Great Site (moved from Messages - User: Bobe)

found your site by accident the other day on some garden website forum that popped up in google. I've read many of your posts the last couple of days and I must compliment you for taking your personal time to help people, like me, that really don't know where to go to get furniture information and honest advice.
I belong to a blog community in Illinois and I am going to post your site for others to see. I think more people would buy higher quality furniture if there were more people like you out there to educate them.

I would appreciate your advice, I am shopping for some furniture for our newly remodeled family room and kitchen which are both small (about 225sf each) and open to each other. I've been looking for the following items:
1) Entertainment center - Hooker seems to be catching my eye.
2) Pub style kitchen table (informal, but sharp) - I've been looking at Canadel, however the price seems to be steep for casual
3) Sofa, Chair, Ottoman - My wife has been interested in a "USA Premium Leather" outfit that is on clearance in a local liquidation...Boy I'm glad I found your posts....The are misleading people just like I have read. I am looking for a casual, comfy, poofy leather couch, chair, and ottoman. I was hoping to spend $3000 - $3500.

Do you have any lines you would recommend or could you help point me in another direction?

Also, one leather question I have not found an answer for, I was looking at very comfy natuzzi sofa/chair outfit that had "natural" leather. It seemed very thick, soft, and comfy. The sales lady was very nice and told me up front that it will stain easily and eventually "patina" out and wear beautifully. There is no protection coating on the leather. Is this a good leather and why do I not see it anywhere else. It was a close out package of sofa and chair for 1999 at an established privately owned store approximately 2 hours from my home.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and assistance.

Hi Bob, thanks for the compliments and for joining up! Learning about what makes good pieces always makes you a more informed and better shopper - that was my goal when I started helping out with on-line advice. The furniture industry does not do a very good job of educating its customers, and I've always believed that the more you know, the better you will be able to determine value for your dollars.

* Hooker: I have limited knowledge of the brand, perhaps someone else can chime in. I do know that all of it is made overseas, the bulk of it in China, and I'd consider it medium grade in production pieces. There are better, but there are far worse,

* Canadel: I'm not familiar with.

* 'USA Premium Leather" Just the name makes me want to run....and a visit to their website shows me that they had a 4th grader do it, and even then they forgot to finish it. Sad. I don't know the product personally, but that extended recliner photo on their home page is all wrong. Look how high the footrest is!

In the $ 3k to $ 3.K range for decent leather furniture, I'd shop Bradington Young and stay in their married cover program. If you do that, you can get most the pieces at about the $ 3,500 +/- mark. Its not Hancock and Moore, but its solid, long-lasting and comfortable furniture - made in the USA.

Natuzzi is another made-in-China line of furniture. Careful there! Not known for its quality or durability.

Natural or Unprotected leathers are terrific. They are somewhat more expensive, and can be easily ruined by exposure to direct sunlight (fade) and heavy oils or acid based products (Windex) will deeply stain the leather and basically ruin it. So it becomes a lifestyle question of you want to go that route, or the less luxurious but more durable finished leathers. Some light stains will eventually evaporate in a natural aniline hide, but some heavier ones do not.

Hope that helps!

Duane,

Thanks for your reply. After sizing my space, I will actually need a leather couch, ottoman, and recliner. Which models in Bradington / HM do you think will fit the poofy/comfy less formal look of my room. Also, can someone tell me the names of the other quality brands of entertainment centers that are out there?

Hi Bob,

I can't make any recommendations based on that limited information. A little homework on your part is in order. Go to the B-Y website and browse the styles. Look at what appeals to you and narrow your choices. Write measurements down and then go to a room planner site and lay it all out:

http://www.jordans.com/roomplanner.asp

Then once you have this done, if you like take a digital photo of your room and post it, then we can see what will work among your final choices.

On the entertainment centers, again too broad a question. You won't get any replies because you have to be more specific as to what you are looking for (i.e., a photo of one you've see that you liked and what you define as 'quality' vs price sent). I can make you the finest quality entertainment center in the USA, but you might not like the price!