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We've just moved into our retirement home. Just the two of us.....no kids, one small dog. We need to buy 2 new sofas for the family room. Our budget is 5k for both. But is it necessary to spend that much to get a decent sofa? I'm not certain that price is always an indication of quality in sofas over the 1.5k mark.
Has anyone bought a sofa in the past few years that has held up well and is a great lounging sofa for watching tv, reading, etc? Any brands that you would NOT recommend, purchases that disappointed you?
I'm not looking for a leather sofa, I prefer fabric. Any particular fabric sofa you've purchased that exceeded your expectations?
Thank you. I haven't bought upholstered furniture in a long time.
Good luck in your search! I will be interested in this thread and following it closely, since I have found it difficult to find high quality sofas.
I went the other way, and just bought cheap stuff in 2011. I got a matching furniture set including sofa, loveseat, easy chair, and ottoman for $949 including taxes and delivery. This was in the "bargain room" of a major furniture dealer here, and I negotiated the price down from $1,500. The brand name of the furniture set was Corinthian and it was made in Mississippi IIRC.
I hardly ever use the loveseat and sofa, so they are still doing just fine and still look great. Not so for the matching easy chair and ottoman, which pretty much self destructed by 2015. So, I bought a $2,000 Italian leather easy chair + ottoman that I love. It seems to be holding up well so far, but then it isn't even a year old.
I hate buying sofas!
We are all short, and it's extremely hard to find a sofa that a short person can sit on without having to slide back to put your back against the back cushions
I also like a sofa where you don't sink down. Best couch I had for that was a sleeper sofa. Sleeping was awful! But it sat firmly!
I bought Rpwe Bleeker sofa Rowe Collections | Sofas & Couches | Bleeker Sofa about 2 years ago. I looked far and wide because I had a sofa and loveseat that after about 8 years, looked absolutely horrible and felt worse. It had been fine for about 5 years and then the cushions just lost shape and the fabric seemed to get stretched out. It was Thomasville which wasn't cheap, so I was very concerned and not happy to spend big money to replace.( It really wasnt going to look good to repair as the fabric had faded a lot which was my fault).
The Rowe Bleeker has attached back cushions which works fine, and the seat cushions are all reversible and interchangeable so I do rotate them. The fabric is a chenille of sorts and it wears beautifully. It was more reasonablly priced (sofa and loveseat were under $2000). Very pleased. AND MADE IN THE USA>
I hate buying sofas!
We are all short, and it's extremely hard to find a sofa that a short person can sit on without having to slide back to put your back against the back cushions
I also like a sofa where you don't sink down. Best couch I had for that was a sleeper sofa. Sleeping was awful! But it sat firmly!
I am also short. About thirty years a go I bought a sofa and love seat made by Century. I can sit comfortably with my feet on the floor and my back against the back cushions. The two have been reupholstered once and the cushions are firm and still pretty much as they were originally.
I also have two sofas that belonged to my parents. Made by Fashion House Furniture, they have also held up well.
I hate buying sofas!
We are all short, and it's extremely hard to find a sofa that a short person can sit on without having to slide back to put your back against the back cushions
I also like a sofa where you don't sink down. Best couch I had for that was a sleeper sofa. Sleeping was awful! But it sat firmly!
I have to agree with you on the sleeper sofas.. I was looking for an inexpensive sofa for my basement family room. I didn't want to spend a lot of money because the cat hangs out down there and I knew there would be a lot of kids hanging out down there playing video games, eating, drinking soda and doing whatever messy kids do. So I bought a Bob o pedic sleeper sofa and I only bought the sleeper sofa because it was in the Pit section of Bobs furniture.
I can't believe how comfortable it is for me, a short person to sit on or even lay on. The polyester fabric has held up extremely well and stains wipe off easily.
Unzip the pillows and look closely at the cushions. Are they wrapped in a fabric such as muslin INSIDE the upholstery? This is very important because upholstery material rubs against the pillows and if they're not encased in something else, the foam will break down and crumble and they will lose their shape within a couple of years.
If you're considering fabric, look closely at the blend. I would steer away from most rayon blends because they can pill up. Blech. Olefin and polyfiber blends are easy to keep and easy to clean. Denims will wear and fade, as will most other cotton blends. Stick with the synthetic blends that have "fin" or "Poly" in the names.
If you're considering leather, be sure it is top grain, not split, leather. Painted leather is a red flag as well.
I was sofa shopping with a friend just yesterday and she found several Massoud sofa styles for around $2500 each. Massoud is an EXCELLENT brand when it comes to overall quality. These frames could be custom made in a variety of fabrics and trims, all in the same price range. Oh, they also came in different "depths" for tall, short, and in between folks.
Old Hickory is another good sofa manufacturer. So is Century, and Thomasville and Ethan Allen. So is La Z Boy for that matter. Lots of good companies out there but be sure to check for frame and cushion quality especially.
Sofas are like mattresses these days in that brand names don't mean much anymore. Be sure you buy at a reputable furniture store that carries a variety of brands; you can use the information on the above link to ask questions and do your own quality checks. I couldn't even tell you what brand mine is. We selected it based upon comfort, looks, and a sturdy build. It's 8 years old now and still looks/feels great.
For fabric I love the look and feel of chenille. We've had cats, not dogs, and it has always worked well for us. The article says synthetic microfiber is a good option. I've no experience with it, maybe someone else here does. One ironclad rule: never ever buy a 2-cushion sofa.
Also you might want to browse Wayfair sofas before heading out to shop. It carries many of the brands found in the brick-and-mortar stores and has user reviews. It'll also help you determine which styles appeal to you. That's how I recently went about buying a leather recliner. I selected one based upon the Wayfair reviews and found it at a local retailer.
Why do you say not to ever buy a 2-cushion sofa? I have one and I love it.
Unzip the pillows and look closely at the cushions. Are they wrapped in a fabric such as muslin INSIDE the upholstery? This is very important because upholstery material rubs against the pillows and if they're not encased in something else, the foam will break down and crumble and they will lose their shape within a couple of years.
If you're considering fabric, look closely at the blend. I would steer away from most rayon blends because they can pill up. Blech. Olefin and polyfiber blends are easy to keep and easy to clean. Denims will wear and fade, as will most other cotton blends. Stick with the synthetic blends that have "fin" or "Poly" in the names.
If you're considering leather, be sure it is top grain, not split, leather. Painted leather is a red flag as well.
I was sofa shopping with a friend just yesterday and she found several Massoud sofa styles for around $2500 each. Massoud is an EXCELLENT brand when it comes to overall quality. These frames could be custom made in a variety of fabrics and trims, all in the same price range. Oh, they also came in different "depths" for tall, short, and in between folks.
Old Hickory is another good sofa manufacturer. So is Century, and Thomasville and Ethan Allen. So is La Z Boy for that matter. Lots of good companies out there but be sure to check for frame and cushion quality especially.
Better yet, don't buy a sofa that has foam cushions. You might want to buy something better quality than foam, but yes, the cushions should definitely be covered underneath the actual upholstery fabric. A lot of people think that cushions made with 100% natural latex, with a spring core, wrapped in a 50/50 blend of down and feathers are the very finest cushion construction available.
Why do you say not to ever buy a 2-cushion sofa? I have one and I love it.
I agree. Then again, we are a family of 2 (me and my kid) and so the 2 cushion I have has worked fine. I could see where it could be less comfortable if you were regularly having 3 people sit there, although a 2 cushion might work for 2 adults and 2 younger kids.
For my more recent purchases, both the sofa and (non-matching loveseat) are single cushion, which I would now consider the best choice in both looks and seating flexibility.
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