Questions on Leather Furniture

Duane,

My husband and I have been shopping for furniture for a few months now and everything seems to be so overwhelming. We recently moved to a new house and are looking to buy some new furniture for our family room. This is the room that will be used the most and we want to buy something better than just run of the mill sofas, something that will last us for a long time. We first wanted leather and then thought maybe upholstery was better and now we're back to leather. We have two dogs (who aren't usually on the furniture, but do lean against it and sometimes put their front paws on) and a cat, who is de-clawed in the front but not the back. We're also planning on having children soon. We informally entertain a lot and are in the family room constantly, so we want something that will really hold up.

Our style is what most people would call transitional. We like clean lines, not cold modern, but we're not super traditional either. We prefer a track arm, but I like a wooden leg that doesn't sit too high so the furniture feels "antsy". I love nailhead trim that's tailored and not over the top. We don't hate a rolled arm, but it's not our first choice, however if the color and price are right then we can make it work. We're both a bit on the tall side, I'm 5'9" and he's 5'10" so we prefer something that sits a little deeper and comfortably. Our room can handle two sofas, so that's what we're in the market for, but unfortunately that gets expensive quickly.

My parents have two H&M leather sofas and my husband's parents have American Leather furniture, so both are high quality and we love both of those manufacturers. The problem is trying to find something that fits in our budget, but that uses quality construction and materials that will last a long time. We really like the style of the H&M Campaign sofa (1283) and the Savant sofa (1736). We haven't had the opportunity to view either of these as they don't seem to be on the floor anywhere near us. How do you think they "sit" in comparison with each other and with the other sofas in the line. (My parents have what I think is the Kodiak that they purchased about 12 years ago, so I have an idea of how that sits.) Is there anything, style or brand-wise, that you can recommend to us?

I would love to get pricing, but I understand I need to message you privately for that? I apologize, I'm new to this site as well as buying "real/good" furniture as well. So you may have to help us navigate to the best grade and color of leather for us as we haven't even seen samples.

Any advice you may have would be great and much appreciated. Also, I understand that there will be a price increase as of July 1st. Do you know if either the Campaign or the Savant will be affected? If so, would you recommend that we buy ASAP? I suppose we'll also need to discuss samples, shipping, tax, etc. Regarding color, we're looking for a medium brown shade that leans away from the red/burgandy/ orangey colors and something that will hold up against us, pets and babies.

Thank you so much for your help. This site is unbelievably helpful and hopefully we can find a solution!

I moved this thread from the HIGH POINT SPRING 2010 REPORT to here as its more appropriate in this category.

You're smart to invest in better furniture as the cost of ownership is actually lower over the lifespan of the piece vs cheaper furniture. I have many pieces in my own home approaching 25 years of age and still in very good service duty, I expect they will all go another 50 (maybe not in my house, because at some point you simply want a change). The best quality should go into the highest use room, usually the family room. If you have to decorate on a tight budget, same the cheaper pieces for the living room that is rarely used. Even mediocre quality goods will look decent over the years if no one uses them. Leather will outlast fabric 4 to 1 on average, one of the reasons why its so popular - and most everything wipes off it.

Transitional is the style of the moment, with track arms being very popular. I will tell you that the track arm is not so good for laying on, and tends to scar more easily over time because there is no padding under the cover for the most part, so the rolled arm still remains the comfort champ and is likely to age better.

As to budget, like I'm posted elsewhere on this forum there are no secrets in this industry, every maker knows how to build a great piece of furniture if thats their target market. It takes "X" amount of raw material, and "X" amount of skilled labor to accomplish. And when you're done your sofa costs $ 2,500 or more retail. There's just no way around it. Now if a maker is like Bradington Young for example, they decide they want to sell in the under $ 2K sofa range, so what can they do to get there? Well, they hire the $ 14 an hour workers instead of the $ 18 and hour ones at H&M. Then they give up the hardwood maple or ash frame for a laminated hardwood plywood, saving more money. They they loop their 8-way base springs instead of hand-tying them with a knot at each juncture, that saves a lot of time. Their front legs screw into a press-in socket instead of being integrated into the frame or fastened using three to four screws, and they skimp on padding on the backs and arms that hands rarely touch. Now they can reach their target price point. Realize that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and when you ratchet down the prices you are giving something up in tailoring or construction. Decide where you want to be. I'm amused that Toy Store 3 set records at the box office this weekend - when theaters have all raised their prices. Folks think nothing about dropping $ 100 for a family of four to go to the movies but adding $ 500 to the price of a sofa that lasts over 20 years becomes a huge sticking point for many.

Every maker has a promotional line they run. The trick to get high quality and stay reasonable on pricing is to buy in the promo. In Hancock and Moore's case its the Town and Country line, which is all listed here (and changing July 1st). The 1287 and 1736 are not in that promo, so maybe try to pick a style that is in that grouping is my advice. Don't rush into things, unless you already know what you want them making a decision in a few days to get under the wire for the July 1 changes won't be wise. You need to select your leathers, possibly get some samples first, and think about what style you want for the next several years. Come back and ask questions, study the forum and you'll have an answer soon enough.