Opinions on Pottery Barn Big Sur sofa

last month

My husband and I just ordered the Pottery Barn Big Sur sofa and ottoman in the chambray brushed performance basketweave fabric. Does anyone have any experience with this particular sofa and how it holds up over time?

We’ve gone back and forth about which sofa to get for years, and this was the only one we agreed on. Before we ordered it, I looked for reviews for it but could only find ones for other sofas. Now I’m nervous that we made a mistake. I included a pic of the sofa we ordered from the catalog, we chose the exact options as the one in the photo.

Comments (8)

PRO
JAN MOYER
last month
last modified: last month
What makes a sofa last for years, can't ALL be seen on the outside, It is what's on the inside. A hardwood frame, glued, screwed, doweled. Eight way hand tied springs beneath the cushions. Cushioning in spring down, ( springs inside the foam, followed by a layer of wrap and a layer of down ) or other options with quality foam and wrap. Don't forget quality tailoring and finishing of upholstery, fabric options, ability to customize as well. YOU WANT this Pottery Barn,, and with no ottoman it's 3200.00.

Or you could have Hickory Chair..........and.............see below

Or you could have Lee..............

It depends how much you want to spend. A Hickory chair sofa will be double that Pottery Barn. Lee will be at 50 % more.

Just know that the price of a good sofa thirty years ago, from any quality brick and mortar..........whether it was Century, or Hickory Chair, or Hickory White, or Henredon, or , or

was NOT less than 2500.00 dollars. Does anyone believe you can buy that same quality today for three grand or less? No, they don't. What did your car cost? : )

Note too, that from ANYONE or anywhere, a single seat cushion is much harder to maintain in terms of stability in upholstery and wear. Especially for something you will sit on every single day.

Quality manufacturers know all about this, including dirt lines at the bottom edge. And it is one reason you will find fewer that look exactly as the PB sofa you covet. Which is good looking junk, for as long as it lasts.

If a Pottery Barn looked good for two years ,at 3k you pay 1500.00 a year. If a Hickory Chair looked good for eight years......at double? You paid 750.00 per year. And had a better lookimg, more comfortable sofa for all those years as well. That's the brutal truth of sofas. Or I could lie.

Just the other day, a client of mine who has owned her Baker ( the Cadillac of sofas) sofa for eight years, and five homes , moving yet again said: They "want all my furniture, I told them they CAN'T have my sofa- no WAY am I letting that go, just no way." I plopped myself down, gazed at her and said......"you're right. It's a keeper: )"
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PRO
JAN MOYER
last month
last modified: last month
Years? From Pottery Barn? No..... maybe two before it sags. Unless you plan not to sit regularly. Any of them.

A sofa to last Years as a main sofa ? It can't be ordered online. Hickory Chair, Taylor King, CR Laine, Lee, More money, and more years: )
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I have raised 3 very active boys with leather my first set is now 40 yrs old and is in our youngest sons basement rec room still looks great , sits the same but he did replace the foam in the cushions about 5 yrs ago. I think my thought was get something really good, spend the money and you won’t need to do that again for a long time . Make sure you get analine dyed all through leather in a nice color instead of dark brown or black. My 1 st one was dark green from Italy no springs just perelli webbing for seat support . Make sure whatever you get is leather everywhere and not some phony stuff on the back and sides. I like 3 same sized loose cushions so you can move them around since the middle one often does not get used as often.I doubt very much you will get much satisfaction as to refund but worth a try The problem is sales people really only care usually about their commission . If it was me I would go look at some good quality leather furniture at a good store . I prefer Italian made but am aware there are also good NA makers. Yes it will cost more money for sure but replacement will be way down the road . I actually have white leather it is now 12 yrs old and I have 3 big dogs and have had 100s of parties in that time it still looks like new , I probably would not reccomend white with 9 kids but leather is definately IMO the best choice.
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Thank you again everyone. I am so touched by the kindness and thoughtfulness of all of your responses. Dejavudes, I looked up pictures of the Flexsteel Bryant and I liked that as well. Looking at Flexsteel sofas will be my first order of business when we can get out again. Nancy, I hung the curtains high in every other room of my house. Not sure why I did not do that here. I will definitely experiment with that as I could just use the rods I already have. The general consensus seems to be to paint a lighter color. That is definitely going to happen, but I have to hire that out because I have to paint the entire downstairs when I choose a color and my ceilings are just too tall in the other rooms for me to feel safe (We have painted every upstairs room by ourselves). I will definitely keep you all updated. Just might be awhile. I am back to the trenches tomorrow for the next 5 days. Thank you for all of your kind words. Stay safe everyone and don’t forget the grocery clerks, bus drivers, truck drivers, respiratory therapists, etc. Breaks my heart when I see people getting frustrated with them. You are all awesome!!!
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Typeandrun So I received it, and really like it! Except that the feet are too far apart and don’t fit into the fireplace, therefore it sticks out too far which I don’t like, I just figured the feet would be closer and fit :( so I’m thinking about returning it bc I’m ocd and don’t like it sticking out, I was looking around on pottery barn and actually found one that is smaller that I may get instead, posted a pic
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alwayscold
last month
As long as you tested out a Big Sur version at the store and bought it on sale keep your order and enjoy it for as long as it lasts. If you didn’t sit on it then you may want to weigh your options. The seat height could be lower than expected or deeper.

