Sloane Walnut 3-Drawer Chest

Copeland's drawer fronts are solid wood, 3/4" thick

Drawer sides and backs are also solid wood - cherry, maple or ash - and are a full 5/8" thick

Drawer bottoms are 1/4" high-grade plywood panels (5 Layer baltic birch)

You'll notice that our drawers are joined with an asymmetrical English dovetail joint. Asymmetrical refers to the fact that the pins (seen on the drawer front) and tails (seen on the drawer side) are of different widths. This is the gold standard in traditional joinery and is both aesthetically and structurally superior to other common techniques.

The drawer front integrates directly with the drawer side. Often you will find furniture where the drawer front is simply screwed on to a pre-existing drawer box. This is usually because the manufacturer has opted to purchase pre-manufactured drawer boxes rather than going to the trouble of designing, engineering and building the components to match their individual designs. Sadly, many manufacturers who market themselves as Made in the USA engage in this practice, effectively outsourcing components that make up nearly half of the product.

Some manufacturers cut corners, leaving drawer boxes unfinished. Not only is this unsightly, it is potentially hazardous to your clothing. Delicate garments can be snagged or even torn on rough unsanded surfaces and this becomes more pronounced with age as the unprotected wood is exposed to changing humidity. Copeland's drawer boxes are fully finished and sanded on the interiors.

Solid Wood Case Sides

Forty-five Degree Miter construction refers to the angle in which solid wood tops and sides are joined to create a perfectly seamless perimeter. Stylistically, these cases are highly refined and visually Modern. The technique to produce this style of case requires extreme precision and is only attainable through exacting detail. The leading edge of the cases is beveled to present a thin delicate, line that belies their considerable heft.

Drawer Glides

This collection uses an Under Mounted Soft Close Glide on all bedroom, dining room and media case pieces. These full extension glides provide a gentle bump as the drawer is fully extended and a soft automatic retraction as the drawer closes. Since they are under mounted there is no visible hardware.

Metal Glides on Home Office Desks and File Cabinets All Copeland home office collections feature Full Extension File Glides. These allow drawers to open wide enough for easy access to all contents and are strong enough to support the heavy load associated with office storage. File cabinets also feature an anti tip mechanism that allows only one file drawer to be opened at a time.

What are veneers?

A veneer is a thinly cut overlay of the same high-quality, sustainably harvested solid wood used in the rest of the piece, but applied over a substrate, in this case premium quality plywood.

Where are veneers used?

Our reputation is as a solid wood specialist. This is not to say we never use veneers but rather that their use is limited to the specific areas where they are the best choice.

Framed panels, that is panels surrounded on all four sides (as in this Monterey collection), are made of high grade, veneered plywood. In these instances, a solid panel would have the potential to expand and break the frame apart during periods of high humidity. The plywood is considerably stronger than solids of equal dimension. This includes Case Backs and Drawer Bottoms as well as Monterey Collection Case Sides.