Software
Houzz Logo Print
nicole_glaros

Higher quality version of the Pottery Barn York sofa?

5 years ago

Hey all,


I am redoing my home but find it impossible to make decisions on furniture. However, I found my dream sofa - the Pottery Barn York (slope arm, deep seating, slipcovered but fits tightly so it's not so sloppy, comes in bench or multiple cushions). I sat on like 100 sofas and it was the only one that I felt I could love for years and years. In fact, our plan was to order 2 of them, deep seating slipcovered bench for one sofa, regular seating, upholstered, 2 cushions on the other sofa, and orient them facing each other, complete with machine washable performance fabric so we could wash but also replace when we want to refresh the look.


However - in reading the threads here, I recognize that Pottery Barn might not have the best quality furniture for the long haul - and I hate the idea of buying something that's just going to end up in a landfill in a few years. Additionally, I have kids (a 9 year old boy and 11 year old daughter) and imagine for a moment that he's likely to be jumping up and down on it. He's 9 after all. I'd rather spend a bit more $ and know it will last because the construction is better.


So - any designers out there that know of a higher quality brand that's similar to the York that I could go research?



Here is a picture of the deep seat, bench and and also the regular seat, 2 pillow York setup so you know what it looks like.







Comments (16)

  • 5 years ago

    I'm thinking of ordering that one too. Did you decide?

  • 5 years ago

    All the PB stores, West Elm, & Restoration Hardware are owned by WSM (Williams Sonoma) which is a publically owned company whose shares are traded on the Nasdaq exchange. Once a company is publically owned, it has a fiduciary responsibility to grow the value of the business and, in turn, the value of the stock. The furniture looks gorgeous in the store, in the catalogs, and on-line, but if you "lift the hood", you'll see the level of quality just doesn't warrant the cost. Instead of solid wood furniture, these companies coat cheap particle board with wood veneer. Even Restoration Hardware! Also, all of the furniture is made in Asia so there's really no way of knowing what chemicals were used, or what age the employees are who made it. For me, as a mother, it's just too difficult to enjoy an evening of relaxation with the family knowing an 6 year old child may have been forced to make the sofa I'm relaxing on or that the factory that made my sofa has polluted the local drinking water. I don't mean to sound like an extreme zealot, but there's a reason WSM products aren't made in the US. We pay a fair wage, do not allow children to work in factories, have wage and labor laws, environmental protection laws, etc. The question to ask yourself is, given the amount of money WS, PB, and RH charge, why can't they afford to manufacture in the US? I own a Cisco Bros Louis Modern Classic sofa. I love it. It's 90", white linen slipcovered, down blend, easy to wash, American made, no formaldehyde or flame retardants, a LIFETIME warranty on frame. I bought mine 3-5 years ago and and it looks and feels the same as the day I bought it. I have no affiliation with Cisco, nor the store I bought it from (The Uncommon Home in WRJ, VT). I used to love Pottery Barn too until I started reading more about the quality of the products and the impact on the environment. Once I was made aware that the company is often criticized for sub-par quality I started to pay closer attention to the PB furniture in friend's homes, in the store itself, and being sold second hand, and I could see it was true. The stuff is mostly junk. I don't think it was originally but it's become junky slowly over time. When you go to a PB furniture store or a home that's had PB furniture for a while look closely at the furniture. Does the owner have to constantly shift the slipcovers back into place? Are the back cushions all slouched (sp?) and compressed? Are the seams on the seat cushions lined up at the cushion edges still? Are the arm rests loose or curved? Look at the wood pieces. Are there little white marks exposing the particle board on the edges of the tables, drawers, desk tops, shelves where the laminate chipped off? Are the dining table chairs squeaky, wobbly, or cracked? If so, for that quality, why not pay half the price at Ashley Home Store? I could be wrong, but it seems to me the money is going to the catalogs. Can you imagine what it must cost to move a production team and furnishings to a location, rent the location, pay for the creative team of designers, photographers, etc.; design, layout and print the catalogs, and then mail at least one of the many catalogs to practically every household in the US (and abroad?) And, maintain the website? Not to mention for those of us who ever claimed to be concerned about the environment, child welfare, and human rights, IMO owning WSB products kinda makes us hypocrits. When you buy WSB merchandise you are giving your blessing to disposable furniture, toxic chemicals that are being haphazardly dumped in impoverished countries, poor working conditions and meager wages, huge freight tankers that burn fossil fuels and pollute the oceans as they make their way to the US. If you think about it, sadly, millions of American children have probably written essays and completed projects about protecting the environment and human rights while sitting at or on the WSB/PB furniture purchased by their parents. I'm not preaching because I have had PB furniture in the past so I am just as guilty. But, now that I do know, I can't buy the cheap crappy stuff made overseas anymore. Aren't you glad you asked? LOL. Good luck!


