Countrytime Furniture began as a hobby come to life, a dream that transitioned into reality. Building furniture was originally a hobby of Dave Culmer’s, which became Countrytime Woodcrafters. Dave began crafting outdoor furnishing products for himself, his family, and his friends. Interest eventually began to surface from outside his circle. A large amount of interest eventually led to a need for more space and a showroom, so Dave moved his hobby into a location in Glenburnie to officially begin as a wholesaler.

As the business and product line expanded, the demand for Countrytime’s furniture grew to the point where the Culmers realized they would need to outsource to keep up with the demand. A big decision had to be made, given that custom craftsmanship was essential to their growing reputation, but they could not service the level of demand. The ideal situation was to find a builder with the same dedication to excellence from start to finish.

Research led the Culmers to the Mennonite community of southern Ontario, where they quickly gained an appreciation for the skill and craftsmanship of the builders.

“We were drawn to the St. Jacobs Mennonite community to provide the quality hand-built furniture that our customers were looking for,” Luana Culmer.

The Culmers were confident the products would live up to the high standards their company had come to represent.

“We have a bit of an advantage as builders because we look at how pieces are constructed and finished,” David Culmer.

Mennonite furniture is unique in that every step of production is self-contained within one company. Often there are familial links between those responsible for each stage of the building processes, from the sustainable wood lots to construction and finishing. Many construction elements live up to, if not surpass, environmentally friendly standards. Some companies even use solar heat and recycled solvents in their finishing process. The environmental advantages of outsourcing to Ontario companies are also evident. Transportation is limited to a few hours on the highway, and packaging is minimal.

The next phase of business development was opening a 14,000-square-foot showroom in Kingston. Countrytime Furniture and Home décor opened its doors in November 2007, and Countrytime Woodcrafters began operating as the outlet store. Luana retired from her 20 years in public health to manage marketing and in-house design, while Dave continued to oversee daily operations.

Countrytime Furniture quickly became a destination store, with customers coming from as far away as Ottawa to select their home furnishings. From rustic to modern, there’s something for all tastes.

Even though Dave is no longer making the furniture, ensuring customers receive top service and product satisfaction is a priority. With the Mennonite products, every piece is made specifically for the customer on a per-order basis, the way the customer wants it. Many other products, sofas, and chairs also have custom order options.

Establishing Countrytime Furniture and Home décor is a dream come true for the Culmers. The loyal customers have allowed them to grow. Countrytime showcases not just Canadian-made quality goods, but nearly everything is made in Ontario. In addition to a varied selection of furniture and accent pieces, Countrytime offers complete home options from rugs to prints, lamps, and décor items.