Behind The Scenes At Decor-Rest

Have you ever wondered what goes into building a sofa? A few weeks ago, I found out the answer to that question when I was invited to take a tour at Decor-Rest, a Canadian furniture manufacturer. I've known of the Decor-Rest brand for a very long time and have been impressed by the quality of their products and more recently, their collaborations with design personalities Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman, and Cobi Ladner.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was impressed by how organized and efficient the warehouse was. But what surprised me most was how labour-intensive the process still is. The only pieces of automated equipment I saw were the computer which laid out the patterns to maximize use of the fabric and the large cutting machines. From that point on, it was human hands that did all the work - sewers to sew the fabric and make the buttons for tufting, people who cut the leathers by hand, framers who attached the springs, and two lines of strong men who put the sofas together. There is so much skill and effort involved in creating one piece of furniture.

  

I learned that Decor-Rest was founded by Angelo and Christina Marzilli in 1972 - they went to High Point  Market for their honeymoon so you know a love of furniture runs deep in their blood! In the years since, they've built a large company which surprisingly, to me, still felt like a small family-run business. All the workers seemed happy, and I could hear laughter ringing down the assembly line. Its a minute point but I think happy workers translates into a better quality product.

After a yummy lunch which was cooked up in their commercial-sized kitchen and Christina cleared my plate (See? Family business!), I got to tour the showroom. Here's a few of the lovelies that caught my eye:

Love the tufted back and the gently sloped arms on this sofa.

I need a proper dressing room to put this luxurious quilted chaise!

Such great masculine shapes and fabrics from the Steven and Chris collection.

I love this wingback! The wood frame and individual nail heads give it a casual air.

It was eye-opening to see the breadth of product that Decor-Rest offers. Purchasing a sofa is a big investment and I knew very little about what to look for when buying one so I'm glad to walk away with a new appreciation of the process. Decor-Rest products are found throughout Canada and internationally. You can visit their site for more information.

Have you purchased any furniture lately - sofas, headboards, chairs? Do you know how to judge quality, or are you like me and swayed by the pretty fabrics and shapes?

Note: I was not compensated in any way to write this post. I really did find the tour informative and thought you might be curious about what goes on in a factory too :)