This n’ That Amish Outlet offering handcrafted furniture

On June 16, a local businessman opened his eighth regional Amish store at 10 S. Fifth Street in Warrenton. If the past is prologue, quality workmanship will soon be gracing even more Fauquier County homes.

Steve Payne is the force behind the venture. And the word force is not used lightly. Payne is a serial entrepreneur, having built four successful businesses over the past 31 years, including parking lot striping and signage companies, a construction safety supply firm, a consulting traffic safety business, and his Amish empire, with multiple locations throughout Northern Virginia.

This n’ That Amish Outlet began with a love for all things Pennsylvania Dutch. After multiple trips to Amish County, buying goods, and seeing the pride and quality in the products, Payne and his wife Michelle thought the local community would also appreciate the Amish artistry as much as they did.

The company opened in 2012, featuring outdoor buildings. It began with stock structures like sheds, garages, chicken coops, and barns. Today, it offers an array of standard buildings as well as built-to-order custom facilities and a full line of home furniture.

Amish artisans build the desired structure to specific needs, including, but not limited to, roofline, materials, color, and interior design.

“Many people know us for outdoor structures, from sheds to full-sized barns. The Old Town location will focus on interior furnishings,” Payne said. Residents traveling toward Warrenton on Route 29 pass his other local Amish outlet in the New Baltimore area.

He started the Amish chain thinking he’d retire to a more relaxed business. It remains to be seen if the dream materializes. “I’m not one to sit still, and we’ve grown because of it. I’m a go-getter.”

Payne, 58, is the father of seven children and seven grandchildren and bears a resemblance to the late actor Brian Dennehy which might help explain his action-oriented lifestyle. “I started over three decades ago with just one man. Today I employ some 150 people in all my businesses.”

The source
Over the years, Payne has established multiple relationships with the Amish in Pennsylvania. It started with one firm specializing in building structures. His arsenal of woodworkers today total over sixty, enabling him to offer a wide range of furniture and buildings.

What does his furniture catalog showcase? “You will see an array of hardwoods, including maple, cherry, walnut, and pine. We primarily deal with dining and bedroom furniture as well as miscellaneous home furnishings.

“Most people order from our catalogs. Depending on the items ordered, delivery will take four to 10 weeks. It’s all handcrafted,” said Payne.

The lineup also includes outdoor furniture. Prices for an Adirondack chair are in the $250 range, and a large dining room set could go for $10,000.

It’s likely anything purchased from him will become part of the buyer’s estate and be inherited by their family.

The Amish are known worldwide for working with wood. Their culture centers on quality, and it’s integral to their ethic to take their time and produced exceptional lifelong furniture and structures.

“If anyone has an issue with a product, we will honor our pledge of quality. Buyers pay a good price for a piece of fine furniture. Our craftsmen know that, and we know that. It’s what the consumer can expect to receive from any of our products.”

Moving from home furnishings to the great outdoors presents no limitations for This n’ That. While the Old Town shop focuses on the hearth, its portfolio ranges from doghouses to multiple car garages, large build on-site barns, and riding arenas.

His four-man Amish work crews are working in Fauquier County and other northern Piedmont areas every other week. An average size barn takes about a week to build. Prices range from $3,000 for a backyard shed to $100,000 for a full-size barn.

Payne underscores his Amish business fulfills a need in an area that reflects urban, suburban, and country living. “There is a need for quality. This furniture is not like buying at a discount store. It’s all-natural, finished wood with no veneer.

“We are testing the waters at our Fifth Street location for what we believe is true; that consumers need and want handcrafted, high-end furniture. We have a 10,000 square foot furniture-only building in Leesburg, and it does exceptionally well. We thought we’d try and see if there is the same demand here in Fauquier County.”

When asked what go-getter Payne does to relax, he unhesitatingly smiles and responds, “Work.” Dedication and commitment of his caliber bode well for anyone purchasing one of his numerous works of art.

For full product line descriptions of the This n’ That’s catalog, visit https://www.thisnthatamishoutlet.com/about-this-n-that. 

 

Published in a July 2020 edition of the Fauquier Times.