Assume we have no actual awareness of the specific pieces you're considering, and post some photos here. If there's context, like either the space or any armchairs that will be present, post that too.

I place Century in clients homes all day long. It is well made and we have always had excellent results. Vanguard less so. Hickory Chair is superior to both. Lee Industries also an exccellent choice and if you are purchasing these I will assume you are working with a designer or showroom that offers these higher end selections. Lee Industries has the largest selection of arm and cushions styles and overall upholstered product. The MT Co is another one you might consider as they are in line with Sherrill quality and offer a large selction. Their `1100 series offers the ability to choose arm, cushion, base etc. We have used it in many homes with great success as well. You maybe think of Theodore Alexander as solely traditional but many of their sofas have sleek lines you may find appealing. Another to consider is Norwalk.

Thank you, Design Interior South, for reading my post and your helpful response. I’m actually considering a Lee sleeper sofa for a different room (uses the American Leather mechanism but has the option of spring down pillows, unlike American Leather) but was led to believe that Lee, overall, was not of the same quality as Century and others. Always hard to interpet anecdotes. May I ask in what way Hickory Chair has been superior in your experience? I’ll also look more closely at the others you recommend. Thanks, again.

We have several newer case good pieces of Century, and everything is very well-made—doors close easily, drawers smoothly. Our new sofa, though, is Hancock Moore, so I can’t address Century’s upholstered offerings. We needed leather, and HM seemed the best choice. @The KEEPING ROOM

I would need to see the space and the choices you are considering. I am one who dislikes sectionals always. Think about how people look for comfort, the first is a chair it has 2 arms the next is seperation from another person so often a sofa where the middle seat is avoided . Arm rests = comfort and on any sectional that means 2 people are comfy the rest all lined up in the worst possible layout for converstaion. A sofa and 2 chairs is a great choice for seating in almost every space.. I like Italian made leather for both longevity, and a much better choice for more modern style.

I bought a custom Century sectional back in 2012 and we were very happy with it. It was our main TV watching sofa, so it got used daily. Gave it away in 2022 when we built a new house.

Bought 2 Hickory Chair sofas last year from their Made For You custom program. I also went with a COM fabric as none of the "standard" fabrics worked with what I already had in the space. Happy with the sofas so far.

"May I ask in what way Hickory Chair has been superior in your experience?"

I have never heard anyone in this industry regard Lee as less than. It is highly regarded as a top tier. Lee offers slip covered options which makes them a top choice as most others do not offer this option.

As far as Hickory Chair. An anology I like to use us this. Mercedes is a luxury vehicle and one of the top luxury cars in the world. Buying a Mercedes ( Century, Lee, etc.) is excellent but if you want a the best Mercedes you are buying one with the AMG engine (Hickory Chair) You can feel the difference when driving this. You can feel the difference when sitting in, looking at and feeling Hickory compared to others. That is the simplest explanation.

I am assuming you are testing these sofas you are considering by sitting on them and examinging them?

Thank you. Yes, I'm fortunate to be able to try these out (again just yesterday, in fact). I was very impressed by Hickory Chair – but I don't presume to be expert enough to be fully confident in my impressions. I've yet to see CR Laine and their fabrics in person and they do make a style and configuration that might work well. I was struck, however, by the difference in heft between the Hickory Chair and the CR Laine/Vanguard pieces I was looking at with the former coming in at one-and-a-half to twice the weight.

And, Patricia, thank you for your words of caution about sectionals (I know, I know) and for recommending Italian leather options. Historically, that's what I've gone with and what the architects involved are most familiar with (B&B Italia, Poltrona Frau, Cassina, for example; I'm even looking into Gyform based on your postings). The world of NC-made seating is new to me but I like the structure and overall feel, particularly of spring down cushions. It's really a matter of settling on a suitably contemporary style, a process I enjoy, and it's helpful to narrow my search based on the extensive experience of the pros here with these brands. So thanks, again.

Thanks very much for your input! That’s helpful to understand and I hear you about solid hardwood being more a romantic notion than of clear practical importance these days. Aside from frame and spring construction, I expect that there are also differences across brands affecting upholstery work, etc. but that these are hard to pinpoint reliably.

Would you be willing to share in what way Hickory Chair fell sufficiently short that you decided against carrying their line? Many here consider them to be offering a superior product but you clearly have insight into the specifics. Appreciate it.

In my opinion, Hickory Chair Co was one of *THE* go-to brands in the 20th Century. I tried very hard in the 1980's to get a Dealership, but could not as there was a four-store operator in my region that had it all locked up. The brand was sold in the 90's and as often happens methods of production were changed and the shine came off the reputation as sales lagged. Heritage Home Group which owned it went bankrupt in 2017. In 2018, Rock House Farm Brands was the sole bidder for it and aquired it along with Pearson, Maitland Smith and others in the group.

I was a major dealer for the RFH Group, carrying Hancock & Moore, Century and Jessica Charles. I was asked to carry Hickory Chair and Highland House, but declined. With four decades in the business, I didn't see how they would add to my business portfolio, there was nothing unique or notable in either line that I didn't already have. I think Hancock and Moore is best in class, so it was a high bar. Not that Hickory Chair is substandard, it just didn't impress me at the price points offered. Average build quality, average tailoring, basic wood finishes, unremarkable covers, that sort of thing. If you decide to buy Hickory Chair you'll get a decent product, but its not exceptrional.