  • 4 years ago

    Hi - Curious what you ended up getting?I'm looking at sofas (really, sectionals with slipcovers) and liked the look of the York as well.

  • 4 years ago

    Did anyone order this one. I’m like the looks of it better than a three seat at Ethan Allen.

  • 4 years ago

    Anyone order the Dune from Maiden Home? Is it comfortable?

  • 4 years ago

    I did. I have the 100" Dune in Oyster and Love love love it! Yes, It is comfortable. I got the more expensive filler instead of goose feathers.

  • 4 years ago

    Thank you! What filler did you choose? Did you get scatter back pillows? My husband is 6’5” and I’ve read some saying that the back is too low. I want to order it so bad, but so nervous, since I can’t sit on it first!

  • 4 years ago

    I took for ever to decide on the new sofa I needed for my living room. In the end I purchased the Pottery Barn York sloped arm 95" with one bench cushion and three back cushions in the Oatmeal, performance brushed basketweave. The fabric is a dream and feels extremely sturdy and strong but also soft and comfortable. I have only had the sofa for 5 months now but it is standing up nicely to my two dogs and two cats that all love to lie on it. When my adult kids come to visit they always want to curl up or take a nap on it. It is so so comfortable and just oozes quality. I knew the moment it was delivered that it was the perfect fit for our home, in looks, quality and comfort.

  • 4 years ago

    HU-926906357 is a very odd user name. There are services that are hired and paid to write good reviews. Just sayin….it’s an odd user name.

  • last year

    I have this exact sofa and can tell you its high quality made, its a down mix amd extremely comfortable. We’ve had it three years amd it’s still in fantastic condition. We also have two kids one younger who’s 7 and our eldest is 17. we bought it to be able to change tge slip cover at some point to whatever we wanted. Because we bought the high performance fabric because of our kids.. So I say buy it!

  • last year

    We have had 3 pottery barn aofas over the years and ghe quakity of the structure has been great. there is a reason so mqny keep going back. youll love the york or PB comfort


    People on here like to complain about everything - often to sell something else

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    Careful, this couch, at least the version that comes with down, makes so much noise my dogs won't even sit on it. Also it arrived two months late, they installed the wrong legs, and customer service identified a stain in the fabric.

    Now they won't take it back.



  • 12 months ago

    I've had had four PB sofas(included the york) and a sectional and they have all been amazing quality. they were all made in North Carolina at their Sutter Street workshop in Hickory. I've had the york for almost three years. It's a family favorite and still looks amazing. It's solid and comfortable! I know this respose is late but hopefully helps someone else.

  • 11 months ago

    I did a fair amount of research after my trusty 1990s era tight back couch needed replacing. I was torn between reupholstering my old sofa or purchasing something new. I spoke with a local reupholstery shop and was quoted over $4000 to have a 92” couch reupholstered in an off-brand fabric. The upholstery shop said that Pottery Barn gets a lot of negative feedback mostly due to their fabrics. (I had asked about choosing a PB fabric and I couldn’t justify the cost. I think that comment was the upholstery shop’s way of steering me towards something I could afford.) What the upholsterer failed to mention is that PB offers a plethora of fabric choices—so yeah, with all those choices, some fabrics are going to be poor quality and some are going to be absolutely stellar and worth the investment. Pottery Barn is a mid range consumer friendly brand. PB furniture isn’t heirloom quality furniture. To expect otherwise wouldn’t be true. By choosing a fairly robust fabric (visit a store and do comparisons with their big sheets. Feel the weight of each. Look at the backs. Stretch the sheets diagonally), a good investment can be made. I purchased a Pearce square arm 3 piece wedge sectional sofa that I got on sale for an amazing price of $3600 pre tax. I’m amazed every time I sit on it. I have no illusions the cushions will wear out properly earlier than I would like. They are down feather and built for comfort. But PB does sell replacement cushions and when the time comes to replace them I can. I got the Boucle fabric and it felt thick and substantial in the store and feels even better in person. Will the bottom springs hold up after years and years. Definitely not. But those too can be addressed by an upholstery shop or Furniture Medic. Some will come to the house and add replacements on site. I ultimately think the sofa is a good investment and comfortable. If I want to keep it around I can because the frame is incredibly solid and most everything on the sofa can be replaced when necessary and tweaks can be made to keep it going for as long as I want it.