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Thread: Your Way or City Sofa?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
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    Default Your Way or City Sofa?

    First, I recently discovered this forum when we started looking into purchasing a replacement for the leather sofa we've had for 24 years. I have spent a lot of time perusing the various subjects and learning about leather types, etc. I have found it immensely interesting and helpful, so many, many thanks to Duane and all the people out there who so generously offer their time and expertise posting photos, personal experiences with their leather purchases, and helpful suggestions.


    Because of the layout of our upstairs TV area and size constraints, we need to purchase a sofa and loveseat combination; a sofa and chair/ottoman don't work in the space. Right away that limits the models that are available with Hancock and Moore as many don't offer loveseats. Our current sofa is 82 inches long and fits the space well--we need to stay between 82-88 inches with the replacement. That said, one of the best options size-wise is the City Sofa 9840 and Loveseat 9839. I feel pretty sure that the 20.5-inch seat depth would be comfortable for me ( I am 5'3") since that is what we have in a some of our other furniture.

    Then I discovered the "Your Way" option. We have a traditional home. The 87-inch size would work fine. I love the style of the English arm with the T-cushion option and rounded corner box cushion back cushions. It reminded me of the Bradley Sofa which I found very attractive but had to rule out due to the lack of a love seat option (the apartment size option was too long). Since the sofa and love seat will be perpendicular to each other with a square end table between them, I think the English arm would probably look better and visually less congested than the full-extension rolled arm on the City Sofa in the area where the sofa and love seat converge (even though they won't touch of course. ) The arm of the City Sofa seems sort of long to me from a side view.

    My only concern is that the seat depth of the "Your Way" sofa is 22.5 inches. I am not sure if that extra two inches would be an issue as I have been told that's a pretty common depth for a sofa. Even though I am short, my husband is 5'10 so I'm not the only one using it. I sometimes sit back and slouch a little when watching TV so I could put a little lumbar pillow there if necessary.

    My question is this. Have any of you seen or at least sat in the Your Way sofa (standard depth, any arm style) and is the seat depth comfortable? (Yes, I know that comfort is subjective but I'm asking anyway.) What about the City Sofa? I've heard that the City Sofa is a comfortable model but haven't heard much about the Your Way styles. They both are close in overall depth and height with loose back cushions, so Duane, do you think they would they be similar in back pitch? I contacted Hancock and Moore and the customer service representatives couldn't answer these type of technical details about their products and the local stores don't have them. I am leaning towards the Your Way sofa from a design standpoint but of course it has to be comfortable also. Unfortunately, I can't find anywhere locally to try these sofas out in person, though I have sat on another H&M sofa, as well as some of their chairs and recliners to get an idea of the seat size and cushion options. Generally everything I tried was pretty comfortable.


    It's pretty scary to think about ordering an expensive sofa that I've never sat in, but most of the leather sofas I have tried out in the stores are lower quality and won't hold up. Even though they are not that well made, many seemed comfortable enough for me, so I'd have to think that H&M would be a huge improvement over those.


    Any insights into these two models would be great appreciated. Thanks!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
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    Default Re: Your Way or City Sofa?

    I think the City will be a better choice for you. 1) at 5' 3" it will fit you perfectly, while still being OK for your husband at 5' 10". 2) in a small space its not as deep overall and will be less likely to "take over" the room. 3) it will cost less in program leathers.

    Back pitch on both can be controlled by how you position the back cushions onto the retaining velcro, you can move them about 5 degrees one way or the other to change the angle.

    At 5' 3" I think the Your Way will be too deep for you to be comfortable in it quite honestly. Now, one other option is the City comes in two sizes. If you husband wants more room, you could order the piece he is going to use in the deeper size (9844 sofa vs 9840 sofa) for example.

    H&M customer service ladies are terrific, but they are there to service the dealers - not retail customers. They are excellent at telling me when an item is going to be ready, leather stocks, if we can do a modification this way or that and what it will cost - but 90% of them do not know the product line as does a good dealer who works with the brand daily such as I do. Even though they work in the same building as the factory, they don't see the pieces very often and don't have good working knowledge of the differences between pieces other than what they can read on the company website - just like you can do. They are also trained to not say anything other than the "Party Line" to avoid contradicting what a dealer may tell a customer. Human nature says that by calling Hancock and Moore directly you will get to "the source" but the reality is your selling dealer in most cases has the better information that you are really seeking to know.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  3. #3
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    Aug 2018
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    27

    Default Re: Your Way or City Sofa?

