The Story of "Beneath the Willow"

Once upon a time in a tiny village in Pennsylvania called New Germany….

During mid-January 2004, the dreams came: two vivid, colorful dreams of my art studio filled with beautiful hand painted children’s furniture. In the dreams, the focus of this fun and imaginative children’s furniture was to encourage creativity in children, stimulate their imaginations and foster a love of reading.

In the morning, I sketched the designs from my dreams. I’ve been an artist all of my life and I knew these ideas were special—they were Divinely Inspired.

Family and close friends loved the designs, and the excitement the drawings created was contagious. I began envisioning new ideas and designs daily.

With a deep trust in God and the encouragement of family, the wheels were set in motion to convert my dreams into reality. Anyone who has ever started a project entirely from scratch knows it can be a bumpy road to travel, but, one by one, seemingly insurmountable obstacles disappeared and a path forward was cleared.

Each time the business was in need of someone with a particular talent, that individual was literally knocking at the door. As those heavenly connections continued, it was joyfully obvious He was nurturing this venture, directing each step.

There was to be one more link in this incredible chain of events.

A new friend saw the chair designs and commented there ought to be children’s books featuring characters from the dream designs—fun stories that would encourage a young child’s love of reading.

There it was! God again revealed His hand. Only a scant few people had known about the reading connection from my dreams. The original idea had come full circle to completion.

Given the source of inspiration, and its purpose, what name would suit the company? "Beneath the Willow" seemed the perfect choice for furniture specifically designed for children.

As young girls, my two daughters loved playing beneath a huge weeping willow tree. Its branches brushed the ground, creating a magical world where the girls’ imaginations would soar. They would become faeries, mermaids or pirates, or maybe cowboys, princesses and explorers.

For me, the name Beneath the Willow captures that inspiration, creativity, and fun—the dream converted into something tangible for your little ones.

In the late fall of 2005 Beneath the Willow made the move west from Pennsylvania to Arizona. With a whirlwind of new ideas brewing to benefit your child’s growth and development, Beneath the Willow continues to stretch its limbs and grow.

This chain of “God-Incidents” which led to the genesis of Beneath the Willow stands as a testament to the glory of the Creator who has filled my life with blessings beyond imagining.

I am happy to have Beneath the Willow furniture become a beloved part of your child’s world.

Pamela J. Smith
Beneath the Willow LLC