Hello,

Hopefully I'm posting this in the right place. I'm looking to replace our current sofa, and my shopping efforts have taken me in a number of directions. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, so I'm looking for some advice. Apologies in advance for the long winded post to follow.

Ultimately, I'd like to buy from a known quantity (i.e. Hancock and Moore, American Leather, etc) but I have not found a design from those companies that matches what I'm looking for. What I'm looking for is all in a design I've been in love with for years, the Restoration Hardware Lancaster Sofa. It is a traditional, deep seating sofa with the exact cushion density/sink-in quality I'm looking for.

That said, I've been unsure about the quality from RH. Though they indicate hardwood, corner block re-inforced frames and 8-way hand tied suspension, quality Moore + Giles leather, etc ... I'm hesitant to trust a lifestyle brand like RH. Additionally, though this sofa has dropped in price around $2k in the last 3-4 years, it is still overpriced at around $3900 with tax+shipping.

As a possible alternative, I've found a number of companies that make this same design (whether they are admittedly knock-offs or work with the "original designer" is up for debate) but claim higher quality. There are many of these (BariLeatherFurniture, Casco Bay Furniture, and others), some that offer 8-way, some that offer the foam-core down encased cushions, but none yet that offer both.

The most promising company I've found so far in this design is LeatherGroups.com. The design is practically identical, the leather is the same Moore+Giles leather, the cushion construction is the same if not better, and the frame construction sounds solid. I've had a lot of back and forth with sales including additional pictures and detailed discussions about their products, and they sound like a reputable company, but there is little feedback out there on them which makes me hesitant to order. As mentioned above, I've yet to find the cushion and suspension combo I'd like, and these folks seem to use sinuous instead of 8-way (though I'm still waiting on confirmation on what their suspension is, though it is safe to say it likely isn't 8-way if it isn't stated as such).

Here's their page on the sofa:
https://www.leathergroups.com/cart/c...ofa-p-452.html

So, after all that .. I suppose I'm looking for some advice from those out there that know furniture construction and how to spot quality. How does this product from LeatherGroups.com strike you? There's a video there for the watching @ the bottom of the page. Would you feel confident ordering this sofa? We're talking about $1000 price difference vs. RH, although returning it if I'm unhappy with it would cost me half of those savings. RH would take theirs back w/o charge.

My concerns are:

- unknown reliability/business reputation of alternative company
- buying a sofa without sitting on it / inspecting it in person first
- sinuous vs. 8-way hand tied suspension

All and any feedback in this matter is welcomed.