Where to Find a Leather Sofa for under $2K

[Boomer]

I am looking to purchase a leather stationary sofa and want to keep it under $2K. Thus far, all I see is Klaussner, LazBoy, Best, England, etc... Anyone have experience with Klaussner? Are there any better leather sofas in this price point?

Thanks

[drcollie]

You will need to spend about 1/3 more to get into the better sofas, and that's in entry level leathers.

[Jenny]

Hi Boomer! I just wanted to chime in and say that it's absolutely worth it to save a little bit more and jump into made-in-the-USA-8-way-handtied-hardwood-frame sofas. I got my B&Y for just over $2000 (although shipping for me was very expensive because I bought it in a different state so that bumped up the price quite a bit). When I was researching leather sofas for myself, there was this huge gap in quality between the leather sofas at the $800-$1200, $1500-$1,800, and $2500-$3000 price points. At $800-$1200 you get junk. If you're lucky, you can find something that doesn't look cheap in the short-term, but make no mistake it's junk inside and out. At $1500-$1,800, you get a better style, maybe a nicer leather, but likely not a good frame or suspension. And sometimes if you aren't careful, you're still buying bottom-of-the-barrel junk that should be in the $800-$1200 price point (looking at you, Natuzzi).

And then $2500-$3000, you get into the entry level made-in-the-USA stuff, and that's where it gets good. Down cushions, 8-way-hand-tied suspension (goodbye sinuous springs!), solid hardwood/engineered hardwood ply frame. You may not get the prettiest hide on your horse at $2500-$3000, but you get a great quality solid workhorse that's certainly not a donkey.

[Boomer]

Thanks for the feedback. How long ago did you get you B&Y? I would consider spending a little more if I could get a B&Y.

[Jenny]

I ordered mine in February! Will PM details. Xander sofa in a promotional leather.

[rambalu83]

Hi Jenny,

I see you ordered a Xander Sofa made by BY. Since it has been couple of months since you bought it, how do you like your new furniture. Also when you saying promotional leather, does that mean married leather. I have a budget constrain to buy their motion furniture series (sofa + Love seat). So, I am looking at what options are out there to stay within budget. Could possibly look at their stationery furniture or a combination of stationery and motion although that would end up with 2 different models but with same leather grade and color. Could you please share few pictures of your Xander sofa.

Thanks,
Ram.

[Jenny]

I have some photos up here that I took right after I received it: http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...072-88-Leather

Also when you saying promotional leather, does that mean married leather.

I'm not exactly sure actually. I called it a promotional leather because somehow that particular leather/color happened to be much cheaper than other customization, even in the same leather grade. I think the hide is from Brazil. I think Duane will be a better source at explaining how it all works.

Since it has been couple of months since you bought it, how do you like your new furniture.

You know, I love it and I hate it. I love the build and the quality of the sofa. I didn't get a fancy aniline leather, but the leather I got is still very soft and comfortable to me. The sofa itself has some subtle curves in its lines which I think is a very nice touch stylistically. Most of all though, I love the seat. I got a down blend of some sort so that the cushion is still firm, but sinks slightly and yet soooo comfortably when you sit in it. In terms of price for quality, I don't regret my purchase at all.

The things I didn't like about it are my own fault. First, that I failed to account for sunlight. I hadn't done much research at the time when I made this purchase. Direct sunlight will fade and dry leather out. My sofa's in a finished leather, so in that respect it's a little more resistant to sun-fading. But I still couldn't bear the thought of exposing it to sun damage. I had originally planned to put it right under two big windows, but have had to change my floor plan significantly since.

Second, I regret I didn't get a better leather. Duane will probably have an "I told you so moment" upon reading this. But there are many days where I look at it and think, "Would it really have killed me to cough up a few hundred dollars more to get one in a color/texture I loved?" Not that there's anything wrong with the leather itself, but I like those tan/saddle colored sofas you see often in mid-century designs more than dark chocolate-y brown. I also like waxy leather that shows scratches over time. With this sofa, I have to work hard to make sure everything else around it is a lighter color so it doesn't darken the room too much.

