniture since 1999. The raw materials come from Canadian forests, and every piece is built by local craftspeople.


What wood does Handstone use?

Handstone builds its furniture from three solid hardwoods: cherry, maple and red oak. Each can be finished in a wide range of stains, and Oak Unlimited also offers textured specialty maple finishes such as Brushwork, Heritage and Sawmill, so ask which finishes are available on the piece you like.


Can I customize Handstone furniture?

Yes. Handstone furniture is built to order, so you can choose the wood species, stain colour and hardware, and many pieces can also be made in custom sizes. Oak Unlimited helps you work through each choice before your order is placed.


How long does Handstone furniture take to arrive?

Delivery typically takes 6 to 8 weeks from the date you order, and custom orders can take up to 14 weeks, because every piece is built after you order it. Timing varies by collection and season, so for an accurate estimate, contact Oak Unlimited and tell us which piece you are considering.


Where can I buy Handstone furniture in Durham Region?

You can see and order Handstone furniture at Oak Unlimited Furniture, 95 King St W in Bowmanville. We deliver free across the GTA and the Kawarthas, and after-hours appointments are available on request.


Visit the Handstone showroom in Bowmanville

The best way to choose Handstone furniture is to see it in person. Visit Oak Unlimited at 95 King St W in Bowmanville, or contact us for a quote and tell us about the room you are furnishing. We will help you choose the wood, the stain and the size, then build it for your home.


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