In the beginning

Viva Vermont

Determined to take control of their destiny, Nat and Ted purchase a bankrupt sawmill for $25,000 and start manufacturing home furnishings. “We fell hopelessly in love with Vermont and with what New England represents historically.“

A style is born

At the 1939 Chicago Housewares Show, we debut a 28-piece line of colonial-style furniture. It’s named for a son of Vermont and an American hero: Ethan Allen.

Innovation instigated

No more one-and-done furniture intros; we invent “open stock” furniture styles. Even when some of our furniture is discontinued, new pieces are made in finishes that play well with existing styles.

One million and counting

Growing rapidly, we expand our operations to include three sawmills and eleven manufacturing plants. We create our millionth piece of furniture—a beautiful chest crafted from solid maple—and present it to President Eisenhower.

Name it, claim it

We officially change our company name to Ethan Allen in 1969, and we begin marketing directly to consumers rather than to furniture retailers.

Deal me in

The Ethan Allen Showcase Gallery concept gives independent furniture dealers a recognizable storefront supported by the Ethan Allen name—and brings our complimentary design service front and center.

Bold moves

Farooq Kathwari becomes Chairman, President and CEO. To ensure that Ethan Allen can control its own destiny, he leads a management buyout and takes the company private in 1989.

Modern makeover

We reinvent our entire furniture line, stepping away from our colonial origins and embracing fresh looks. With our new priorities firmly in place, we once again return to trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

We're an American brand

As many American manufacturers outsource production internationally, we firmly commit to the skills of our American workers. We invest in new technology and state-of-the-art equipment throughout our manufacturing facilities, continuing to make about 75% of our products in our North American workshops.

For the home we all share

We take our place as a world leader in environmentally responsible manufacturing. We also establish our corporate social responsibility vision, ensuring all who work with and for us are treated with respect.

Celebrating 90 years of innovation

We are named one of America’s Top 10 Retailers by Newsweek, who also named us America’s #1 Premium Furniture retailer for two consecutive years. Ethan Allen designers begin to offer online appointments using our 3D room planner.