Ok Dr. Collie,
I am calling you Dr. because from all the threads that I have read here and elswhere, you seem to know what you are talking about. I consider you the Dr. of furniture and an expert in your field. Which is why I have finally given in and decided to enter into your forum and ask you a bunch of questions.
Hope you are up to it!!
I am completely new to buying leather furniture. My wife and I were convinced by several people to finally replace our old fabric couches/sofas and get leather. Trouble is, we don't know anything about what to look for. I have been doing extensive research, but after reading all the forums, it seems I didn't really learn anything at all. Here is what I thought I wanted.
I wanted a thick, sturdy leather, strong enough to handle my 6' 1" tall and 250 lb. mass of nothing. Top Grain was what I was looking for. Kind of a brown, coffee, light chocolate color. Not too picky on color. I thought it had to be a semi-aniline dyed couch and chairs/recliners, (still up in the air about recliners, tell you why later), 8-way hand tied, kiln-dried hardwood frame, but the leather had to be soft also, but tough enough to handel me and my dog and all my god children and nieces/nephews. It is for our living room, and that is exactly what it is, a living room. We do everything there. (Eat, entertain, watch tv, etc.)
I had researched the manufacturers who most likely would fit that bill, and came up with several. (B&Y, H&M, Leathercraft, classic leather, american leather, those were my top.) Then came Flexsteel, pallister, natuzzi, Sam Moore, and maybe a couple of others I can't recall now.
I had my sights set on H&M, until we actually started shopping around. We are in the southwest area, in far west Texas, near the border of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Not too many stores we can to see furniture. My wife is really sticking to her guns about not going to the internet for the furniture, because she wants to sit and feel the furniture, and I really can't blame her.
She now thinks that H&M is too expensive, and is leaning towards Flexsteel and some company called Superb creations, which I really can't find anything on them.
One thing is for sure. I don't want any chinese hands touching any part of my furniture. I don't like anything from China, and if I can help it, will not buy anything from there. So I was going for American made.
but after reading many posts, it seems that I will have a problem with that. I don't mind getting hides from Germany, North Italy, Scandanavia, North America, but I don't want stuff from China, New Zealand, or Australia, or England for that matter.
A sofa we saw at one retailer was an Austin, from the married family, Town and country stuff from H&M, and I really liked it, but I am worried about the leather now. Also, it was selling for $3292, and I thought it was kind of expensive being from the Town and Country selection. Or am I mistaken?
Now I am considering just getting my own chair, (for me) and let her get what she wants for the sofa and other chair/recliner.
I wanted a recliner, but you have stated that the Legget-Platt mechanisme is now being built in china. So there went that. Now I am thinking about getting a nice H&M chair and ottoman for myself.
My wife also mentioned that she sat in a Ekornes recliner and she loved it. I just have a probem with the foam that it is made out of. It seems to me that the company just warrants it for 5 years, and then, too bad. And it is expensive also. What are your feelings about this.
Beware Duane, this is only the beginning. (haha)
I do have sort of a budget to stick with, but I am looking for reliable furniture. She was also convinced about the flexsteel because the salesperson told her that in our dry weather, the Kiln-dried hardwood would split, and that was as bad as getting a natuzzi unit or lane unit. that flexsteel would stand up to any punishment we could give it. He also told her that she should consider Legacy leather, because it is the only company that guarantees their leather for life if anything happens. But all he had was bonded leather, or pigmented "corrected" leather, and I was wanting to stay away from that leather.
Your thoughts would be most appreciated.
Yours in furniture,
Richard
aka Big "R"