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I have a friend that has made custom furniture for about 30 years. he says much of teh Ethan Allen furniture is very over poriuce considering the wood used and the fact that you can get the same furniture qaulity at much cheaper prices.Much of it is made overseas by cheap labor to the design of ehtan allen the same as alot of furnture now days in same plants.
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Originally Posted by desertsun41
Whatever you do, DO NOT be tempted to buy that Chinese junk where you can furnish your entire house for $999.00. You and your kids will get Asthma at best and cancer at worse. Google that one.
Ethan Allen is very high quality but the markup is very high. Search other simular brands of AMERICAN made products. And Catnap is right about googling brands and complaints.
AND DO NOT be tempted to buy from those big trucks that park on the corner one weekend morning with unbelievable prices. It is all Chinese formaldahyde and sulfer laden junk.
Thank you both for your help. Do you know which companies still make furniture in the US? Is all furniture made overseas that bad, even if it's made to the specifications of a reputable company? Otherwise, I'm guessing most American-made furniture would be way out of our budget.
Someone did recommend to us a store called Room and Board that has a lot of cute sofas made in North Carolina. They have a store within driving distance so I'll be checking them out soon. Any info on that store would be appreciated too.
I like Ethan Allen, but I think thatthe merchandise is kind of overpriced. What's your budget?
Definitely need to stay under $3,000, but I'd like to get under $2,000 if I'm not compromising too much. I'd like something to last 5-10 years. And I guess I'm hoping to find some good companies that I can look to not just for this sofa purchase, but for other items as we start to fill our house with more "grown-up" furniture.
Some more questions for those of you with the patience . . .
I understand full aniline is better than semi-aniline dyed leather, but is it a must have? I'm guessing it is with a dog that likes to jump on the couch?
Similarly, is "top-grain" leather a must-have?
A lot of the sofas I like have removable seat cushions, but not removable back cushions. (I think this is referred to sometimes as a "tight back," versus a "loose back?"). I imagine it's better if both are removable so that they can be swapped to even out wear, but is it ok if the back's not removable? ie, Can the back be re-filled down the road if it's really worn, or is that a really expensive process?
Wow, thank you everyone for your help! I'm learning a lot, though still have much to learn. Thanks for walking me through this!
I'll have to ask about the construction of the Macy's sofa, but the EA site says: Frame is made of "7-ply engineered hardwood panels" that are glued and stapled, with "mortise and tenon" joints that are glued. I'm guessing EA would've mentioned it was "kiln-dried" if it were? And I'm (again) guessing solid hardwood would be better than engineered?
kiln dried just means that before they used the wood it was put in a kiln and all the moisture was removed. this way the frame will not warp and twist. a hardwood is something that you want, which is better than a frame made from pine. which is not very hard at all. hopefully the better the sofa the better the constructions. like the corners for example. the glued and screwed. some are glued screwed and corner blocked. the latter will add a bit to the cost but under normal family wear you really might not need the added strength as the one that is just glued and screwed will be fine.
Website goes on to say the heavy gauge coil spring unit coils are linked together and attached to a heavy gauge border. Individualized coil seating units function independently and each spring is oven tempered. Cushions have dense polyurethane foam core laminated top and bottom with a layer of soft foam and wrapped with polyester fiber, encased in a non-woven ticking. Loose back pillows are filled with polyester fiber and non-woven ticking, and have horizontal channels to minimize shifting.
tempering is what gives the coil its strength. the density of the foam, the more dense the longer it holds up. you might want to go to a cheap furniture store and look at the construction of a 600 dollar sofa. sit in it. feel it. you will be able to feel how cheap it is. then go and compare the macy's sofa. it should sit way better. also ask about the warranty. some companies like guildcraft and benchcrat have limited lifetime warranties on their frames and cushioning. so if they wear out you get new. prorated.
When you ask about the cushion density, is there some standard measure used in the industry I should ask about, or am I just testing what it feels like under the butt? Both felt pretty firm to me, and kept their shape well after getting up/down repeatedly. I'll have to confirm the leather goes all the way around.
with leather also ask if it is fully annalin dyed. the better leathers are dyed so the color is all though the hide, it scratches and you still see the color. some leathers are only surfaced dyed and a scratch will look terrible and more noticeable.
