Any advice on Kipling leather?

[juliel]

Ready to replace my lazboy sofa (junk). Will probably go with the H&M. The thing is my local store does not have many selections and hate to spend $3000+ and end up hating it.

Duane, any comments/experience on the Donavan sofa? How's the Kipling leather? In your opinion, which leather in T&C program are good choice?

Thanks

[Mahogany Bob]

Hello Juliel ,

I had the same dilemma recently on furniture I ordered through Duane. iIended up driving all over town to find that no one carried on the floor what I needed, even when they said they did on the phone. Their aim was just to get you in the door. So my advice is to rely heavily on Duane's experience on leathers and furniture. Between the two of you you should be able to nail down a quality piece that you will love. I know he really helped me narrow my search to stop considering sofas that I thought would work but were definitely not what I was looking for.

Good Luck on the search

[juliel]

Thank you for your input. Though I don't know how this is going to work out. There are just too many options! It is supposed to be a good thing, right?

[drcollie]

The Donovan sofa is a very nice piece, its basically a Cabo sofa minus the nail trim and stretcher base. Its deeper than it first appears in the photos and I think they're quite comfortable. Kipling is one of my favorite leathers - I have it on my personal recliner at home so you know I like it. Its an aniline with a waxy finish and a light pull-up effect and is produced both in Italy and China.

In the Town and Country Program (which is changing July 1), there are quite a lot of leathers to choose from. Now I tend to like the better hides, but realize I work with them every day and as such I am attracted to the more 'pure leather' offerings than the ones that have been highly processed such as Document and Cavalier. There are even a few pieces in the very high-end Quintessence, which is one of the finest leathers in the world from Germany....but you have to like the frames they're offered on and make sure the more exotic leathers are suitable for your lifestyle and usage.

What you really should do is figure out the style of sofa you want first ....then the covering last. While $ 1,000 difference in the price of a covering to get what you want may seem a bit overwhelming at time of purchase, if you amortize if over the usable life of the piece (25 years) then it comes out to an extra $ 3.33 a month, or the price of lunch off the Dollar Menu at McDonalds. When you're buying at the Hancock and Moore level of quality, you really do want to think long term - because you will be looking at - and using the sofa for a long time.

[juliel]

Thank you for you reply, Duane.

I don't really mind spending a little more to get exactly what I want. My problem is I am not sure if what I like from Internet is really what I want for my family room. I guess I will rely more on your experience and this wonderful forum.

[drcollie]

Swatches are the key....pick out a dozen or so leathers you would like to see and Private Message me here on the forum with your name and address, then I'll get them to you at no charge. When you get them, take them in the kitchen and spill things on them, see what sticks and what doesn't. You really can't select a leather based on internet photos, too much of it is tactile and you need to have it in your hands.