sofa question

[coastiewifern]

I believe that researching product quality is important to being budget conscious. Sometimes you have to spend more on quality to not replace things again in a few years. Help a girl who hates to shop narrow things down. I need new living room furniture. Due to pets and kids leather is a must. Due to family preference reclining feature is a must. Problem: leather reclining couches are so puffy UGH. Finally found a Natuzzi couch that is sleek. Anyone out there who can comment on Natuzzi leather furniture quality? I have a puffy Lane set that has held up well and I've been happy with the quality but 4 moves have taken their toll. It is moving to the kids game room

 

[LJSquishy]

Most furniture companies have gone downhill over the last 20 years. That includes Natuzzi, Lane, Flexsteel, etc. Natuzzi is a decent entry level company I would say but I wouldn't call it a quality brand. I know Lane used to make great furniture but those days are gone. La-z-boy is absolutely awful also. Flexsteel that is made in the USA is good quality, but most pieces are made overseas and are lesser quality. We did have a Natuzzi sofa that was great for about 5 years (with VERY light use...like we'd sit on it once a week if that), but then it started sinking in the middle almost immediately after we started using it more often. It also started creaking & squeaking a lot...and this was not a reclining sofa. I wouldn't personally purchase Natuzzi again. We currently have a cheap-o sofa from Costco that we bought for $700 knowing it would only last a few years and we've been pretty happy with it so far with light use. In a few years we will probably fork over $3,000-$5,000 for a nice sofa.

Honestly, any reclining furniture is not going to last a lifetime. The parts just fail eventually. And, I agree, everything is really oversided and puffy and ugly! I would really seek out a high quality leather. I don't know what your budget is, but I would buy the best you can afford especially since you have kids who will undoubtedly be rough on the furniture just from the amount of use it will receive. First and foremost, look for a frame that is kiln-dried hardwood. Just "hardwood frame" is not the same as kiln-dried. And, good luck! I absolutely hate sofa shopping because I like classic, streamlined pieces and almost everything is oversized and overstuffed these days!

 

[coastiewifern]

Great advice on the frame. What about the leather.....I see items listed with grade 10 or grade 15 leather. My sister has a less than 2 year old flex steel set and her stitching is coming apart in multiple places. I've been happy with the Lane which again is 11 years old but the leather is starting to look worn on the seat around the 10 year mark (to be expected) and the movers ripped a small part in the back
Tell me about leather grades and recommended brands.

 

[HM]

We opted not to go with leather. We have fabric sofas and an ottoman we bought from Haverty's. The are made by Bernhardt. http://www.havertys.com/Product_53406?curIndex=1&resultCount=7 We've had them seven years and the fabric has held up great, but the seat cushions are getting out of shape from constant use and the support in the seat is not springy enough anymore. Not a problem for us, but our older parents have trouble getting in and out of them (they are deep seating). We'll have to be looking for new stuff before too long.

 

[2minnies]

If you are looking for a quality investment piece I'd highly recommend http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/ for more information on furniture. Great forum moderated by Duane Collie who owns http://www.keepingroom.com/