Is there any well made living room furniture anymore?

[mommy22pumpkins]

Hi all. Hoping I can get some help with picking out a new sofa/ recliner set for the living room. In the last 7 years we have gone through three sets. One was purchased in a second hand shop- and was the nicest and longest lasting we've had of the three. We paid a few hundred dollars for it- i believe it was Lane- and we got rid of it even though it was still in very good shape because we wanted a matching set.

Next was a sectional from Strawbridges before the went out of business. It is very comfortable- we still have it down the basement/playroom- but comlpletely torn up by the dogs/ kids. And pillows turned into meatball type shape quickly after getting it.

Now we have a reclining sofa/ Loveseat that is only about 3 years old. When it was delivered I noticed the one end section was not level with the middle. My husband thought it was just the way it was put together but he couldn't fix it and it's been that way ever since. You sort of slump to the side when you sit in it. And the bars under the sofa cushions are so hard you can feel them when you sit down. They actually hurt. And to top it off the one pillow /armchair on the recliner chair lifts up to reveal staples- very sharp staples- sticking out everywhere. Yes that's right our over $2000 sofa recliner set was stapled together. I honestly don't remember where we got it. I just don't want to repeat another experience like this.

I am hoping to spend our tax refund- around $3000 on a new set and not be so disappointed once again

If anyone can recommend a retail store in or around south jersey/tri state area it would be greatly appreciated I don't even know where to start now it seems like even the big name companies are outsourcing or just not the same quality they used to be

 

[kaytieeldr]

Is there a reason you wouldn't try Lane again, but new this time?

 

[cornflake]

Stickley furniture is very well made and classic, lasts forever.

Lee Industries also makes serious sofas and chairs - kiln dried, hand tied, joints screwed, steel springs, natural materials.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

We have a Flexsteel sectional and love it- it is a little more of a "firm" feel than other brands, but they do have different cusion upgrades. It is in our basement and we want another one for our family room.

 

[disneyofcourse]

How about Ikea? Some sofas have a 10 year warranty!

 

[Eastern]

I have a Flexsteel sectional in the basement and it is very comfortable. It is nearly 6 years old now.

Twice, the frame has broken, but the store I bought it at, Point Beach Interiors in Point Pleasant, has come to my home, retrieved the section, and fixed it each time (lifetime guaranty). http://www.pointbeachinteriorsnj.com/ It does get heavier use as I have 3 teen boys and their friends using it. The last time they picked it up, the guy mentioned that 'most people' replace sofas after 4-5 years, so I guess the quality is really not as good anymore. But this sofa still looks fairly new so it's not going anywhere...

They do have sales so watch for those. They have a lot of fabrics to choose from, but I would get one that does not require a lot of matching.

Point Beach Interiors also carries CR Laine furniture, which is well made, but on the pricier side. Also, I think the proportions are more petite than Flexsteel so pay attention to dimensions listed.

I have a Crate & Barrel sleeper sofa in my office. It is an older one with the slipcovers, but I love it. So comfortable and the covers come off to launder.

I have heard a lot of people recommend Rowe for sofas.

I have King Hickory in my living room currently, and I HATE it. http://www.kinghickory.com/products/sofas/2600 The cushions deflate after minimal use. I have already have replaced them once; next time, it goes to the dump.

 

[lisaross]

i bought a set about a year ago from Macy's - not sure the brand but take a look!

 

[Eastern]

i bought a set about a year ago from Macy's - not sure the brand but take a look!

If you look under the cushions you should find a brand tag somewhere. Macy's carries a lot of brands, and some of them are pretty cheaply made.

 

[DawnM]

Another vote for Flexsteel. We love it.

Another idea is to get a well made real wood frame and cushions that you can change if needed. This is what we want to do.

http://www.amishdirectfurniture.com/mission-mission-living-room-furniture-c-116_119.html

Dawn

We have a Flexsteel sectional and love it- it is a little more of a "firm" feel than other brands, but they do have different cusion upgrades. It is in our basement and we want another one for our family room.

 

[mommy22pumpkins]

I just checked under the reclining portion of the sofa- and the worst one we've had so far is a Berkline. This is the crooked one with chushions you can feeel the bars underneath through, stapled together etc.

Just a word of warning when looking for living room furniture

Stay away from Berkline !!!

 

[DVC-Don]

Ethan Allen is very good.

 

[Sagginit]

believe it or not the best couch my family owned was bought at costco. we had a very large family room so we bought two three seater couches (they had no loveseats). the cushions seemed wimpy so we took the seat cushions to an upholster and had them replace the inside cushion/foam. it made it much firmer and probably added years to the life of the couch. so if you have good bones/fabric that is always an option.

 

[tlh0726]

Hi all. Hoping I can get some help with picking out a new sofa/ recliner set for the living room. In the last 7 years we have gone through three sets. One was purchased in a second hand shop- and was the nicest and longest lasting we've had of the three. We paid a few hundred dollars for it- i believe it was Lane- and we got rid of it even though it was still in very good shape because we wanted a matching set.

Next was a sectional from Strawbridges before the went out of business. It is very comfortable- we still have it down the basement/playroom- but comlpletely torn up by the dogs/ kids. And pillows turned into meatball type shape quickly after getting it.

