At the heart of everything we do at Maiden Home lies a group of individuals who bring our vision for beautiful, handcrafted furniture to life.
When we founded Maiden Home, our first stop was North Carolina, the heartland of American furniture, to find the perfect local partners to realize our dream of bringing their craft to the modern consumer. Over the three years we’ve been working with these men and women, we’ve forged deep personal relationships with the individuals on the floor, working with them on a day to day basis as we develop new products, maintain our strict quality standards on each piece shipped, and so much more.
So it’s incredibly rewarding every time we hear from one of our partners that they’ve expanded their operation, moved into a bigger space, or hired more craftsmen to accommodate our growth - because we understand that each new hire isn’t just another cog in the system, it’s a person with generational expertise in this quintessential American craft.
After spending countless long days in North Carolina obsessing over details of welts and cushions with them, these artisans have become members of the Maiden Home family, so we wanted to give them an opportunity to introduce themselves and give you a peek into each of their unique skills.
Todd
When Maiden Home’s founder first flew down to North Carolina to find workrooms skilled enough to bring her designs to life, Todd was one of the first businessmen she met with. Part of a multi-generational furniture family and owner of family owned and operated workroom in Hickory, North Carolina, his workroom was a perfect fit for Maiden Home’s vision for handcrafted, high-quality furniture. Through our partnership, Maiden Home is able to offer his workroom's furniture to a digital customer for the very first time.
Years in the furniture industry:
“My family has been in furniture three generations here in North Carolina, so you could say I’ve been in this industry my whole life.”
Most rewarding part of the job:
“Personally, I’m proud of the job opportunities that we’ve created for the local community by joining forces with Maiden Home. In just two years, we’ve been able to double the size of our workroom, hiring more people in an economy that is continuing to move away from our level of hand craftsmanship.”
Joyce
Joyce is often the first face that you see when walking into the workroom. Stationed at her nearly 30 foot long cutting table, she is responsible for hand cutting each piece of material before it’s sewn together and upholstered to Maiden Home furniture. While she started her career in the CAD rooms of a larger factory where material was cut en mass by industrial machines, she now relishes the creativity and challenge of organizing the patterns, chalking the material, and hand-cutting each piece. Her diligence is essential to making sure each piece turns out impeccably, from lining up a tricky pattern to ensuring shade match on a large leather hide.
Years in the furniture industry:
40 years
Most rewarding part of the job:
“We specialize in custom pieces, and it’s what I really like about working here. I love the challenge that comes with each new piece, the creativity of putting the patterns together.”
Mike
The critical architecture of your furniture begins with the wood frame that is hand milled and constructed using time-honored techniques like mortise and tenon joinery and corner blocking. When we caught up with Mike, he was in the midst of assembling a chair using a technique called double-doweling, which creates an incredibly strong bond between two pieces of kiln-dried hardwood. While he is relatively new to this craft when compared to his teammates - he’s only been working in furniture framing for about a decade - he works with a quiet assurance that belies the classic rock blaring above him while he works (think Aerosmith and AC/DC). Framers like Mike are responsible for the foundation of Maiden Home’s furniture, so his skill is essential to building pieces that stand the test of time.
Years in the furniture industry:
“I’ve been framing everything since I was a kid, houses, furniture, you name it.”
Most rewarding part of the job:
“Building custom furniture in a workroom like this is personal. Making something that people will enjoy in their lives, that’s important to me.”
Dan
Once your piece has been framed, and while the upholstery is being cut and sewn, the deft hands of a spring-up specialist will be building a spring system within your furniture. Dan is just such a specialist, and is among a very small group of individuals in the country who is an expert in eight-way hand tied springs. This process secures each steel coil with eight knots, creating an incredibly even, supportive, and durable seat. The artistry that goes into this process is incredibly difficult and as a result, is quickly disappearing from the market. When we learned about this process, we were thrilled to be able to invest in the skills of people like Dan, who take things slowly and respect the techniques of the past.
Years in the furniture industry:
“I started working in furniture when I was 17, so let’s say 30-plus” (he said with a wink)
Most rewarding part of the job:
“We’re a team, and it takes all of us to make the quality of custom furniture that we build - we need to work together to make it happen and I enjoy the collaboration.”
Rob
Upholstery is perhaps the most visible way that one can appreciate the quality of a piece of furniture. Ensuring that each line is straight, that the material is pulled taught but not tight, and that the pattern aligns to the frame seamlessly is a difficult job. A three-dimensional puzzle, each piece of furniture represents a unique challenge - whether it’s the biscuit tufting of the Ludlow sofa or the sculptural back of the Leroy chair. It is for this reason that people like Rob are entrusted with this critical step. Rob’s thoughtful, masterful approach to upholstery has made him not only a leader among the upholstery team, but also a go-to as the workroom brings a new Maiden Home shape to life - offering insight garnered over his lifetime in the industry.
Years in the furniture industry:
26 years
Most rewarding part of the job:
“Taking a sketch of a piece and building it from that idea, that’s the most rewarding part of the job. And when the designer comes and sees the piece and says ‘Hey that looks really nice’ - that’s a great feeling.”
Ray
Trimming is the final step of the process before your furniture is inspected, packed up, and begins its journey to your home. Trimming involves adding the final touches to furniture, but while it may sound simple, it’s some of the most meticulous work that’s done on your piece. Standing in his workstation, Ray spends his days obsessing over the details of his work, perfecting the line of a welt or painstakingly hand applying the finishing touches of each piece. And it is this level of pride in the craft, according to Ray, that sets apart Maiden Home’s furniture.
Years in the furniture industry:
34 years
Most rewarding part of the job:
“Learning - I may be doing the same work, but I’m learning something new everyday, and I learn from everyone. If you can be humble, you can even learn from someone you’re teaching.”
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We’re so proud to work with the talented men and women who bring our furniture to life and love being able to tell their stories every day.
Ready to order your very own Made in America custom furniture? Ordering free Maiden Home swatches is a great way to assess in the comfort of your home. Want to learn more about Maiden Home’s quality and how it stacks up to the competition? Explore more here.
