I believe Wirecutter did an article on the subject, recently.

Following!

LaChance Furniture Gardner MA

I need to get on this later this spring so I appreciate the thread... and will be following!

I bought a custom sectional from Taylor King about 2-3 years ago. I'm really happy with the comfort and sturdiness. I haven't been quite as happy with the fabric (seems to be wearing more than I expected based on it's rub count). I've had many guests comment on the comfort and I know my husband and I both find it extremely comfortable. I would buy from Taylor King again. It was expensive, but since it's the most used furniture item in the house, it seemed like a good place to invest.

Some other brands from high end furniture stores besides Taylor King that I considered include King Hickory, Rowe, Lee Industries, Sherrill, Bradington-Young, Hancock & Moore, Bernhardt. I ended up searching for which brands sell 8-way hand tied upholstery construction, then looked up each brand to find local dealers. And from there I went into the stores and asked them about the furniture they sold, construction of it, etc. Most locations seemed to have one or two really high end brands, and then a few middle quality brands.

In terms of online-only (for my location), I considered Maidenhome and Room & Board. We do have Crate & Barrel locations here, so I considered them as well. I think all three have some reasonable quality products, though not as high end as most of the US-made custom brands I listed above. I looked at Pottery Barn and I like their styling but quality does not seem to be very good and the comfort seems to be hit or miss.

I have an EA Marcus sofa I got it 5ish years ago. I love it and people actually tell me how confortable it is all the time

I bought two about 18 months ago - Smith Bros. So far so good.

Prickly, thanks for the reminder of Lee Industries. I have had a couple of great small sofas made by Lee in the past. Actually had this exact one, which we sold when we moved to this house…darnit! This used to be sold as Briarwood at C&B but not any more. If I can find it again I’d buy it again. There is a local store that supposedly carries Lee; will check with them.

Eld, your pic of loveseat and ottoman is exactly what I am looking for, so I also want a matching ottoman.

Oh, and the Bennett is one that I was looking at.

I need two 88 inch sofas. Mine are 20 years old and have held up well, but I’ve hated the fabric the whole time. I think I’ll get sticker shock for one now that would last that long. I’ll be following along - and share prices so I can prepare myself 😀

Bought two Lee Industries 6 years ago, they are in my family room and get a decent amount of use, still like new.

I like furniture that lasts. Anywhere I go for a sofa I tug on the arms, pic up the sofa from one corner of the arm and see if the entire frame lifts or has any torque, note how the frame is joined. When shopping recently, I have not been happy with the quality of Room and Board, Rowe (not what it used to be), and Ethan Allen is hit or miss by the piece. Some upholstered goods feel sturdy, others feel like Wayfair disposable furniture.

Pottery Barn has terrible customer service and their construction and sewing can vary widely piece by piece. I'd stay away.

I've always thought of Lee as a good standby. Though have not shopped their pieces in person recently.

@legomom23 - You will be hard pressed to find a sofa now that is going to last 20 years. If you do, I suspect it will not be any of the brands discussed on this thread. I think you are looking at $10k+ per sofa. Are the frames quality enough that you'd consider reupholstering them.

Reupholstery is a major PITA. I have a 1980's Baker that I am now getting reupholstered for the third time in its life. Reupholstery is as expensive as one of these mid-priced sofas listed here, but at least I know the frame is quality and will last.

I purchased an Ethan Allen sofa at a consignment shop in 2017. It looked brand new. That sofa was the only sofa in the condo we rented out 6 months at a time for 6 years. It still looks brand new.. a little faded in the back from the sun, but the cushions are still sturdy and the fabric none the worse for wear.

When we purchased our house, that sofa went into the LR and I purchased a Crate and Barrel sectional for the family room. It was very comfortable. After about 6 months, you could definitely see an indentation where I sat each evening. While I could uses to lose about 10 pounds, I am not overweight. Because the cushion was in the angled part of the sectional, it couldn't be flipped. When we renovated, the sectional didn't fit and I was happy to get rid of it.

I found a 4 month old Ethan Allen sofa on FB marketplace that the lady decided "she didn't like the color". Gave me all the paperwork, it cost her $5500. and she sold it to me for $500. It's the Arcata style. I love it.

I've been happy with Lee Industries.

My most recent buys were 2 yrs ago for the pied a terre, where they get very light use. We bought a Pottery Barn Cameron Slope Arm Slipcovered Sleeper Sofa (86") and a Crate and Barrel Barrett II 78.25" Queen Sleeper Sofa. I have been happy with both. They are firm but of course sleepers always are.

The PB was ~$4000 and the C&B was ~$3000

You cannot go wrong with a Rowe sofa. DD's is almost 5yo and still looks new. She has the Haven cushions and washable fabric (which went well with a cushion cover). I already have my next sofa selected. My sister and I selected a Rowe for her second home, and afterwards purchased one in her main house close to that home.

