I am debating between purchasing two sofas or a sectional for your family room. The room is just off the large kitchen and breakfast area and is open to the gallery above. We also have a large corner fireplace clad in New England fieldstone to the ceiling 15 feet up. The room itself is 17 feet by 16 feet, but along the 17 foot wall the fireplace starts at 12 feet and is at the angle. When standing in breakfast area looking into FR you see the fireplace on your right, tv along wall next to and then doorway into closet which we entire a few times a day, and finally the window wall. Opposite that wall is open to the breakfast area (obviously) and two sliders onto the deck which forms an L with the window wall. Standing in the center of the FR looking at the breakfast area the open kitchen is to your right and hallway to the front of the house in front of you. On your far right is a wall 4 ft wide going up to gallery upstairs followed by the fireplace which is 8 ft across at the angle. It is a peaked ceiling of 18 feet as well, so room has a lot of volume. Standing in the kitchen the breakfast area is right off the 10 foot long island going long way with family room on left. There is one square column between BA and FR (supporting) and that opening is a total of 17 ft. with the column at 5 1/2" ft from the wall (4 ft wall) next to fireplace,

My husband and I were ready to purchase two leather Maxwell sofas from Restoration Hardware a little more than a month ago until we started reading the reviews and seeing that they have been manufacturing in China the past five years. That also means that the floor models we had tried out and loved in the stores were manufactured in the US as they were all over 8 or 9 years old. We did go down to the RH Outlet with the entire family (5 kids) where we could sit on several sofas of different widths and depths and while the 108" would have been optimal, cannot comfortable fit larger than 96" sofas in our space if on the L. Thus the quandary as to sectional or two sofas. Do you really get that much more seating, especially with guests, in a sectional? I prefer the "look" of two sofas as more elegant in my mind and this is not a FR tucked away but rather quite open. Also would be able to put end table in corner. My husband prefers because more versatile (especially this time of year with the 14-foot Christmas tree).

My must-haves are:

1. As few seat and back cushions as possible

2. Narrow track arms: like the look plus leaves more room for seating.

3. Must, must have: durable fabric: 5 kids. Hence leather.

I have always loved the RH Brompton Leather, and because of other postings most likely going with Casco Bay Furniture, the Madison line in Brompton. Also checked out LeatherGroups so open to feedback from that as well.

My main question to you all is: DO WE PURCHASE TWO SOFAS OR ONE SECTIONAL?

1st picture is view of FR from breakfast area. 2nd picture is from upstairs gallery looking down.