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Thread: Help Choosing and Customizing a Sofa

  1. #1
    Stealthq Guest

    Default Help Choosing and Customizing a Sofa

    I'm looking for a new sofa because the one I have currently is very uncomfortable for the way I use it. I sit sideways with my legs up on the sofa 99% of the time (room forces sofa perpendicular to TV). My sofa has very hard, thin, vertical arms - something I did not consider when I bought it, never having used a sofa any way but face front before.

    I am trying to find a sofa with high, well-padded arms and a supportive seat. Preferably, the arms would have some slope to them. The sofa cannot be wider than 90" and should not look heavy since the room is small. Today, I sat in a Kent Chesterfield sleeper sofa. The sit was perfect, nice and supportive but still nicely cushioned. It didn't hurt that the leather was gorgeous, but the arms are vertical (but nicely padded!). Then I sat in a Baker Chatsworth Sofa (http://www.bakerfurniture.com/baker/...oduct_section=) and the arms were perfect but the sofa is way too big, seat was too low, upholstery not supportive, and just too overdone for my taste anyway.

    Basically, it seems like what I want is a bigger size of the Manor loveseat, but it seems the Manor series has been discontinued - at least I can't find it in the catalog.

    I'm thinking that maybe I can get what I want if the Chancellor Tufted Sofa were modified to have a tufted bench cushion like the Kent Chesterfield sleeper sofa and maybe less padding overall? It looks in the catalog like the Chancellor has almost double the padding thickness on the arms and back and I prefer the more streamlined look of the Kent. Don't know if that would look out of proportion or not.

    What do you think? Can I get close to what I'm looking for without completely breaking the bank? Maybe there's another way I'm not seeing - any and all suggestions much appreciated.

  2. #2
    Rafree1 Guest

    Default Re: Help w/ sofa choice, customization

    It's not as easy as you'd think it is, is it? But this forum is a really great place to get the information you need in making your decision. The first sofas I really loved were all too big for my space but, I read and read and read here. I talked and emailed with Duane and finally was able to make a choice that I don't think broke "the bank" for what I'm getting at all! It's a big purchase to be sure and you'll have this item for a long, long time. It's worth taking the time to do your research. H and M have many choices and yes, some can be modified *which costs more for certain* I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for! It just takes a lot of homework! You are in the right place for getting the answers you need.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,887

    Default Re: Help w/ sofa choice, customization

    You have to be careful when doing modifications - while its always possible to do them they can get costly AND may turn out not exactly like you hoped for. I will tell you that modifying a tufted piece will get expensive very quickly - because all those tufts are laid out in a diamond pattern, and to change them means re-figuring all the tuft points and laying out a new geometric pattern as the 'diamonds' have to be done with proper spacing and end in a particular place as well. If you're on a budget, you don't want to to any mods to this category of furniture.

    The Manor series was dropped about 2 years ago, and they have no frames left. However - if you think you REALLY want one, I was in Greenfront Furniture in Farmville, VA two weeks ago and they've had one in their store for some time there in a brown leather (can't recall what hide it was in, or the pricing).

    If you liked the H&M Kent Sleeper, you'll love the stationary one - as it has a true 8-way hand-tied suspension you're sitting upon rather than a cushion sitting atop a sleeper bed frame.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  4. #4
    Stealthq Guest

    Default Re: Help w/ sofa choice, customization

    Thanks for the quick replies.

    With my luck, the Manor sofa you saw will be in whatever leather absolutely won't work for me I might give them a call to check though, just in case. Thanks for the info.

    Fortunately, I did get the chance to go back and try sitting sideways on the sofa again with a pillow behind my back - I think it may work with the right type of pillow. The store only had down, and those flattened WAY too much so I couldn't tell for certain. So, at this point if i can't figure a way to mod a sofa where I'm OK with the price and confident that I will be happy with the look then I will go with either the Kent, Tavern or Harper sofas since they all have the basic things I'm looking for.

    I have a couple of questions about the stationary sofa vs the sleeper. First, would you say that the tight-tufted seat is more firm or harder than the tufted bench cushion? If so, are there any options - different type of foam, that kind of thing, that would make it sit more similar to the cushion? Second, the dimensions between the two are very different; the one that concerns me most is the seat height. The sleeper is 20", the stationary is 16". I'm wondering if the way the cushion compresses vs the tight seat makes the difference less in practice than it seems based simply on the numbers?

    In any case, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions and wanted to tell you what a great resource this forum is. Thanks again!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,887

    Default Re: Help w/ sofa choice, customization

    Tufted seats will generally be firmer than cushion core seats. You really don't have much in the way of customization options to make a tufted seat more plush, there's just not that much room for the poly fill under the cover to where a density change will make much of a difference. The sleeper is higher, because it has to make room to store the mechanism in the piece.

    Hope that helps!
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  6. #6
    Stealthq Guest

    Default Re: Help w/ sofa choice, customization

    It does, thanks. I searched around and found a place with a tavern tight seat to try the sit. It was a little firmer, and springier, but what's decided me against it is that I could feel the front of the frame pressing against the back of my thighs just above the knee. I definitely need a cushion.

    I'm going to think a bit about my best two options and likely leather choice and then get a quote for those configurations. Honestly, as unhappy as I've been with my current sofa, I'm ready to spend a fair bit and get what I want rather than compromise and hate it again.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,887

    Default Re: Help w/ sofa choice, customization

    You seem to be looking for a particular fit, so my suggestion is to NOT customize and continue to visit various stores until you find the one that's just right - then buy that one.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  8. #8
    Stealthq Guest

    Default Re: Help w/ sofa choice, customization

    I have two more places in driving distance to check. I would much prefer to buy after test-sitting since I am particular as you say, but most places here don't have more than a couple of H&M sofas on the floor. Maybe I'll be lucky. Hope so

  9. #9
    Stealthq Guest

    Default Re: Help Choosing and Customizing a Sofa

    So far, no luck. I'm going to wait and see if by some miracle there's a new frame at the Oct. Market that suits me, and meanwhile I'll get my leather selections pared down.

    If the miracle doesn't occur, I'll either go with:
    - the Chancellor Tufted with a tufted bench cushion like the Kent Sleeper rather than the three standard cushions, or
    - the Kent Sleeper as is, though I'd really prefer to not have the unnecessary sleeper unit, I just don't like the tight tufted seat, low seat height, and loss of 10" width in the non-sleeper version.

    Which option\s fall in budget and opinions (H&M and any others!) on whether a tufted bench seat on the Chancellor will work aesthetically will decide things.

  10. #10
    hglaber Guest

    Default Re: Help Choosing and Customizing a Sofa

    I know some modifications can be expensive, but I wonder if replacing the sleeper mechanism with the spring foundation would be all that much. From my position of complete ignorance, it doesn't seem like that extreme of a modification.

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