Pete Millspaugh

Millspaugh Furniture

Tell us about your family’s history of furniture making.

It started over 167 years ago. My great, great, great-grandfather, TL, was a woodworker. He was working for a man named John Woolsey in Walden, New York and his business was already 30 years old. TL was an apprentice of his and bought the business from John’s widow after he died. At this point in 1858, it turned into Millspaugh Furniture and Funeral Home. TL made cabinets and furniture and caskets.

TL’s son, Gilbert, who went by Bert, realized that they were limited on their styles and how quickly they could have stuff made. We’re 15 minutes from the Hudson River train tracks in Newburgh, so he decided to have things shipped up the Hudson. That started us branching out to other manufacturers, but still keep the quality that TL would be proud of.

For four generations, it was Millspaugh Furniture and Funeral Home until my dad bought out the furniture portion, and my aunt and uncle bought out the funeral home side of it. We no longer make our own furniture. We do in-house repairs and finish work, and we source from manufacturers that will make it the way we want it made.

What was it like growing up in and around the family business?

There was always something to do. If I ever uttered the words “I’m bored,” it was met with “Alright. You can dust the furniture. You can vacuum. You can clean the parking lot.” There was always snow removal to do, too. Most kids were happy on snow days, and I would have to go in and shovel the sidewalks. When I got older, I graduated to the warehouse, opening the custom products and getting them ready for delivery. When I was strong enough, I’d go on the delivery trucks and help with in-home deliveries.

How do you find manufacturers who meet your quality standards? 

Part of my job is finding the best sources. I go to markets and furniture shows. And I make trips to the factories themselves. If there is someone I want to work with, I go to the actual factory, tour the facility, and see how things are done and make sure things are going to be made the way we want – the way our customers expect. We inspect every piece of furniture once it comes into our warehouse and before it goes out for delivery. My eye is trained in defects. And I’ve trained other people to do the same thing. We’re very picky. At the end of the day, it’s our reputation on the line.

What makes solid wood furniture so special? How can an everyday shopper tell if a piece is truly solid wood?

It’s fairly easy to determine if it’s solid wood. Usually, the edge of your table or dresser, chest, whatever it is, that’s going to tell a story. You can see the grain on the top of the piece and then follow it right over the side; the grain should run right over the edge. If it’s solid wood, it will wrap around the side, and you’ll see that grain all the way through. If you see a unique graining pattern or knot that’s on top, you should be able to see it on the other side as well.

That makes it so special, every piece of wood is different. It’s not a photo finish. It’s not plastic. You can’t just replicate the same look over and over. Every nick and knot tells a story.

Can you walk us through the process of creating a custom furniture piece?

We always try to start with the person, their home, and their room. What is staying in the room? What floors do they have? Is the flooring staying? What color are the floors? What other pieces are in the room – do they have an heirloom from their grandparents that is staying in the room?

Once we have that foundation, the customer can create something that is actually made for their home. They’re not just going to a furniture store and picking something because it’s going to work; no, it’s actually made specifically for their home and their space.

What’s the most unique request you’ve received from a customer?

Almost every customer is unique. Two people could use the same builder to build their home, but they’re going to use it completely differently. They have different tastes and different styles.

I worked with a customer once who had an older home that didn’t have a pantry. So, we designed a custom pantry and made it look like it was built in. They didn’t have an area to put their electronics, like their vacuum cleaner or little dust buster, so we built it with outlets in it so that they could plug the piece in right inside of it. We do a lot of linen closets and wine cabinets. We do a lot of small, unique things that aren’t necessarily challenging but that take each customer into consideration.

We’ve also done a lot of full houses. A customer will have their house built, and we’ll go in and give ideas before the contractors do their finishing touches. We can give advice on where to hang the chandelier so it’s centered right over a dining room table, things like that. It’s nice to see it all come together.

What are the most important things people should consider when shopping for furniture?

Where it’s made and where it comes from. Is the lumber being sustainably sourced? We know the exact counties where the wood comes from. When it’s cut down, are they replacing it with another tree?

The kiln drying process. Making sure the humidity is taken out so that you’re not dealing with a big crack or splitting in the wood in the first winter. If the wood isn’t properly dried, you’re going to have problems with it.

Also, what finishes are on it? A lot of things come from overseas with formaldehyde in the finish. They don’t have the same standards that we have in the U.S. when it comes to finishes. Is it wrapped immediately, put in a container, and shipped across the ocean? When it gets to your home, all those fumes are released because it’s been packaged for so long. There are chemicals put in there to make sure it’s going to travel and doesn’t get water damage from the moisture on the ships whenever they’re sitting on docks. It’s important to know you’re not bringing a toxin into your home.

What trends are you currently seeing in wood furniture?

People are saying that when it comes to wood furniture, they love the natural look, and they don’t want it to look perfect. They don’t want it to look like plastic or veneer or Formica. They like the barnwood – old posts and beams of a barn. Wherever there was a nail or saw marks, those marks are left in. The nails are pulled, and the nail holes are there.

Live edge furniture where the actual sides of it are the natural live edge of the wood is popular.

We also do a lot of Ambrosia Maple. When the tree was standing, a beetle bore into the tree and released its dye. So then, when the tree is cut down, made into a piece of furniture, you see the hole where the beetle bore in, and you see the long streak of color – it’s like nature’s distressing.

February 2026