Dennis, Pam, and Nina at the Copeland Furniture Company StoreLast week, we had the opportunity to visit Copeland and attend a two day session where we learned more about their workshop, processes, and new product lines. This was such a great opportunity for us because it allows us to pass this extensive knowledge on to you!
Day One - Workshop Visit
Let's talk a little about the journey of your furniture piece - it was eye opening to watch development take place from beginning to end, and we think that you'll enjoy this too.
First, hardwood cherry, maple, walnut, and ash is procured from within 500 miles of the Copeland workshop. From there, lumber is rough planed to an even thickness, and sent on to be inspected for defects. These defects (which can include everything from large knots to bullets!! that the tree has grown around) are cut out of the wood, then organized by length for different pieces. Depending on the piece, some wood is taken for cutting right away, and some wood is organized by grain pattern and coloring to form larger boards for chair seats, tables, drawers, etc. These then all go through an intensive sanding process.
We think you'd be surprised at the number of techniques used for cutting some of your furniture pieces. Some items are cut using technology that offers a pathway for new and unique designs due to the level of skill and precision involved with these machines. Others are cut with machines that have withstood the test of time and represent the highest level of accuracy. Still others are cut by hand, following time honored tradition. Your finished piece may involve all of the above! After cutting, the part is again machine sanded and then sent on to assembly.
Assembly is where your piece comes together. The craftsmen and women here shine with individual expertise and your piece is assembled, hand sanded, and checked for any quality issues. Following this stage, each piece is leveled or balanced, and taken for finishing. After the drying process, your piece will be packed for shipping to you.
One important thing that we'd like to take the opportunity to note is that each stage of the part journey also includes a quality check - the parts of your piece have been seen and passed by over 10 different craftsmen and women by the time it enters the shipping phase. It's a humbling thing to see the master craftsmanship that is involved with each and every Copeland piece.
Day 2 - Showroom Visit
The Copeland Factory showroom is located one mile from the Copeland workshop in Bradford, VT. This was a great opportunity to see the furniture set together in ways we might not have thought about. Here, we learned more about the unique qualities of each furniture collection and also some tips and tricks to offer you! Be sure to stay tuned for our upcoming videos on the best way to open the Catalina Extension Table for guests, or the proper way to reset your soft close drawers after moving.