Now we have a reclining sofa/ Loveseat that is only about 3 years old. When it was delivered I noticed the one end section was not level with the middle. My husband thought it was just the way it was put together but he couldn't fix it and it's been that way ever since. You sort of slump to the side when you sit in it. And the bars under the sofa cushions are so hard you can feel them when you sit down. They actually hurt. And to top it off the one pillow /armchair on the recliner chair lifts up to reveal staples- very sharp staples- sticking out everywhere. Yes that's right our over $2000 sofa recliner set was stapled together. I honestly don't remember where we got it. I just don't want to repeat another experience like this.

I am hoping to spend our tax refund- around $3000 on a new set and not be so disappointed once again

If anyone can recommend a retail store in or around south jersey/tri state area it would be greatly appreciated I don't even know where to start now it seems like even the big name companies are outsourcing or just not the same quality they used to be

Not flaming here but just questioning, why wouldn't you have called the store you purchased it from to report these problems immediately?

Nothing is the same quality as it once was.


We just purchased 2 leather like sofas from Big Lots for $270 each.
With kids and dogs
we require something that can be wiped down easily
we know it is going to get abused
and if we have to replace it in 2 to 3 years oh well we didn't spend a fortune.

 

[greenclan67]

We are having the same problem! We spent $2500 on a couch and chair not even 3 years ago! I had them come back and fix it once, because the springs let go underneath! I was appalled when the guy took the casing off the couch to fix it, and it was just stapled on all the way around! He said he fixed it and we wouldn't have a problem again, as he re-inforced it! He also ordered me new cushions. For about 6 months it was OK. Now we are back to it sagging, the cushions are hardly cushions anymore! I am looking to buy a new set again, but am hesitant to spend that kind of money again! Oh and it was pressed cardboard under the arms, not wood! I am more willing to pay less and have a crappy set and throw it away every 2 to 3 years, then spend $3000 on some worthless piece that I throw away anyhow! This was Ashley furniture, not sure they sell that in the states, we are in Ontario!

 

[IUTBAM]

We are having the same problem! We spent $2500 on a couch and chair not even 3 years ago! I had them come back and fix it once, because the springs let go underneath! I was appalled when the guy took the casing off the couch to fix it, and it was just stapled on all the way around! He said he fixed it and we wouldn't have a problem again, as he re-inforced it! He also ordered me new cushions. For about 6 months it was OK. Now we are back to it sagging, the cushions are hardly cushions anymore! I am looking to buy a new set again, but am hesitant to spend that kind of money again! Oh and it was pressed cardboard under the arms, not wood! I am more willing to pay less and have a crappy set and throw it away every 2 to 3 years, then spend $3000 on some worthless piece that I throw away anyhow! This was Ashley furniture, not sure they sell that in the states, we are in Ontario!

$2500 for a couch and chair from Ashley? :O I'm not trying to throw salt onto a wound, but that is a LOT to pay for Ashley. We bought a ton of new Ashley furniture in Dallas, TX when we moved there...they are one of those store that is always having a sale. I got two full size Ashley sofas and a chair for our family room, and it was around $1,100; I also bought a sofa and double chair with ottoman for about $800. But boy, did I get what I paid for. It' been about four years...one couch is history, one couch is sagging, one couch is coming undone at the seams, and the double chair is coming apart at the seams as well. I will NEVER EVER buy Ashley again.

We had a Flexsteel sofa some years back that held up well. I should see who carries them around here. We also have a La-Z-Boy love seat I spent around $900 on that has held up well.

 

[CTdiznymom]

Another vote for Flexsteel. My recliners are Lazy Boy

 

[pickles521]

It's not cheap, but we just purchased furniture from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. We chose it because we had an Ashley disaster, and my friend and her sister both have furniture from Mitchell Gold. Her sister is probably not a heavy user of the furniture, but we've lived with my friend for the past year (waiting our our house to be rebuilt from a catastrophic house fire) and her furniture gets used HARD! Three adults - 2 of us are... ummm... larger than life barbies! - 4 cats, 1 40 pound dog and 1 70 pound dog. That furniture is 5 years old, takes a beating and still looks and feels great! It has washable slipcovers that fit like a glove, not like a slipcover, and lots of fabrics to choose from (not all washable). The sleeper sofa sleeps great, you can get new covers if you change your decorating scheme and I LOVE their customer service. You can buy it at their store, online or Restoration Hardware has it too. Highly recommend it, but brace yourself for the sticker shock if you usually shop Ashley.

Oh - and I LOVE LOVE LOVE their chair and a half with the ottoman. Its the best seat in the house!

 

[Judique]

Ethan Allen is very good.

Some of it is.

It's not all made in the usa any more.

 

[gomomgo]

Have you tried the Bassett in Cherry Hill? We bought a set there about a year and a half ago and so far have been pleased. With a good sale the prices are budget friendly. We wanted a hard wood frame and a fabric that would stand up to kids, dog, etc. Everything is customizable.

When we looked, we found that paying a higher price didn't always get you better quality. There's a lot of expensive junk out there!

Good luck in your search.

 

[janey99]

You must go to Flemington Department Store in Flemington. We were there today and the furniture prices are crazy with every manufacturer you can think of. Google it, they have a website. A giant sale is going til the end of Feb.

Jane