I'm pretty sure I'll like the style for 5-10 years down `cause I've loved that style at least the last 20 years and I'm pretty boring/non-trendy. Yeah, I'd worry about kids and dogs all over the more expensive one, but they're both expensive to me so I guess I'd be willing to pay more if the EA one has a better chance of surviving the kids/dog, kwim?
a good leather sofa should last till you are sick of it, years and years. I ask more the reasons IF the kids did mess it up would you be more upset that you had to replace the expensive one or the cheaper one?
alos make sure the leather is the kind you like. some leather will show every mark and it should so it will have that nice heirloom look years from now. that cowboy thing. other leather is more slick and it will stay more cleanable but it will look the same year in and year out for the most part. some people want one look but forget to ask and end up with the leather that they didn't have in mind. from your pictures it look like these leathers are the easy to clean and hard to scratch.
I checked the Rowe site and do like their styles. They're carried by a few local stores so I'll check them out. Thank you so much!
have fun I think a shop at a cheap store for comparision will really get you up to speed and you will be very comfortable with your choice.
We have friends that swear by Ethan Allen. They bought a complete set (sofa, chairs, tables, rugs) for their bonus room and just bought a sofa and love seat for their family room. I believe they also have an EA bedroom too. They spent a fortune and while it looks great, I am not sure it is worth it. They have young children who are very active. To me a family room is meant to be used and to have kids using this expensive set is a waste. Already one of their kids has dumped a glass of juice on a new chair and that was the first day (just delivered that day) . Their Bonus Room is off limits to the kids which to me is a waste of space but that is just my opinion.
Other friends bought a sofa set for their family room from a discount store and so far are very happy with it. They were considering an EA set that cost three times as much but changed their minds when we told them our opinion. They are very happy with what they selected and often comment to us that they were happy they did not go with the more expensive furniture.
For a living room, I would ask how often would it be used? If you use it a lot, it might be worth it to buy better quality but if you do not, why spend that kind of money on something to basically just look at. We just went to a local furniture store's warehouse and found a stunning Bassett sofa on clearance for our living room which we do not use a lot. We paid just under $500 including tax and delivery. It was a discontinued floor model that had a price of over $1,200. We are now looking for a family room sofa and will try to go the same route.
On the other hand we have bought some pricey wooden pieces for our home. We have a very expensive handmade computer console in our living room which we love and never regreted buying. In our family room we have a Thomasville TV console set which we like a lot too. Jay
Not sure if the quality has changed, but we have some EA pieces from maybe 10 years ago that are holding up very well. That being said, it is overpriced furniture. We went there recently looking for family room sofas and didn't find anything that great and for the pricing it just wasn't worth it. We settled on a sectional set from Thomasville that we really like - it was more than we wanted to spend, but we were able to build it to fit the room just right.
we actually don't mind spending a bit on good furniture if we know it will be in a space the kids won't destroy and we know we will keep it "forever". Our bedroom set was almost $10K, but its solid stuff and we have already had it for about 10 years, still looks as good as the day it came home (and its been through one move). When we inherited a hitchcock dining room set, we had no problem going to the hitchcock store (when they had them) and buying pieces to add to the existing set (added two captains chairs and a buffet) since we know we are keeping that set forever.
On the flip side when we needed a new kitchen table, which the kids spend a lot of time sitting at coloring, eating, etc. We found a $500 set in the JcPenney Catalog that is about 3 years old now and has been beat up a bit by the kids, glad we only spend $500 on that one!!
have fun I think a shop at a cheap store for comparision will really get you up to speed and you will be very comfortable with your choice.
Thanks, hothalumaui, you've been so helpful. Gonna check some stores tomorrow and really ask questions and test out the sofas. I feel much better prepared than last week.
We have friends that swear by Ethan Allen. They bought a complete set (sofa, chairs, tables, rugs) for their bonus room and just bought a sofa and love seat for their family room. I believe they also have an EA bedroom too. They spent a fortune and while it looks great, I am not sure it is worth it. They have young children who are very active. To me a family room is meant to be used and to have kids using this expensive set is a waste. Already one of their kids has dumped a glass of juice on a new chair and that was the first day (just delivered that day) . Their Bonus Room is off limits to the kids which to me is a waste of space but that is just my opinion.