Thanks for all the input. I do know that Lee sofas are sometimes at Crate and Barrel, or used to be. Not advertised as such, but when you look at them in store, the fabric samples are Lee. That used to be the case, anyway. Our two LR full sized sofas are Lee via C&B. * No longer available, though.

We have had a couple of great sofas from American Leather too, in their ultrasuede. The one furniture store near me that carried AL has closed.

This particular sofa will get light use in general, but I know our dogs will use it to get a good view of mail deliveries so it needs to withstand two frenchies running at it full speed to stand on their hind legs to bark at the window. I wonder if any manufacturers list that scenario in their specs?

One thing I’m finding is that a lot of sofas, including some of the brands mentioned here, come in a small loveseat (~60”) or full size sofa, but what I want is around 70” or so.

I think I will visit Ethan Allen and another local store later this week to sit on some sofas.

* LOL I just realized my LR sofas are the full size version of this.

For dogs on sofas get one of these:

https://www.orvis.com/product/grip-tight-quilted-throw/3JAA.html

We used their large sofa covers in our previous house and they work great. When we moved to the new house the big dogs got re-trained not to get up on furniture, because I got tired of washing all the covers!

I cannot afford a $3000 couch. Any idea of a decent one for much less? It needs to be for short people. I am only 5 ’ 1” and everything new is too deep and high.

DD2 got a Radley sectional from Macys several years ago. It has held up well to kids junping and them lounging on it. They are not that expensive. Do you live near a Macy's to try one out and look at fabric selections?

ETA-Macy's is on Rakuten to save even more. They do 10% back frequently.

No Macys. The one my son ordered online was way too deep for us.

I have the Room and Board Jasper with chaise (Oatmeal fabric) in our basement where we watch TV. It is a couple of years old and looks good. it comes in lots of sizes and fabrics.

@Sherry8aNorthAL Sounds like you need to look at apartment sofas, which are smaller in size. My mother ahd her mother were 5ft so I am aware of the "hanging feet" problem!

@Sueb20 if the dogs are climbing up on the back of the sofa, a tight back sofa like the one you've pictured is probably a smart choice. I've noticed that sofas with loose back cushions where dogs stand or lay on the backs tend to look shabby more quickly.

With Taylor King I ended up choosing the "Taylor Made" line which is a custom line that you can make choices like arm style, back style, depth, and back height. I think some other brands, such as Sherrill offer similar options. So just because you don't see the exact sofa you want, check out some of the custom lines to see if you could build what you want. (I notice Sherrill offers a tight back in at least one of their custom lines.) Most of these custom lines seem to offer the option of different sofa lengths.

I notice the term "apartment sofa" seems to fit what you're looking for. A scaled down sofa between 60-80" so that might help in your search.

I have been on and off the sofa hunt for what seems like years. My space needs a very specific width and depth to work. I currently have a 10 year old Ballard Designs Eton Sofa and I've basically decided to just replace with the same. It has held up well but for the unfortunate fabric which pills badly. I'm over it!

Sue - take a look at Maiden Home as they have a decent reputation and their sofas come in a variety of widths. Problem may be trying it in advance. Flagship store is in NYC.

Sherry - this sofa from Wayfair gets good reviews and is under $2k. May be worth a look...

https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/birch-lane-walters-82-upholstered-sofa-w004672183.html?piid=1067632540

Prickly, yup, I did mention apartment sofa in my OP. My preference is almost always a tightback sofa, and there are surprisingly few to choose from!

Went to look at sofas today. Right now, I am between two.

1. the Lee sofa that is the exact same as our LR sofas, just smaller in width. I know I like it because I’ve been sitting on one for 10 years or so. Only drawback is feeling like it’s boring to buy the same sofa (not that anyone would notice) and I am not overly excited over the fabric options.

This is not a great pic, but these are samples I brought home. The one to the far left is out of the running. 2nd one is blue, 3rd is a pale sort of greeny beige, 4th is green. I actually like the lightest color best with the rug.

Better pic of rug colors. The lightest color in the rug is the same color as the light fabric. Hard to tell but it’s almost like a pale celery color.

Then I went to Ethan Allen to visit this guy Bennett. I liked him, too. But I suspect my curious pup might make a home on the back cushion, looking out the window.

EA had better fabric options. Here are some I looked at. I have to wait now for them to mail me small samples — they wouldn’t loan out the bigger samples.

Love this green.

And if I’m feeling bold, this gold is really tempting.

I like this more ”tame” gold too.

I like the blue on the left, too.

And I liked this pattern, but now that I’m home looking at the rug, I’m not feeling it. It came in blue or green.

I think I will most likely go with Lee, because if I walk in to find this idiot

sitting on the top of the back cushion, I won’t be happy.

Also?

I like this pillow.

Nice shoes on your pup! Also, my little one has that same lobster toy - so cute.

