Mennonite-Crafted Solid Wood Furniture in Ontario: Handstone and Cardinal Woodcraft
Oak Unlimited in downtown Bowmanville is a dealer for Ontario makers whose furniture is built by skilled local craftspeople, including Cardinal Woodcraft of the Elmira area and Handstone of Wallenstein. You can see, sit at and compare their solid wood pieces on our showroom floor before you order.
Key takeaways
Oak Unlimited is a Bowmanville dealer and showroom for Ontario makers Cardinal Woodcraft and Handstone, and does not build furniture in-house.
Cardinal Woodcraft pieces are custom-designed and handcrafted by local Mennonite craftspeople in the Elmira area.
Handstone is a family-owned Wallenstein maker working in hand-selected cherry, maple and red oak.
Every piece is built to order, so you choose the wood, stain and size.
You can compare both makers in person on one floor in downtown Bowmanville.
What "Mennonite-crafted" means for the furniture you buy
When people in Durham Region talk about Mennonite furniture, they usually mean solid wood pieces made by skilled craftspeople in the rural communities of Waterloo Region, around Elmira and Wallenstein. For you as a buyer, the label points to something practical: furniture made in Ontario by people who build each piece with care, rather than furniture produced in bulk in a factory overseas.
A woodworking tradition in Waterloo Region
The area north of Kitchener and Waterloo has a long tradition of woodworking. Small family shops have grown into respected makers, and many of the people at the bench learned the trade from parents and neighbours. Cardinal Woodcraft is one of those makers, and as our Cardinal Woodcraft partner page explains, its pieces are custom-designed and handcrafted by local Mennonite craftspeople. Handstone, just a few minutes away in Wallenstein, is a family-owned Ontario workshop with its own long-standing team of craftspeople.
Solid wood, built to order and finished with care
The real difference between this kind of furniture and mass-produced furniture comes down to materials and how it is made. Mass-produced pieces are often made from particleboard or veneer over fibreboard and built in large runs to a fixed size. The pieces from our makers are solid wood, built to order in the size, wood and stain you choose, with careful handwork in the joinery and finishing.
Both makers we carry build in solid wood. Handstone works in hand-selected cherry, maple and red oak and hand-sands every piece before finishing, while Cardinal Woodcraft specializes in custom solid wood tables, chairs and sideboards made from locally sourced wood. When you visit, you can feel the weight of each piece and see the grain run all the way through, which is a big part of why solid wood furniture lasts for generations.
Meet the makers Oak Unlimited carries
Handstone and Cardinal Woodcraft are two family-rooted Ontario makers that build solid wood furniture to order. Cardinal focuses on custom dining tables, chairs and sideboards, while Handstone builds bedroom, dining, living room and office collections. Oak Unlimited carries both on one floor in Bowmanville.
Cardinal Woodcraft of the Elmira area
Cardinal Woodcraft began as a small furniture maker in Elmira, Ontario, and it is still based in the same area, now with a reach that extends across Canada. Its speciality is custom solid wood dining furniture, with tables, chairs and sideboards in every shape and size, from relaxed kitchen tables to large formal tables. You can browse the range on our Cardinal Woodcraft dining collection page.
Handstone of Wallenstein
Handstone has been family-owned since 1999. Its team hand-selects cherry, maple and red oak, hand-sands every piece and protects it with a post-catalyzed finish that stands up to everyday family life. Designs are drawn with CAD precision, and most pieces can be built to custom dimensions. At Oak Unlimited, we focus on three Handstone collections, Tribeca, Pemberton and Evora, and you can learn more on our Handstone partner page or see the Handstone dining collection.
Why buy through a dealer instead of a factory showroom
A factory showroom shows you one maker's catalogue. A dealer that carries more than one Ontario maker lets you compare styles, woods and chair comfort in a single visit, with people who know both catalogues helping you decide.
Two makers side by side
At Oak Unlimited, you can sit at a Cardinal Woodcraft table and then walk a few steps over to open a Handstone dresser drawer. Comparing them in person is the best way to discover what you really like, whether that is Cardinal's custom dining range or the clean, modern lines of Handstone Tribeca. If you are weighing the two for your dining room, our Handstone vs Cardinal Woodcraft guide walks through the differences.
Help choosing wood, stain and size
Because every piece is made to order, you get to choose the wood species, the stain and, for most pieces, the size. Mark and Denise help you read stain samples, check your measurements and confirm every detail before your order goes to the maker, so the piece that arrives fits your room and your taste.
How to spot quality solid wood when you visit
A few quick checks will tell you a lot about any piece on a showroom floor:
Pull out a drawer and look at the corners, since dovetail joinery is a sign the drawer was built to last.
Look at the edges and underside, where solid wood shows the same grain all the way through with no thin veneer layer.
Run your hand over the finish, which should feel smooth and even.
Give the piece a gentle push, because solid wood furniture has real weight and should not wobble.
For a deeper look at joinery and finishes, read our post on the key features of high-quality wood furniture.
Where to see Mennonite-crafted furniture near Durham Region
If you live in Durham Region, the east GTA or the Kawarthas, our showroom at 95 King St W in historic downtown Bowmanville is a convenient place to start. We carry Cardinal Woodcraft and Handstone, two Ontario makers whose pieces are handcrafted in Waterloo Region, and you can see their floor models in person.
Oak Unlimited has been family-run by Mark and Denise since 1995, and you will usually find them on the floor. Delivery is free across Durham Region, the GTA and cottage country. If you are shopping for Handstone in particular, see where to buy Handstone furniture in Durham Region and the GTA, and for dining sets, see where to buy Cardinal Woodcraft dining furniture. Current hours are on our Contact us page.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy Mennonite-crafted furniture near Durham Region?
Oak Unlimited's showroom in historic downtown Bowmanville carries solid wood furniture from Ontario makers, including Cardinal Woodcraft, whose pieces are handcrafted by local Mennonite craftspeople. You can see floor models, compare woods and stains, and order a piece built to your size.
Is Mennonite-crafted furniture solid wood?
The makers we carry build in solid wood. Cardinal Woodcraft specializes in custom solid wood tables, chairs and sideboards, and Handstone works in hand-selected cherry, maple and red oak.
Does Oak Unlimited make its own furniture?
No. Oak Unlimited is a family-run dealer and showroom. We help you choose and specify each piece, and the maker builds it in Ontario.
Can I customize a Mennonite-crafted dining table?
Yes. Cardinal Woodcraft builds every table to order, so you can choose the wood, stain and size that suit your room, and we will help you get the details right before anything is built.
See Mennonite-crafted and Ontario-made solid wood side by side at 95 King St W in downtown Bowmanville, or send us a photo of a piece you love and we will help you find the right fit.
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