Other friends bought a sofa set for their family room from a discount store and so far are very happy with it. They were considering an EA set that cost three times as much but changed their minds when we told them our opinion. They are very happy with what they selected and often comment to us that they were happy they did not go with the more expensive furniture.
For a living room, I would ask how often would it be used? If you use it a lot, it might be worth it to buy better quality but if you do not, why spend that kind of money on something to basically just look at. We just went to a local furniture store's warehouse and found a stunning Bassett sofa on clearance for our living room which we do not use a lot. We paid just under $500 including tax and delivery. It was a discontinued floor model that had a price of over $1,200. We are now looking for a family room sofa and will try to go the same route.
On the other hand we have bought some pricey wooden pieces for our home. We have a very expensive handmade computer console in our living room which we love and never regreted buying. In our family room we have a Thomasville TV console set which we like a lot too. Jay
Yeah, thanks for helping me think through this. I don't want a living room that's totally off limits to kids, but we will try to keep them in the family room. We do plan to use the living room, just not as much as the family room. More a place for guests to spill over from the dining table, quiet place for me to read, etc.
I want to get something good quality, to hold up over the years, esp as the kids get on it as they inevitably will. But I'll try not to freak too much if they ruin it. That's why I'm limiting us to leather, which makes the prices jump up, even at Ikea.
Don't want to spend $$ on Ethan Allen if it's just overpriced because they spend so much on marketing. I'll check out Bassett and Thomasville tomorrow. I used to think their designs were too stuffy, but their websites show some cute sofas (maybe I'm just getting old ).
Not sure if the quality has changed, but we have some EA pieces from maybe 10 years ago that are holding up very well. That being said, it is overpriced furniture. We went there recently looking for family room sofas and didn't find anything that great and for the pricing it just wasn't worth it. We settled on a sectional set from Thomasville that we really like - it was more than we wanted to spend, but we were able to build it to fit the room just right.
we actually don't mind spending a bit on good furniture if we know it will be in a space the kids won't destroy and we know we will keep it "forever". Our bedroom set was almost $10K, but its solid stuff and we have already had it for about 10 years, still looks as good as the day it came home (and its been through one move). When we inherited a hitchcock dining room set, we had no problem going to the hitchcock store (when they had them) and buying pieces to add to the existing set (added two captains chairs and a buffet) since we know we are keeping that set forever.
On the flip side when we needed a new kitchen table, which the kids spend a lot of time sitting at coloring, eating, etc. We found a $500 set in the JcPenney Catalog that is about 3 years old now and has been beat up a bit by the kids, glad we only spend $500 on that one!!
Thanks, UConn. I can't imagine spending $10k on a bedroom, but sounds like it was a good investment. I do want furniture that's not disposable like most of our current stuff, so I'm glad to get advice on how to find it. Thanks!
Yeah, thanks for helping me think through this. I don't want a living room that's totally off limits to kids, but we will try to keep them in the family room. We do plan to use the living room, just not as much as the family room. More a place for guests to spill over from the dining table, quiet place for me to read, etc.
I want to get something good quality, to hold up over the years, esp as the kids get on it as they inevitably will. But I'll try not to freak too much if they ruin it. That's why I'm limiting us to leather, which makes the prices jump up, even at Ikea.
Don't want to spend $$ on Ethan Allen if it's just overpriced because they spend so much on marketing. I'll check out Bassett and Thomasville tomorrow. I used to think their designs were too stuffy, but their websites show some cute sofas (maybe I'm just getting old ).
Thanks again!
Keep in mind that furniture styles can change particularly fabric and colors. It might be wiser to spend less on fabric pieces because if you spend a lot you will be less likely to change it down the road because it cost so much. You can get good sofas at a reasonable price for a room you are talking about. Just a thought. Jay
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Both felt pretty firm to me, and kept their shape well after getting up/down repeatedly. I'll have to confirm the leather goes all the way around.
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