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Thread: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

  1. #1
    grapejape Guest

    Default Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    My wife and I are planning a day trip to Hickory (we are in Charlotte) to look at some sofas and chairs. We want something simple, but well made that will last and hold up to abuse with small children. We were not considering leather until today, but my son wiped his chocolate covered mouth on our sofa after lunch and we started to change our tune a bit. We have fairly plain decorating tastes, and don't want or need anything extravagant.

    I originally looked at Lane, Broyhill, and Basset sofas. Then I looked at some Flexsteel sofas and they seemed more well constructed. From what I've read, however, it seems that none of these lines have hardwood frames and hand tied springs. We want something in a transitional style, with attached back cushions - around 90 inches long. The Flexsteel Vail was right up our alley as far as styling.

    What should I budget for furniture that is a grade above the Flexsteel furniture we looked at? Are there any particular outlets or stores in Hickory that anyone would recommend? Can I get a decent sofa for under $1200 in fabric or $1500 or leather, or do I need to spend more?


    - Jason

  2. #2
    organic_smallhome Guest

    Default Re: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    From what I've learned on this forum, none of those brands are good ones, except perhaps for Flexsteel--but you'd want to get the Flexsteel line made in the U.S., not their line from China. Hancock & Moore is probably the best quality you can buy. My best guess is that a 90" H&M sofa in fabric will run you (depending on style) around $2500-3,000 or so. In leather, probably more? Another excellent brand is Lee Industries, also made in the U.S. We bought a Rowe sofa in 2007 (I knew nothing about sofa construction at the time), and spent $1200. It's okay, but not nearly as comfortable as my Kindel love seat (that I found on Craigslist). If I had to do it again, I would absolutely save my pennies and buy a higher quality, for both the ultimate in comfort and long-term durability.

    P.S. We were actually reimbursed for the sofa, since our local furniture store was running a special: If you bought your furniture during a certain period, and the Red Sox won the World Series, then you'd get your furniture for free. Nobody thought, of course, that the Red Sox would win the World Series (curse of the Bambino, and all that), but they did, so we got the sofa (and our guest room bed) for free. One guy had such faith in the Red Sox, he bought $60,000 worth of furniture. Talk about "happy camper"!

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    In your price range, my favorite brand is Mitchell Gold. If you search around you should be able to find a retailer who carries their products.

    For $1200 you should be able to get a well-made, durable sofa in a stain resistant microfiber fabric. Don't get hung up on 8 way hand-tied. The additional $300-$400 cost of a genuine well-built 8 way hand-tied sofa is not where you want to put your money at this price level. There has been research showing that even industry experts can have trouble telling the difference in comfort between 8 way hand-tied and other spring systems when subjected to a blind test. Also, you are in the perfect price range that is targeted by companies that market lower quality spring systems that fit the "legal" definition of "8 way hand-tied" but add nothing to the actual quality and comfort of the furniture.

    If you need a fabric that is durable and easy to clean, most of your best options will be microfibers. However, not all microfibers are created equal and it can be very difficult to tell the difference by just looking at a sofa. If you get to look at a swatch, however, you should be able to tell the difference fairly easily. The cheaper, less durable microfibers are very thin and flimsy. The better ones are thicker and heavier. Most microfiber fabrics currently come in two basic textures: suedes and velvets. Although I personally prefer the feel of the good quality suedes, they are usually more difficult to clean up after a serious stain and may not be quite as durable over the long term as the comparably priced non-suedes.

    Microdeniers can also be found in your price range. These are fabrics made with filaments that are even smaller than those used for microfibers. You get the same great durability and cleanability as the microfibers but with a softer (more cottony) feel. These fabrics are not as easy to find as the microfibers (and generally cost a bit more) but if you find one you like don't hesitate to take it. Once again, examine a swatch if you can. Just like the microfibers, microdeniers can come in various thicknesses and weights.

    If you are unsure about the quality of a particular fabric I may be able to help if you can get the name of the mill and the fabric pattern. I would simply let you know from a cost standpoint whether it falls in the bottom, mid-range or top quality of similar fabrics.

    Jeff Frank
    Simplicity Sofas

  4. #4
    grapejape Guest

    Default Re: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    I appears that there is a Mitchell Gold Outlet shop in Hickory, so we'll check it out. From reading some other information, it seems that they use hardwood frames, but not coil springs. The Flexsteel sofas have a really nice spring system, but their frames don't appear to be all hardwood. I was hoping for both. I'm not sure which is more important for longevity - probably the frame.

    The wife hasn't found any microfibers she likes yet. She wants this tweed style tan fabric that we saw a lot of at the Bassett store. Flexsteel had one that fit the bill as well. I'm not sure how well it will do against stains. That's why I was considering moving up to leather - but I have no idea how much to budget for a leather sofa or if I'll even like one. I have a leather La Z Boy recliner now that I not really pleased with.


