Re: In the market for a new sofa/sectional
One of the things you say you're looking for is durability and longevity. In order to achieve that you'll want to learn and buy based on construction techniques and materials used, then narrow your choices down from that point. You may have to give some either on price (up your budget) or settle for less longevity at your price point.
Ashley brand furniture has a reputation for being some of the poorest quality furniture you can buy. You already learned that! Hopefully the next purchase will be better. Remember there is no specific correlation between price and comfort.....
Now, if you want longevity in the frame the key elements to look for:
* Solid wood frame (Not 'Engineered Hardwood Laminates", which is fancy word for plywood)
* Double doweled, screwed and glued frame construction
* Solid, drum-tight webbing. If the webbing is no good, the sofa will fail
* 8-way hand-tied spring system.
* Dupont Qualux cushion cores or similar
Those are the key elements, and you can choose to trade off some of those features for price if you like, but a piece made with those design parameters will usually last for several decades of use. Go to the Hancock and Moore website and click on the little video they have on the home page and they will walk you through their factory showing you all of the above. H&M will be outside your budget, but at least you will see how to build a piece the right way.
Seven Seas collection is from Bradington - Young, its their 'made in China' line and has no affiliation with Thomasville unless the store is simply selling that alongside their own brand. It's plywood-based, finished leather, and very average for what's in the marketplace. Not especially good, and not particularly bad. I don't care for it myself, but I am used to working with premium lines day in and out.
Natuzzi....take a pass. There are lots and lots of people not happy with their Natuzzi purchases. You can probably do an internet search and find lots of comments on it.
Good luck!
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
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