The Lee sofa seems like a no-brainer and I really like the color choices. Hard to choose because they are all in that muted palette I love.

In a smaller size sofa, a continuous tight back makes more sense. The Ethan Allen sofa looks like it was swallowed by a pillow monster. It feels like a jumble of cushions.

Yes, it might feel anticlimactic to get the same sofa again, but you are lucky you found something that you like and that works for you.

The rug is beautiful. I'd get the neutral off white fabric and add that fantastic pillow to it.

While I do like the look of both the Lee and Ethan Allen sofas, I think the Lee edges out the EA in the looks department and the tight back sounds much better for you and your dogs. What a cute pup!

I have been playing around with using AI to help me visualize some potential furniture and decor selections and thought I'd give it a try feeding in the Lee sofa and the photo with the rug and fabric samples. This is AI so no promises on accuracy, but I wanted to share how the sofa looks in the samples against your lovely rug. Not sure which rug image shows the scale more accurately.

Prickly, thanks!

This one is closer to the scale of the rug.

This room tends to be dark — both windows are on the porch, so even on a sunny day, it’s not very bright — which I think also makes a case for a lighter fabric.

Better fabric pic

@rubyclaire - I just ordered an Eton sofa at the Ballard Design store in Nashville. I wanted a two-seater-plus-chaise and theirs looked the best. Sat on one in the store, thought it was super comfy and got help choosing a fabric. I hope it lasts since I don’t love couch shopping.

The couch we currently have is a 5 piece sectional from Thomasville (who I think is out of business). It has too many pieces so the Eton should solve that problem. If the room feels empty after we get the new one, I’ll add a chair. Just feel like a chaise will be heaven for reading and watching tv. (My husband has my 4-times-reupholstered wingback recliner as “his chair”). I am usually happy to shop for anything house related but couches are just overwhelming.

@RedRyder - hope you love the Eton! I wish my space would accomodate a chaise but alas it does not. Would love to know which fabric you chose. I think I have decided to order one of the in-stock options for mine because I am exhausted with this project and am completely over my indecisiveness.

I did order a stock fabric. Sunbrella - Idol Frost. It is the exact blue of one of the sample couches in my local store, so I’m pretty confident we will love it.

Kendrah , do you have a favorite place to shop for furniture? Asking because I believe you are in the greater Philadelphia area. My former go-to furniture store was Light Parker in Conshohocken but they closed. My other favorite was McGill’s in Roxborough but they seem to have downgraded their lines. Everything on the floor was by CR Laine, and Im not familiar with that manufacturer.

Willing to travel for a store with a good selection I can actually try. Im in the market for a new sofa, too.

So pretty RedRyder!!

@dedtired, my sofa is CR Laine. It is similar to the picture below, except mine is longer and it is upholstered in gray velvet. I had an issue with it initially, one of the springs in the back came loose or something. The store where I bought it sent it back, it was fixed, and I haven’t had any trouble since. The sofa is almost 12 years old. I think it has held up well.

Thanks, bb , thats good to know. I never heard of that brand until i walked into that furniture store. The furniture was comfy to sit on.

I’ve always liked that sofa. I wish the seat height was taller. Your choices look so nice together!

I’m looking for a tightback sofa with a slipcover and a taller seat height. No luck so far.

Congrats on your new furniture, Sue. Feels good to make a decision, doesnt it? I really like your choices and your fabric. How long until it arrives?

I’m impressed with your quick decision making! And jealous of your ability to do it😀 That’s a great lookig sofa.

Ded — they’re saying 10-12 weeks — we’ll see!

I am so impressed with your quick decision making! I swear it took me a year to finally decide on a sectional and order it (and then 10 months to finally get it). I really love the sofa you picked and it seems like it will be perfect for your space. The fabric looks lovely and will bring some lightness to the space.

Love the fabric color choice, and think it is great with your gorgeous rug. Can’t wait to see it in place. I don’t think you can go wrong with Lee.

@dedtired - When I lived in Philly I purchased most of my upholstery from EBay, sturdy vintage pieces, which I had reupholstered by my upholsterer in the suburbs. I purchased my fabric on fabric row, when it was still fabric stores instead of boutique clothing stores and day spas.

Other furniture I purchased from Royal Port Antiques https://royalport.com/ in Salem, NJ, or from Kamelot Auctions https://www.kamelotauctions.com/

I sometimes looked at Mitchell Gold (no longer in Philadelphia) or Luxe Home https://www.luxehomephiladelphia.com/ for specific pieces. I also took a lot of day trips to Manhattan. Quick and easy on Amtrak.

Thanks, Kendrah . You are quite the savvy shopper. I am familiar with Kamelot but never purchased there. Royal Port is new to me although my father was a doctor at a hospital in Salem County.

Fabric Row is not what it used to be, for sure.

I am not as canny or motivated shopper as you. I just stick to standard furniture stores like McGills in Roxborough. Thanks for your input!