At This n’ That, An Amish Touch

At This n’ That, An Amish Touch

The Warrenton branch of This n’ That.

Photo by Miles Kresic

By Miles Kresic

On Main Street in Old Town Warrenton and at several other Northern Virginia locations, a unique partnership is bringing quality homemade furniture to homes directly from Amish craftsmen of Pennsylvania. With locations in Warrenton, Leesburg, and Winchester, This n’ That was founded in 2012 after a search for a chicken coop in Amish country yielded a new business idea for owners Steve and Michelle Payne. The firm contracts with Amish builders in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area to go on the road to this part of Virginia to construct buildings for customers. Custom-made furniture and structures such as sheds and barns are This n’ That’s specialty.

Evelyn Colbert, the company’s marketing director, spoke enthusiastically about the made-toorder process. “Basically we work hand in hand with the Amish,” she said. “If a customer were to come into our business and place an order for a structure, we send that order up to our Amish builders. They build the structure, and we go and pick it up and deliver it to the customer’s home. If it’s a larger structure, then we’ll have our Amish builders come down and build on site.”

The company has been working with Amish builders for almost ten years and Colbert said, “It’s not uncommon for them to travel here.”

New sheds have been one of the most popular orders.

“Our portable structures, that’s what we specialize in,” she said. “Your backyard sheds, garages. We do custom projects as well. We have riding arenas, equine centers, and things of that nature. We can make something to hold your lawn mower all the way up to huge projects.”

This n’ That doesn’t just specialize in outdoor projects. Made to order high-quality furniture also is popular among its clients.

“Pretty much all of our furniture is customizable,” Colbert said. “You tell us what you need, and we will do our best to make that happen—what kind of wood, what type of stain. It’s very much whatever the customer envisions.

“There are companies in the area that do similar things, but what sets us apart is that we take the extra step with using better materials and customer service. I’m not sure there’s anyone else in Fauquier that does what we do. Being able to communicate with our customers on an intimate level and having our specialties is really something unique.” Visit This n’ That Amish Outlet at www.thisnthatamishoutlet.com for store locations or email them at sales@thisnthatamishoutlet.com.