Apartment or Studio Size Furniture Recommendations

[NorthernVA]

Greetings. My husband and I are looking to replace our small sectional and chair with a small sofa, recliner, and chair. Our room is very small and the furniture arrangement is inflexible due to the positioning of the TV (this is our main TV viewing area), walkways, windows, etc. Our only reasonable alternative to the small sectional is a small apartment size sofa--something in the 70" to 76" range, with 73" being ideal. Likewise, the recliner and chair need to be of very limited scale.

Another requirement is that the pieces be available in black leather. It seems that black is out of style now--in favor of dark brown--but we are locked into the black due to other decorating choices throughout our open floor plan.

We have found a Flexsteel set that fits our needs in terms of size, functionality and style. It is a USA (Iowa) made set called the Digby. Here is a link: http://www.flexsteel.com/home-furnit...as/sku/3966-30

The Digby would work for us due to the 70" wide sofa, the straight arms which maximize seating space, the fixed back which has a streamlined look, the black leather option, and the small-scale matching recliner and chair. Having said that, I have read enough on this site and elsewhere to understand that Flexsteel is mid-range quality. It is not finely tailored and does not follow mainstream construction methods. On the other hand, the USA made pieces have shown decent durability, and the price point is reasonable. We want something that will last, but we are not convinced it needs to last forever. We plan to retire to our other house in another state in 5 to 10 years. The small scale furniture will work there as well, but we may want to change the color at that point, meaning the furniture we buy now will not be needed then.

Flexsteel offers four levels of leather quality and several cushion options. We have been considering a level three leather, which is, I believe, a semi-analine top grain leather (but I could have that wrong), one step down from their highest quality. We are also considering upgrading to the High Resilient Firm Cushion on all pieces where that option is available. That is Flexsteel's firmest cushion.

The base price for the three Flexsteel pieces from a local furniture store is about $4,000. We don't have prices on the upgraded leather and cushions, but we estimate those additions would bring the price to slightly over $5,000 for the three pieces.

So, finally, here's my question:

Can you recommend alternatives to the Flexsteel Digby set which would fit our size restrictions, give us the same functionality, but be of higher quality? We realize higher quality comes at a higher cost. I provided the Flexsteel prices only as a point of reference. I think we could go as much as 1/3 to 1/2 higher on cost, but we would not be interested in doubling the Flexsteel price. What I'm specifically seeking here are available options, because we have found very few that fit our size and color needs, and those we have found have been lower quality than the Flexsteel. It has seemed to us that with increased quality comes increased size, but I have hope that you can reverse that impression for us. I would also be interested in your opinion regarding whether we should simply stick with the Flexsteel, given our uncertainty about how long we will want to keep this furniture. Of course, if we spent a lot more on the furniture, and knew that we had a fine quality piece, we most likely would decide to keep it regardless of color.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and expertise.

[NorthernVA]

Two more thoughts. . .

Regarding the Digby set, the high back (36"), high arms (27"), and high seating position (20") also fit us and our accessory furniture pieces quite well. The shallow seating depth (22") is not ideal but a necessary sacrifice to get an overall shallower depth of 36", which is perfect for our space.

Regarding cost for higher quality, let's leave that out of the equation for now and just discuss available options. My husband has been known to completely discard cost as a factor when he finds something he likes, so just having options is the key at this point. If there are good options, we can consider cost separately.

Also, please note that we are in Reston, VA very near your store and could come see you this weekend if you have pieces we should consider.

Again, thanks for your thoughts.

[NorthernVA]

I just found the Bradington-Young Giovanni pieces. The 67"w sofa is a little smaller than we were thinking, but the interior seating width is only 1" narrower than the Flexsteel Digby sofa. Other dimensions are nearly identical. There appears to be a club chair that is even smaller than the Digby. But I don't see a recliner option. Looks like this would be a considerably higher quality option than the Flexsteel and would meet our size and style needs but not sure I want to give up the recliner.

One thing I forgot to mention about the Flexsteel Digby collection is that it is all leather all the way around, no vinyl.

[drcollie]

If the Flexsteel suits your style, size and budget, there's no reason not to buy it. They use some unconventional construction techniques and springing system but it does work and you won't suffer early frame or suspension failure with USA-made Flexsteel. The leather grades in Flexsteel (and any other maker) are PRICE grades, not quality grades. Its based on what they have to pay for the hide. A higher grade leather is no more durable or longer lasting than a lesser grade, its just more costly.

