Pining for Pine

Timeless beauty and craftsmanship tie the knot at Munro's

 

The edited version of this story first appeared in Simcoe Life Magazine

September/October 2008

Globally, there exists well over 100 species of pine trees, many of which are readily available to the woodworker for the construction of fine furniture. Pine trees are evergreen, coniferous or “cone-bearing”, and produce resin. Considering its availability today, it may be difficult to accept the price tag placed onto a piece of furniture constructed from what was once known in its history as “the working man's wood”.

During the 18th Century, antique pine furniture was the predominant wood furniture found in the working class home, while oak and mahogany was reserved for the wealthy. Often, furniture was made of pine wood and painted to resemble pieces made from more expensive dark woods.

For the modern consumer, pine now ranks among the top 5 of preferred materials used in the manufacture of furniture – including synthetic and natural polymers and wood byproducts. Taking into consideration today's mass production of assembly line, knock-down style furniture that does not last through generations of use, the beauty of solid pine and the artist's craftsmanship certainly merit the prices tagged onto a solid piece of finely crafted furniture.

Started in 1978 in a garage, ironically in the community of Maple, the concept of Munro's Furnishings was to produce unfinished pine furniture, largely retailing the pieces through flea market venues.

For Janet and William Munro, proprietors of Munro's Furnishings, their love of pinewood has dovetailed into a business that grew from a passion for producing pieces that are well constructed and custom made to a client's specifications. Munro's no longer sells their product at flea markets – in fact, now, less than one per cent of the furniture produced at Munro's Furnishings leaves their facility unfinished. Originally Pine by Munro, Munro's Furnishings relocated their factory and showroom in 1987 to Innisfil Beach Road and Highway 400. After two expansions to their Highway 400 location the Munros opened a second retail location in Schomberg, which eventually closed in November 2007 due to low traffic volume.

Expanding production to include furniture pieces made from other woods such as maple and oak, the Munros continue to pride themselves on making solidly constructed pieces, paying attention to details such as drawers having dovetailed fronts and backs and double fronted drawers and backs that are tongue and grooved. Mortise and tenon joints are used in the assembly of casegoods such as dressers, armoires and night tables. Even the unseen backing is made from the same wood used to construct the item itself. Each piece is custom made to a client's specific taste, taking into consideration the client's preference for style, stain, and handle choices. Generally the waiting period is between six to eight weeks.

Keeping it Canadian, Munro's is proud to admit they purchase their wood from Canadian sources, and proud to produce furniture that is made to last. Robin Gallo, marketing manager for Munro's Furnishings comments.

“We must do our part to limit what goes into landfill and are very proud when our customers comment that they have passed their furniture onto other family members over the years.”

Recently, Gallo has noticed a tendency for consumers to purchase their pieces in maple, an extremely hard wood, appreciated for its durability and variety of grain patterns.

“Just like clothing, furniture also has fashion trends and maple seems to be selling the best at this time, [with]the current trend [being]dark stain choices.”

“Over the last few years,” Gallo continues, “we have introduced a series of contemporary pieces that target the trendy, younger consumer. They are selling quite well due to the fact that more and more people are discovering Munro’s is more than just pine cottage furniture.”

Pine or knot, Munro's best selling piece still remains its Muskoka bedroom suite, in pine. Featured on their showroom floor in Distressed White finish, Munro's recently unveiled their Muskoka suite in the new finish at the National Home Show, held April this year at Toronto's Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, instantly making it a hit with consumers.

Diversifying to include other furniture lines rounds out Munro's serviceability to its customers – offering additional product choices such as upholstery fabrics, bedding, artwork, lighting and retailing other home accent pieces. Adding products from other companies such as Broyhill, Temple Furniture, Dutalier and King Koil offers customers one-stop shopping. Munro's even offers in-home consultation/room design with interior designer Sharon Bagot – the fee of $100 is then applied to the customer's purchase.

Many purchases are transported home by customers themselves – Munro's has seen their furniture travel to Japan, South Africa and Britain. Munro's will also make custom arrangements for shipping if needed within Ontario and across Canada, through United Van Lines. For that special client overseas, Munro's Furnishings obtains quotes.

And special clients have certainly made appearances at Munro's – their growing list includes the likes of former Maple Leaf player Wendel Clark, Ultimate Fighter Gary Goodridge, Canadian figure Skating champion Josie Chouinard and jockey Sandy Hawley.

Munro's Furnishings, family owned and operated with the help of children Ken and Jill, and a staff of 35 will celebrate its 30-year anniversary this year by hosting a one day sale on Tuesday, August 26, 2008. In late fall you can also expect to see a re-vamped Munro's Furnishings website offering online purchasing.

Aside from searching for a new and more profitable alternative to their now-closed Schomberg location, the Munros are proudly anticipating the future employment of their latest addition to the pine family tree - one-year-old Alexander. You can take the flea out of market, but you can't take the market out of a Munro.

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