Looking for advice: Ethan Allen vs. Whittemore Sherrill

We are looking to buy a leather sofa for our family room. Ideally, we would like something with a 24 inch seat and a rolled arm that is comfortable in a protected leather that can stand up to wear and tear. We’ve been to Ethan Allen and really like the Spencer sofa that you can customize. Our EA bedroom furniture is 27 years old and still going strong, but I’m wondering how their newer leather sofas hold up?

We’ve also looked at a local furniture store and saw a Whittemore Sherrill leather sofa that is comfortable. Does anyone know anything about the durability of this brand vs. Ethan Allen? I’ve seen some Hancock and Moore sofas but think they look on the stuffy side for a family room.

I'll be curious to see what Duane says, but I'm betting he'll advise staying away from Ethan Allen. They're not what they were when you bought those pieces 27 years ago.

Read up on leathers here. "Protected" does not mean more durable or that it is armored. All that means to is that the leather is painted, and most everything rolls off paint - but paint also wears off over time.

https://www.myfurnitureforum.com/sho...-FORUM-lt-READ

Ethan Allen does not make their own furniture, they sub-contract it out and have changed suppliers so many times I have no idea who is making their line now. In the past, they have used some really poor contractors and also good ones. Sometimes a mix, so it depends on the individual piece. Really you have to look at it and decide, and that means how is the tailoring, how much foam is on the piece? Sides? Backs? How are the legs incorporated? What is the cushion core content? What is the suspension?

Whittmore-Sherrill is a premium brand, they've been around a long time and make a good product. Some pieces and lines are on par with Hancock & Moore, some are not. They also make all the upholstery furniture for Restoration Hardware.

Thank you for the link to the information on leathers! I learned a lot from reading through those threads. I just joined the discussion group yesterday, and this is a great resource.

I saw that you really recommend the Hancock and Moore leather line. I looked through their sofas and was wondering if it is possible to get the September or Studio styles in the $4,000-$5,000 range which is what we are looking for? Do you know any other good manufacturers in this range? Thanks for any advice you can give.

Hancock and Moore is the Gold Standard in leather upholstery, they sit at the top. No one makes a better piece of leather furniture than they do in my opinion, though WS is right on par with them on quite a few pieces.

Best bang for the buck is in the H&M Town and Country Group. Especially their "H" or Home series. Those are very aggressively priced. in their selected leathers. That program is here - September and Studio are not in this promotion:

https://www.myfurnitureforum.com/sho...-Just-in-Time)

The Home Series is too new to be in the scanned/printed brochure. You can see those by going to this link and look for items that have an "H" prefix. https://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/NewProducts

For example, this piece in Fenway Cedar leather is currently $ 3,159 + shipping to you location. https://www.hancockandmoore.com/Prod...il?SKU=H6867-3