    - Jason

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    Flexsteel uses a 'blue torsion bar' spring system, which is tough, strong and durable, but its hardly luxurious. Then again, if you sit on it and like it - you won't have to ever worry about it. The rest of the sofa might disintegrate around it, but the springs are forever. They use all plywood construction as well (engineered hardwoods is the industry nomenclature for this kind of construction). Plywood construction is dominant in the trade, and while strong it doesn't resist twisting well, and also outgasses from the glues used in the layers.

    If you're looking for SOLID hardwood frames, that's going to be difficult in your price point, but not impossible. Go back into the CLEARANCE areas and sometimes you can find that sort of thing but you may not get the style or cover that's ideal. Flexsteel is known in the trade as 'Joe Six Pack' furniture, which doesn't mean its bad, its just devoid of quality details and features that make it more for a utility grade piece. It's durable, but doesn't have any of the 'art' of furniture making.

    La-Z-Boy is junk, sorry...but it is. Don't measure leather furniture by that maker.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  6. #6
    grapejape Guest

    Default Re: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    What price point and brands should I be looking at to move a notch up from Flexsteel in the frame construction? I looked at one of their sofas recently, and it was very comfortable. I flipped it over and the spring mechanism was impressive. I did notice that I could twist the frame a bit if I lifted one corner, but I could do that with most of the other brands I was looking at that day (Flexsteel was the most expensive). I had probably looked at plywood constructed sofas all day and not known any better.

    I did look at one maker called Lancer who had a nice coil spring system, but I did not know to check to see how their frames were constructed. They are made in Star, NC. Their website has construction info, but it does not list whether the frame is hardwood or not. http://www.lancerfurniture.com/construction.htm. It has a neat PDF file you can view and rotate one of their chairs around to see the internals. http://www.lancerfurniture.com/image...half-chair.pdf



    - Jason

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    On the question of "coil springs" vs. other types of spring suspensions, keep in mind that these are only one small part of the overall "comfort" equation. Cushion construction is far more important. With a good seat cushion most people cannot tell the difference about what is underneath.

    Jeff

  8. #8
    organic_smallhome Guest

    Default Re: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    Jeff,

    I heard just the opposite: that it's what's under the cushions that counts? We upgraded the cushions on our Rowe to high-density foam, which is much better than the cushions that came with the sofa. But the sofa is still not nearly as comfortable as our Kindel.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    That's a very basic, industry-standard construction for a mid-grade furniture line. Its definitely plywood-framed, with a drop-on spring grid and no-sag springs in the back. Not bad, but not impressive, either. If you want to see a very cool way to build furniture the right way, with no expense spared, watch this video. Yes, you have to put up with a little marketing hype in the beginning, but the camera-in-the-factory shows how to do it right:

    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/video.asp

    Or, since you are taking a trip to Hickory, why not stop in to H&M and take a plant tour? Then you can see for yourself how its built, and come away armed with knowledge (probably way more than any salesperson in a store would have) and then you would have the standard by which to evaluate other furniture. Knowledge is power.

    Everything in a well-made sofa is integrated, and its only as good as the weakest link. Assuming your cover doesn't degrade, you want a strong frame that doesn't rack or twist for longevity. Drum-tight and steel banded webbing for the spring deck support and an extensive spring support system. Cushion cores are typically DuPont Qualux as the best foam, but there are others as well. When you have all these components best-in-class, the you have a piece that will last for decades, and if you take care of the cover - it will last equally as long, too.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Trip to Hickory for Sofa

    Quote Originally Posted by organic_smallhome View Post
    Jeff,

    I heard just the opposite: that it's what's under the cushions that counts? We upgraded the cushions on our Rowe to high-density foam, which is much better than the cushions that came with the sofa. But the sofa is still not nearly as comfortable as our Kindel.
    High Density foam may last longer than standard polyurethane but that doesn't mean it is always more comfortable. There are a huge number of variables involved. To begin with all foams will soften up. A high density foam that feels too firm the first day may feel just right 90 days later. Also the term "high density" actually has nothing to do with firmness. It is possible to order "high density" cushions in a variety of firmnesses. Which one feels best is a personal preference.

    There are also other significant differences between your Rowe and Kindel that impact the comfort more than the springs. These would include the depth of the cushions and the back pitch. There are several other factors that also impact comfort less directly.

    I still maintain that if you take high quality cushions and you have two test sofas that are identical except for the seat support system, most people will not be able to be able to tell which is the expensive unit and which is the cheaper unit.

    Jeff

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