Yet another newbie with too many choices

[carterinms@pngusa.ne]

Quick intro - DH & I are almost finished rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina but now have no furniture. So I've been sofa shopping and am not sure what direction to go.

After going to several local stores, I settled on the Bassett Jefferson - mostly because I like how it looks. It's deeper than what I like, but was comfortable sitting with my feet under me (how I usually sit). Went home, showed DH a pic and was ready to purchase. Then I googled Bassett and wasn't thrilled with the customer reviews.

I wasn't considering leather until I found this site - H&M has such a large selection that I found some I liked. I also saw Taylor King recommended on the gardenweb - the nearest showroom is 70 miles away. So, here are some couches I like:

Basset Jefferson $1150 (cheapest fabric)
Taylor King Aesthetic $2800 (cheapest fabric)
Taylor King's Kings Road Line - Carmine or Skyy
H&M - #4232 Robinson
H&M - #4551 Jeremy

Some more info - I am 5'-3", DH is 5'-5", we have 2 girls (3 & 6). We will probably have dogs and cats in the house in the future. I heard a horrible story about leather workers in Pakistan - they start them as young boys and it is rare for them to work past 20 because of the chemicals. I'm not against buying leather from somewhere else, if the parent company insists on safety at their oversees factories.

All of our money has gone into the house. And we still need to buy more furniture. I hate to put out $5K on a couch, even if it will last a lifetime. Even $2K sounds on the high side to me, but maybe I'm being unrealistic.

So, how long could I expect the Bassett to last?
How about the Taylor King upholstery?
I gather H&M leather will last a lifetime. Could I get a price on those two sofas?

Since at this point I am considering ordering a couch unseen (unsat?), is there somewhere on-line I could order TK for an internet price?

Seating wise - I prefer a shorter seat (so much for the bassett), tight back. I sat on an England and the cushions felt too foamy (as in cheap). I'm guessing that for seat cushions I like an average softness/firmness. Pretty vague - I've sat on couches all my life but now that I have to buy one, I'm lost!