Coaster Furniture

[chiommy]

Hello.
I'm new to the forum and really appreciate your selflessness in doing this. I'm in the market for a new leather set for our sitting room. My husband is tired of all the contemporary designs out there and wants us to go traditional this time. I don't really like traditional but since he lets us do things my way most of the time, I'm willing to compromise on this. H&M and BY seem to be outside our price range. We like the linden collection by Coaster Furniture but I never even heard of coaster furniture. Should I run as fast as I can from them. What do you think of the Linden collection? Any other manufacturers I should be looking at. Our budget maxes out at $2000 for a leather sofa. Is this doable?

Thanks.

http://www.coasterfurniture.com/Coll...ionNum=+500680

[drcollie]

I think I'd run.....

http://www.complaintsboard.com/compl...re-c45292.html

I looked at their website and there is no way in the world you can make a decent quality piece like that for $ 2K, that's a complex sofa with all that tufting and carving that really will be more than double that price when built properly. Also, they're not a manufacturer, merely a broker running out of an office building. 1-year-warranty? Yikes.....EVERYTHING has more than a 1-year warranty!

Why not consider some Transitional styles? They're not as complex in form and you can get a whole lot closer to your budget that way. Here's a sofa I like a lot that has what I'm talking about. While you won't get this for $ 2K, you can buy it for under $ 3K and it will last many years...this is a nice balance between contemporary and traditional. There are others out there as well!

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...a-in-Pecos-Oak

[chiommy]

Thanks. I thought as much. It looked too good to be true. My husband is pretty bent on traditional furniture so he doesn't like the recommedation above. We've also been looking on magnoliahall.com particularly the Charleston Leather Library. Do you or any of the gurus here know anything about them and the quality of their furniture?. Thanks again.

http://www.magnoliahall.com/livingro...erlibrary.html

[aaron]

I'm not expecting much. When I read things like, "massive Plantation solid wood frames" I'm struck by what's missing from the description - words like "kiln dried" and "hardwood". I have to say, also, that the detail picture doesn't impress me that this is likely to be quality wood or that the "hand-rubbed satin walnut finish" isn't a thick coating that masks the quality of the wood and workmanship. I don't want to read too much into a photograph, but it has been my experience that marketing photographs tend to represent the best you can hope to see in the finished product.



The website indicates, "We diligently search for traditionally crafted wood furniture. Most pieces are made of solid wood or wood veneers (note specifications in individual product descriptions). Some ornamental features are made of cast resin products." To me, that detail looks like it might be cast resin.

Similarly, the close-ups and the product pictures showing the white leather don't leave me confident that the leather quality or its finish will be particularly high. (Honestly, my impression is the opposite - see if you can get a sample.) I'm not a huge fan of Ripoff Report, but check this out.

[drcollie]

I think we pretty much covered the basics in my first reply. You have to look at construction (lots of info on that here, including a post I made earlier today) and see how its made. That series is even more ornate, and would cost $ 10,000 + to make a proper sofa in that manner. A rule of thumb in the furniture biz as well "If it looks and sounds cheap on the outside, just imagine whats on the inside". Part of what makes YOU a savvy buyer is learning what makes a good piece of furniture, be it upholstery or wood case goods. That's why your here - to learn and there are hundreds of topics covering that subject in the threads. Once you know - they you can determine yourself if something is worth the price. So a search, read the topics, and you'll see....

You can buy a sofa like that for $ 2K, and I would bet money you'll be shopping again for one within 24 months of taking delivery. You might not replace it right away, but you'll notice its not very good pretty quickly when the webbing deck starts sagging and things start creaking and swaying....

[chiommy]

Wow. more food for thought and more homework for us. I guess we have to keep looking. We would like furniture that will last about 5-7 yrs as we like changing the look of our home in intervals and as such, will get tired of the look and style of a 10yr old furniture despite its quality and beauty at the time of purchase. Any ideas as to where to go to find furniture that will last b/w 5 and 7 yrs? Thanks again.