Last year I paid much more for King Hickory leather couches than past mfg of leather couches because the construction was “sold” to me by the salesperson. Specifically that the Seats would never pucker/sag and always retain a crisp look. The seats have the puckered and we are not heavy people, nor heavy couch users. So all the extra money I invested didn’t get the expected results.

For what it is worth, just like PB, not all styles are available in store, so my investment in King Hickory was the sales clerk ordering it online for me. KH is made in the USA and I just don’t think things are made of the same quality to last eons like they used to. And this applies to all types of consumer goods.
cgpickering1
last month
I think the Big Sur Sofa is beautiful. I’m also considering it, in the slipcovered L-shaped sectional. I can’t seem to find any detailed reviews anywhere on the internet about it. If anyone has the Big Sur, could you please post a few photos and an honest review of its comfort and durability? Thanks in advance!
pricklypearcactus
last month
last modified: last month
@JAN MOYER can you share more details about what makes Hickory Chair, Taylor King, CR Laine, and Lee last? Also, are you saying that quality upholstered furniture is only found through brick and mortar stores? And if so, how do I know if the furniture store is selling quality vs junk?

I have been struggling to find a sectional in a particular shape, style, and size and obviously Pottery Barn's sleek website makes it easier to see if they have what I'm looking for. I would love to find something to last years and am willing to pay more. As a consumer it's overwhelming trying to find good quality upholstered furniture. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
pricklypearcactus
last month
Thank you Jan for taking the time to explain! I was familiar with hardwood frame and eight way hand-tied springs, but the other details including cushioning in spring down and doweling plus gluing is really helpful to know. Sounds like you are also saying that these quality manufacturers have a lot of customization options. Sounds like I need to go visit some of the dealers listed on those brand's websites and see if any of them can configure a sectional in the size / shape I'm looking for. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
PRO
JAN MOYER
last month
Get an interior designer. How do you know for sure you want a sectional? How it fits the space? Get design help for the entire room. At the very least, post a plan of WHAT you're planning. A room drawing with all dimensions, entry points, windows etc. INCHES!!!

ALL OF LIFE IS INCHES. JUST LIKE FOOTBALL : )
arch13
last month
last modified: last month
FWIW- I have a Taylor King sectional purchased in 2017 and I hate the damned thing. The cushions no longer provide any support. You just sink it. It sucks. I tried to submit a warranty claim and after explanation after explanation and providing photos and submitting a blood sample - i said f*** it and gave up. Now we have an uncomfortable lousy and expensive sofa because I was told that Taylor King builds quality.

I also have a pottery barn sofa that I bought as my first ‘grown up’ piece of furniture out of undergrad back in 2005. It’s still in our family room and gets used daily. It’s comfortable and still looks good.

so - who cares about hardwood frames and 8 way hand tied and doweled corners and yada yada if they don’t result in a quality piece of furniture.

Based on my experience alone, I’d say you’ll get a lot more mileage out of Pottery Barn than you would Taylor King.

Opinions on Pottery Barn Big Sur sofa

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