Want to understand what MV furniture is made of? Read on...

plywood

Plywood is not new to furniture construction. Typically it is “edgebanded” to hide the fact that it is plywood. As if we are embarressed to use this amazing modern material! MV strongly believes in truth of materials. The edge plys of plywood are actually its strongest, most unique feature and this deserves to be celebrated, not hidden away between an extra chunk of hard wood. This is Grown-Up furniture. No more pretending or make-believe at MV. This furniture is made out of PLYWOOD! Yes! Nothing to be ashamed of!

We are guilty of one thing however... The plywood used in MV furniture is THE BEST available. This is the kind of plywood that is commonly reserved for vital tasks such as drawers, where the slightest changes brought out by environmental (heat, humidity, cold, wet, etc) conditions can wreak havoc on performance. You can read more about the plywood here. The most important features for MV are the gorgeous 15 ply edge made of inner laminations of birch and outer veneers of maple, less than .05ppm formaldehyde (hey, we have to work with this stuff Every Day and care about our own health!) and the wood is FSC certified. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification means the wood is sustainably harvested. No deforestation promoted by MV.

finishes

The number one criteria for finish selection at MV is V.O.C.s. As said before, we have to work with the stuff and feel as though our livers deal with enough toxins outside that they should get a break in the shop. You know that smell in a freshly painted room? That new carpeting in the office? That “new car smell”? V.O.C.s. We’ve been sniffing these bad guys our whole lives. And now we are finding out, go figure, that it is not good for us. Well, your new coffee table will not harm you or us in any way. That is because our finishes do not contain any of these bad offgassing components.

The clear finish MV uses creates a very subtle Satin sheen to wood. It pops the wood grain to celebrate it, but doesn’t make it look like plastic like the polyurethanes and varnishes typically associated with woodworking. We feel that the natural properties of wood are sufficient to look good, it doesn’t need to show your reflection as well. We use an all-natural, plant-based, V.O.C.-free and completely non-toxic, and extraordinarily durable, One Step finish. Yes, only one coat gets applied. Anyone familiar to wood working would cringe and say "what are you smoking there in Vermont?". Traditional finishes are built up in layers of 3 or more, sometimes 8-9 coats of toxic, off-gassing “"stuff". Not MV furniture. This finish is truly Modern and sophisticated. It adheres to the wood surface by molecular bonding. If we tried to add another coat to it, the oil would just wash right off. Wouldn’t stick. One Step application also means less wasted sandpaper and applicator cloths. And less time to produce, savings we can incorporate into the price.

Zero V.O.C. paints are finally becoming widely available. If you ever re-paint Anything in your home, we Strongly Urge you to use them. You can paint and continue to live in your home without putting yourself and your loved ones in health peril. This is what we use on MV furniture. A bit more sophisticated paint than you’d put on a wall though. Furniture needs to last much longer and withstand the wear and tear of everyday use. Glossy finishes are used on MV furniture to contrast nicely with the satiny sheen of the natural finish.

glue

Well, there is not much to say about glue. The pieces of wood have to be held together, and MV furniture uses a combination of glue and mechanical fasteners (screws/nails) as designs require. No, we didn't get all excited about one step finishes and forget about the super important but rarely mentioned glue-that-holds-it-all-together. The adhesives we use are non-toxic, formaldehyde free, and solvent free.