    Thanks so much for the info and honest input. Deep down inside I was thinking the City Sofa might be a better size for me but to be very honest I like the styling of the Your Way sofa with the English arm and feel it would look better in the room. The City Sofa looks comfortable but it looks very plain in style compared to the rest of our furnishings. The overall sofa depth is not an issue as our current sofa is 40 inches deep (same as the Your Way sofa). Our current sofa is a bustle back and has been very comfortable and has nice detailing and good lines. It is a pure analine, unprotected leather, but unfortunately I did not know that I had to maintain it. The first time I put a leather protector on it it darkened the areas where the leather had gotten the most wear so I haven’t done it since as I was afraid I was ruining it. As you can see, there are areas that have darkened from oils and a couple of areas have actually worn through (by the head rest). Also the color on the welt cording is worn overall and in one spot the leather on the welt cord is frayed and I can see the white cord beneath it. I thought after 24 years it was time for a change, though from looking on this website many people seem to like old worn leather as it has that aged look. 😊. I am not sure whether it is too far gone to fix this leather wear and/or whether we should make an attempt to refurbish it. I have a really good upholsterer and am looking into what it would cost to recover it but I might be more comfortable purchasing a new sofa. In the end the cost would be about the same or less to purchase new.

    The room is very open and opens to the landing and stairway area so it is not a closed in, small room. The only problem I have is that I can’t go longer on the sofa (over 88 inches) or else the passageway between the bookcase wall and the end of the sofa where we walk into the room might look too narrow.

    Price differences between the models is not an issue (i.e. program availability vs custom selections). I just want to get a great piece that is comfortable and will look good in other rooms should we move down the road. I know it’s hard putting all this out there in the forum as I know what the rest of our home and furniture style is like, plus everyone’s opinions differ on what styles look best.

    I am attaching photos so you can get an idea of the space and what we have now. (Sorry if they are rotated sideways. They transferred to the post that way). Thanks.
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  4. #4
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    Default Re: Your Way or City Sofa?

    Have you looked at the Bradley Sofa?

    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Produ...s/Bradley-Sofa

    It has the English Arms and T cushions you like. It is 21.5 deep, so a little closer in depth to the City.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  5. #5
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    Default Re: Your Way or City Sofa?

    Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I had seen that and love the look of the Bradley. Unfortunately, it does not have a loveseat option, only the apartment size, and that is too big to look right next to the regular sofa in my room. I thought about getting a chair and ottoman as a substitute for a loveseat but it won’t fit right in the space. That is the exact reason I am drawn to the Your Way with the English arm— I was trying to replicate the look. I realize it’s not quite the same though. Do you have the Bradley by chance or have you seen it? Just wondering if it is as awesome as it looks.

    I wonder what Hancock and Moore would charge to modify the apartment version to loveseat size?

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Your Way or City Sofa?

    Sorry, I don't recall seeing a Bradley or sitting in one. Our furniture audessey started off with the concept of a sectional, and we particularly liked the look of the English arm and the flexibility of sizes that the Your Way option provided. In the end, we went in an entirely different direction and bought a sofa (French Curve) and two Motion Your Way Articulating recliners. They are a totally different look than the English Arm, but we liked them and found them comfortable for 5'1" and 6'.

    "I wonder what Hancock and Moore would charge to modify the apartment version to loveseat size?"

    That would be an interesting option. Given the relatively small center section of the Bradley. That might make a very comfy loveseat, with the two nicely sized left and right cushions. Duane could tell you if it is possible.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Your Way or City Sofa?

    City sofa IS very plain, that's why it's the least expensive sofa H&M makes.

    Bradley if very nice, but I tell you - in your room with the exposed backs I'd be doing a Sundance for the button-tufted style in the back. Looks really great in that setting.

    Frame cut mods on length generally range from $ 350 to $ 650 on most models.
    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
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    Default Re: Your Way or City Sofa?

    Great thought. I think the Sundance is very attractive but too deep for that area. If we had a large open room downstairs in the main area of the home, it would be a strong contender. I would consider the Redford (small version of Sundance) with a frame mod to create a loveseat in the upstairs area. It’s open but still not a huge room, and nobody ever sees it but us. The scalloped back frame and tufting may be too frou-frou for hubbie’s taste though.

    As far as the Bradley, can they substitute a non-caster leg ( example round or tapered) without affecting the pitch dynamics of the sofa? The casters make it look a little dressy for that space. I could probably live with a $350-650 frame modification to get a loveseat if that is what we really want. The seat cushions for the loveseat would need to be the same width as those on the sofa and they have the cut measurements for those, and all tne other dimensions would be the same, so maybe it would not be too difficult for them to accomplish. ��.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Your Way or City Sofa?

    We saw the French Curve sofa recently and it has beautiful lines. Enjoy!

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Your Way or City Sofa?

    When you do custom size modifications, you can have the seat cushions the same size as the sofa, OR spec the overall length of the loveseat - but not both. Usually when just dropping the center sections the cost of the modification is less.

    Yes, you can usually opt for a different leg, a wedge leg being the easiest. Some turned wood legs will fit as well. H&M will not do the leg swaps if it changes the pitch dramatically.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

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