Bradington Young is a step up in build quality and construction. I used to carry Flexsteel several year ago, but I gave the line up as I really wasn't happy with the workmanship - however poor workmanship really doesn't affect durability per se and if you're looking at short term use (10 years or less) it will certainly do that duty level. $ 4K for a Flexsteel sofa/chair/recliner seems a bit high, you may want to shop that around a bit. To get into Bradington Young using GR 2 leather on the pieces you mention, with a # 3650 recliner & Giovanni sofa/chair would be $ 4,376 from my store. So, for less than $ 400 over your Flexsteel quote you'll find BY considerably better - however if you can find a store aggressively selling Flexsteel you should be able to get that group you mention closer to the lower $ 3K mark I would think.

You're more than welcome to come by the store - I don't have those specific BY models, but have plenty to try out and the leather samples. Closed Sunday and Labor Day.
Good luck!


s

[NorthernVA]

I had no idea we could get into BY for that price. That is happy news, and I thank you for it!

Perhaps Flexsteel prices have increased? Or this is an example of the cost difference between their all leather, USA-made line versus their leather/vinyl and/or made in China lines? I've only been able to get online prices on the Digby from a couple of sellers, and they were not significantly lower. The quote I passed along was from Belfort, which seems to be the only retailer in our area who carries the Digby line. The other nearby Flexsteel retailer is The Big Screen Store, but it appears to be focused on just a few of the Flexsteel lines (very large recliners). I would much rather buy locally, so I don't know that I have any option on the price if I stick to that approach.

In any event, BY appears to be presenting us with an excellent alternative, and we will definitely give that serious consideration. I just wish there was a way we could sit on the furniture. My husband is not inclined to buy something like that without trying it out first.

If you think of any other options in small scale pieces available in black leather, please let me know.

Many thanks,

Lisa

[NorthernVA]

I was just looking at the Hancock and Moore Restoration Lounger, Chair, and Sofa. At 80" wide, the sofa is a bit larger than we were thinking, but we could make it work, both here and in our future retirement home. The chairs appear to be a very good size for us. The style is streamlined, as we prefer.

Would you PM me a price on those three pieces, assuming we purchased from you during the current sale? Assume two options on the leather, one a level two protected, and the other a level 3 unprotected, both in black. Thanks!

P.S. Also, do you have any of the Restoration line in your showroom?

[drcollie]

Belfort and Big Screen Stores are full-mark up dealers, that's why! Price that BY set at Belford and you'll be stunned at the difference from their prices to mine. They are in Ashburn, after all (for those that don't know that area, the nickname is 'cashburn'.)

H&M is going to be a step up in price, that's top of the line product - a HUGE leap from Flexsteel. Will PM you some prices (don't have the Restoration on my sales floor).

[NorthernVA]

LOL! Seems to me like most of this area is about "cashburn". That's why we're moving someplace much more economical when we retire. It's good to know that there is still at least one fair and reasonable furniture dealer around here, who also knows his product and appreciates quality. I'll be coming to see you this afternoon to make a purchase.

I showed my husband pictures of three sets--the H&M Restoration, BY Yorba, and Flexsteel Digby (which he had already seen in person). Then, I gave him a pretty thorough tutorial on the quality differences between the three sets using everything I learned from this site, your posts on GardenWeb, and the information provided by the manufacturers. He chose the H&M set without hesitation and did not bat an eye at the price difference.

In the past, we've considered furniture pretty much disposable, primarily because the pieces we bought just didn't hold up. We look forward to enjoying this set for a very long time.

Thanks for all the great information on this site. I was really struggling with this decision until I found this forum and its wealth of useful, objective information and advice. I no longer believe that buying furniture has to be a frustrating experience, where you come out feeling like you just spent a lot of money on something you know very little about and can only hope was a reasonable investment. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience.

- Lisa

[drcollie]

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for coming to the store today and I think you will REALLY like your new pieces. You made the right leather pick (Bari) and the light custom we put together with the Soho leather should look smashing. I know we blew a hole in your budget going to H&M but I think you'll find it a huge, massive step up from Flexsteel and well worth it over time.

[NorthernVA]

It was great meeting you, Duane, and having a nice long chat about furniture. We are so excited about our purchase of the H&M Restoration set. The additional cost will quickly be forgotten, but we will look at and use the furniture every day for a very long time, knowing that we spent our money wisely, having invested in quality, American made pieces. - Lisa