Newbie wanting first high quality living room set

I've been searching for a few weeks now for my first good quality living room set. I've visited a few retailers and really haven't gotten a confident feeling leaving the store. I've run into limited floor selection, pushy staff, and not gotten the knowledge I was really seeking in order to make a confident purchase. Obviously I know for online retailers the The Keeping Room is a good place to start, but I wanted to get some basic information first.

The way I've typically set up my living room is with 2 full size stationary sofas. I am open to other setups if one makes more sense. Our typical use of the sofas is laying on them with the arm as a pillow. I've noticed (and there's probably a good reason) that in higher end manufacturer's the more casual pillow like arm is much more rare and instead more defined decorative arms are common. Is there an alternative setup for our room that would make more sense, or am I simply overlooking comfortable high-end sofas that would fit this usage. We have no children, the sofas do not receive any direct sunlight, and I follow care guidelines pretty meticulously. Our budget is not yet set, I can't go to the very high end, but am willing to pay for value and quality.

I'd greatly appreciate a push in the right direction, as I feel unappreciated in local stores, and overwhelmed online. Thanks!!

Upholstery is a fashion item, same as clothing. shoes, and even cars. You will see the styles constantly evolving and changing, with the top companies hiring professional designers and having the cutting edge product while the mainstream guys take 2 to 3 years to knock them off and play catch up. "Fashion" and this style is the reason you don't see pillow arm sofas from any quality builder - they were very 70's and 80's....about as fashionable today as a polyester leisure suit. None of the brands I carry offer them, as it would show they are 'behind the times' and dowdy. Having said that, if you want that kind of sofa at moderate price points you can get that from Flexsteel's (made in China) Latitudes grouping. This is not high quality furniture but its not total junk, either. You can buy this for around $ 1,800 to $ 2,000 if you shop it hard. I'm not a big fan of the Chinese Flexsteel product, but it won't fall apart on you in 5 years and will hold up fairly decent.

http://www.flexsteel.com/home-furnit...es/sku/1127-31

In the brands I happen to carry, something like the H&M Kodiak # 9840 is as close as you are going to get, or the Journey unit which has a bit of a pillow over the arm. Hancock and Moore, uses a rubber arm cap over the wood and under the cover, rather than wrapped foam so the arm tops are quite a bit better and nicer to lay a head on than on most sofas from other makers.

http://www.hancockandmoore.com/produ...?productid=982
http://www.hancockandmoore.com/produ...?productid=859

H&M sofas may stretch your budget somewhat though. Plan on $ 3,500 + per unit as these are USA made pieces. Price varies with the cover.

Learn what makes a good sofa. When you go into stores push on the arms (outwards) and note the amount of flex in the arm. Less is better. Stay away from ones that move an inch or more. Pinch the arm hard with your hand. Do you feel the wood underneath the cover? On better sofas you will not. Sofa deck suspension is the one thing you really can't tell much from on the showroom floor. They are all reasonable tight when new, but cheaply made pieces lose their suspension resiliency quickly with use and then you sink-sink-sink into the piece when you use it. Most suspension systems that are poorly made fail after about 2 years, when the piece is out of warranty and the store who sold it to you won't return your phone calls. Pretty much that old adage is true in upholstery "you get what you pay for". A really good suspension system will remain tight and serviceable for 25 + years. That's what you're really buying on better upholstery.

Good luck in your search!

Thank you for the prompt response. I did see a few pieces that looked like they had comfortable arms online at H&M and I was hoping they were a nice blend of style and comfort. While I value quality highly, I really value functionality far more than style, as 95% of the time these pieces are just for us. But like you've said in many posts I'm tired of replacing my furniture every 6-8 years and not being satisfied with the quality after maybe 1-2. The local dealers I've visited I speculate carry H&M as their more aspirational brand and on the floor have only a few pieces and they are the more extreme showy and decorative pieces. However, I was impressed with their build quality. Before I even visited a forum my instinct was largely right on what to look for as in our current sofas the sag and flex are what have really bothered me.

The journey sofa (even the coloring) is very close to what I am looking for, but you may be right that it is at the very high end of our budget. I'm by no means holding anyone to the price, but what approximate price shipped would a pair of that sofa be in one of H&M's more value oriented leathers that is still of course durable and reasonably easy to take care of??

I don't quote exact prices on the forum at the request of H&M, but will PM you. Delivery costs are based on state AND zip code, so I cannot quote them shipped without knowing that.

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Originally Posted by adam61

I've been searching for a few weeks now for my first good quality living room set. I've visited a few retailers and really haven't gotten a confident feeling leaving the store.

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Furniture shopping nowadays is really really hard, especially for someone on a mid-price budget who wants high-quality items. My family was in the furniture business for many years in a west Texas city. I grew up around good furniture and am very picky. When I was shopping 3 years ago I was fortunate to find this forum, things have changed a LOT since I grew up around the Henredon and Drexel companies' products.

I'm a very satisfied customer of Duane's, I bought a Journey sofa and recliner from him a couple of years ago. I live in very distant New Mexico, at the end of 17 miles of bad dirt roads. Delivery here was a challenge, but Duane did a great job in selecting the delivery company and following through. Working with him on the phone and by e-mail was very easy. Your profile gives no indication of where you live, so I don't know if you would be a local or long distance customer of a store in Northern Virginia.

If you like the Journey styling, I can assure you it's a great sofa. I went to a store and sat on one, just to be sure it would "fit" me (at five feet tall some sofas aren't comfortable for me at all). I'm so so pleased with my Journey, every single thing about both pieces. I was on a budget, so I selected my furniture from H & M's "Town and Country Program," look on this forum for more information on it. Basically, H & M makes lower pricing available on many styles, with only certain leathers, through this program. Changes to the program are coming by mid-July, act sooner rather than later.

My H & M is in the Document Tobacco leather, one of the "lower end" H & M offerings. But H & M's lower end leathers are much much better than other companies' best. I think my furniture is absolutely beautiful and we've had no issues with quality whatsoever. Everyone who comes into my mountain home swoons over the look and comfort of the Journey pieces. I'm fully expecting my H & M to last for at least 25 years, if not longer.

So, check around here for more information on the Town & Country program, then you can get samples and pricing from Duane. Good luck on your shopping, it's a jungle out there.