Ortman Brothers began restoring Early American Houses in 1995, the majority of which were stone houses. Each structure is renovated with specific attention to historical correctness blended with the desires of the homeowners. This creates a unique home with the ambiance of an early time period while maintaining the compatibility and convenience of modern technology.

While restoring old houses, the Ortman Bothers encountered many instances where they would need to build a new corner cupboard, replace a mantel, or construct a hidden stairway, all the while maintaining the appearance of being centuries old. From this experience Ortman Brothers began building custom reproduction furnishings that correlate with various time periods.

Materials utilized in the recreation of such furnishings include aged lumber from houses, barns, and other early structures, as well as mahogany and other exotic lumber salvaged from Malaysian shipping crates. Each board is then hand planed which produces an original wavy appearance and feel. Specific detail such as beads around doors and along paneling are created using a hand-beading plane. Ball feet, pegs, cupboard pulls, turned legs, and lamps are fashioned using hand tools on a lathe.