Sometimes seeing how something’s made can alter your enjoyment of the finished product. As much as I love hot dogs grilled on the barbeque every summer, for instance, I never, ever want to see how wieners are made. Ever.
On the other hand, when it comes to fine furniture craftsmanship, seeing the artful process of how it’s manufactured can enhance your appreciation of it, elevating something as taken-for-franted as a simple slipper chair to a true work of art.
Last week, I had the chance to go behind-the-scenes at Toronto’s Barrymore Furniture to see how their soft furnishings are made, and it just reinforced the beauty of their custom collection of sofas and armchairs.
It all starts, of course, with fabric. Barrymore offers a huge selection of upholstery options in their own fabric line, as well as high-end threads from the likes of Robert Allen and Kravet. Just take a look at their sample room… So pretty!
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…And behind-the-scenes lies Barrymore’s fabric storeroom. Bolt after bolt of trendy textiles. Before it’s cut, each length of fabric is completely unrolled and inspected for quality control on a giant roller.
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The selected fabric is then cut (by hand!) according to draft forms. These racks contain all the templates for each sofa and chair model Barrymore carries.
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Springs are hand-tied into position into the (heavy — but so durable!) hardwood frame in preparation for upholstery. Barrymore uses a special string that resists that annoying “squeak” after you’ve been plunking down in the same spot for a number of years.
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Exposed wood elements of the furniture frame are taken to the spraying room for stain treatment. Doesn’t this look like a Star Wars set?
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Now we’re ready for that upholstery…
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This is what tufting looks like — from the side of the chair we never see!
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…Et voila! A completed sofa, upholstered in a lovely Larry Laslo fabric.
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These particular sofas are on their way to various Canadian embassies all around the world! (Nice to see Canadian diplomats abroad still remember to buy Canadian!) Kind of cool, as well, to think that dignitaries across the globe are able to enjoy Canadian craftsmanship each time they visit the embassies!
If it looks like they’ve got the process down to a science, there’s a reason: Barrymore’s been at this for over 90 years now. What a great “Made in Canada” success story!
Barrymore Furniture, Toronto, 416-532-2891
Part of The Cross Decor + Design’s newly unveiled 2010 Furniture Collection, the Loden Settee stopped me dead in my tracks. Love the trend-proof moss coloured cotton-velvet upholstery, the elegant curved back and underside and rolled arms — so many classic details that play off each other in one saucy little package. The fact that it’s both designed and handcrafted in Vancouver is just the icing on the cake.
At just 72″ long, it’s the perfect proportion for a cramped condo or apartment. And check out the legs! Ornate cabriole in front, with sleek sabres in the rear. What a stunner!
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