As part of the 2013 Furniture Society Symposium, I had a chance to tour the Modernica factory in Vernon, California, an industrial area just south of downtown Los Angeles. Modernica, a maker and seller of mid-century and modern furniture and accessories, moved into the complex of pre-WWII warehouses a few years ago, greatly expanding their manufacturing abilities, and the company is currently in the process of moving all of their manufacturing to the site. (Modernica still makes some things at their other location.)

Our tour started off in the main building, in the upholstery and shipping departments. The upholstery department was really interesting - a team of half a dozen people were busy each working on individual pieces, cutting fabric and stretching and stapling pieces to the frames. It looked like there were some brand-new pieces being upholstered alongside a few restorations. Modernica, in addition to making new, also refurbishes and repairs mid-century pieces, too.

Because I was in a group of furniture makers and enthusiasts, we were able to spend some time seeing items being made. Modernica put together a demonstration to show their plywood molding process, gluing up layers of thin wood sheets (plies) and molding them to create curved pieces. Then it was off to the woodshop. In addition to machines many of us were familiar with, there was a five-axis CNC machine, and another demo waiting.

This CNC machine was something that I'd never seen in action before. A rough plywood form is clamped to a moving table, and an arm with interchangable heads trims the piece with a saw blade, then rounds over the piece with a router bit. The process takes only a couple of minutes, and can do a handful of pieces at a time. Then it's off to sanding and finishing, both of which are very hands-on processes.

But, the highlight of the tour for me was definitely seeing the creation of the iconic molded fiberglass chairs. Modernica even uses some of the original machinery that made the first Eames-designed molded fiberglass chairs in the 1950s. The process involves layering fiberglass fibers and resin in a press, and the final layer of resin adds a pop of color. Then the chair gets a base. There are lots of options, from wood and metal to wheels and rockers.

One of the things that really stood out to me was how positive the working environment seemed. Yes, people were working hard, but there was a lot of care going into individual pieces. And it didn't seem like they were being overworked, or that quality was being sacrificed in the name of production. Overall, it was a very cool, positive experience, showing an attention to detail and pride in their process, not just in the furniture, but in the care with which Modernica is restoring and caring for their historic complex.