To be fair though, when I started furniture shopping, I was thinking more like a $1,000 sofa. All of the ones I saw were really tacky and cheap. So I started going higher and higher. The $1500 ones were all definitely no good, the $2,000 ones looked better, but were poorly made inside. I honestly didn't think I could afford an American made, 8 way hand tied piece considering how much those Chinese-made-sinuous spring ones were in big box stores like slumberland and HOM.

Then I happened to be visiting a friend in Nebraska, and saw this B&Y on sale. I bought it within like 5 mins and paid cash. At the time, it was already more than double what I was originally planning to spend so I was feeling kind of nervous. Now looking back, I wish I had coughed up some more money, because it's going to last me 20 years. That last part didn't really hit me, until it was actually delivered to my home though.

[Jenny]

I'll also confess that for awhile after I got my dark brown sofa, I regretted it because my pinterest living rooms were all white-linen-slip-covered-sofas and rustic natural wood case goods for a light airy rustic farmhouse look. The thing about slipcovers is that they look all starched, tidy, pressed and neat on the Pottery Barn/Restoration Hardware/etc. website. And then the minute you wash them, they look wrinkly, tired and ill-fitting. I'm glad I got out of that trend!

But seriously, if you like natural brown wood furniture, I would think before getting a dark brown sofa. I have to try very hard not to drown in a sea of dark brown. In some houses it works, in mine it just looks dark and gloomy.

[drcollie]

Don't be too hard on yourself - buying leather furniture is a lot like drinking fine wines, it a progressive experience to build a taste palette. If you were to hand a glass of a nice Cabernet Sauvignon to someone who has only ever had Boone's Farm then they are neither going to understand it or appreciate it. That takes time, and experience and even making it something of a hobby if you will. Collecting mechanical Swiss Watches is the same thing, and you will never convince someone who has a Citizen watch that a Rolex is worth the money. They have to discover that for themselves.

Leather furniture, indeed all furniture, really can be clumped into two broad categories:

1) Utility Duty

2) Fashion / Art

Within the Utility category - which is where most consumers shop - the goal is to get as good a quality as you can find for "X" amount of dollars. A budget is set and the search begins for most bang-for-the-buck. And most people will find they have to go beyond their original budget because they got used to seeing prices at Costco, Ashley, Bob's Discount, etc., for the true junk furniture of tremendously poor build quality. A little bit of sticker shock then usually occurs as they re-adjust their budgets. Most folks in this shopping category will use the furniture in their home as an appliance, and really want minimum care and maintenance. They want it to last, but they also don't want to spend any more than necessary. So gathering information and sorting the wheat from the chafe becomes the task to find which is best suited. Typically customers in this group will buy a base-grade leather.

Then we step it up a notch to Fashion, and this is where the fun begins. There is a degree of Art in furniture and even in the leathers used on the hides. Here we move past Utility to create something outside the norm, a 'look' that is as distinctive to the homeowner's lifestyle. This is where the person buys who enjoys their home, and the furnishings inside to make it theirs. So many frames, and so many options in coverings make this both overwhelming and yet very much distinctive. Many will change out their styles every four to five years, to get a new look in a room and sell off the older pieces. Bolder steps are taken and budget is not the driving concern for this group of shoppers. And if in leather furniture, you can be pretty sure these enthusiasts are not going to spec your basic painted-brown Chinese leathers. Usually to get into the 'art' group, you first have to own some utility class pieces. Only then do you begin to realize that you can have both comfort and style in the same piece.

[Jenny]

I like how you described it Duane. Especially this:

Usually to get into the 'art' group, you first have to own some utility class pieces.

I didn't (and still don't) have to confidence in my own style/tastes to spend a few grand on a showpiece and I definitely don't have the confidence or the budget fill an entire home with quality pieces. (Brain: "But...what if I don't like it in 2 years? I don't have the budget to replace it?!")

For people in the same boat as me, I think the best approach is to buy quality but basic pieces for your main furniture, and then experiment with more disposable and interchangeable accent pieces and accessories. You get to appreciate the comfort and quality of well-built furniture on your workhorse pieces, and the opportunity to develop your taste for style/decor by cycling through lower priced accents.