Furniture suggestions? We need a couch.

Short version: We need a couch. Maybe a loveseat as well.  Don't want to spend all the money, don't want junk. Living room is small so we're not going for the 4+3 sectional. 3+1 sectional or sofa + loveseat is ideal.  Budget is firmly blue collar.  I'm having a hard time accepting the idea of spending $2k on something neither of us is really passionate about.

Stopped into some independent stores last weekend and looked around.  It looks like Stanton is the default answer if we want quality but don't want to spend multiple thousands. They are made in-state (Oregon) and have a solid reputation and warranty. 

We also looked at a few other places. Ashley was an immediate no-go.  Didn't like getting hit in the face with cologne or being trailed by hollow-eyed salesmen, and the product gave off a skeezy vibe. 

La-Z-Boy also seemed offputting.  Prices were ~40% higher than seemingly similar items at the indy stores, and the rep had a hard time explaining exactly what we were getting for the difference. 

Costco is an option. Maybe not a great option, but an option. Probably the easy button. 

There's a Big Lots nearby that carries Broyhill. I recognize the name, but that does not mean it's a quality product. The fact that they carry it at Big Lots raises concerns. 

Time is a factor. We have company coming the first week in May. Custom orders are absolutely not happening. 

Neither my wife nor I are big on fashion. We don't spend time fussing over home decor. We like satisfying  things and dislike junk, and we have preferences, but we ain't fancy. Our last set was purchased secondhand off Craigslist and I started there this time around. There are some options, but it is tough to be picky about brands or colors or much of anything. 

I am going to take a look at this later this week.  Asking $1400 OBO.  More than I want to spend, but maybe worth a look.  I do like the idea of leather if it's good quality.  Brand is W Schillig.  I'm getting conflicting opinions on whether it is German-engineered amazeballs or overpriced Chinese-built crud.  First two are seller's photos. Others are stock photos from mfr's website. 

Anybody have any horror stories or anything they're really happy with?

I've only had it about 2 months but the couch chaise thing we got at big lots is actually petty nice. I can't speak for longevity yet, but initial comfort is great. 

We've spent some real money on furniture through the years and had it be E36 M3 within months, so I'm always leary.

The only advice I've got is that if you've got pets that are either young or large, spend as little money as possible. 

Consider IKEA. Their stuff tends to be scaled more reasonably than a lot of US furniture  

Time constraints will likely make up your mind for you. 

Thanks for the input so far. I will do some research on the Broyhill etc. Wife saw a set there that she liked, but she's not inclined to look for problems the way I am.

No indoor pets to consider except an elderly house bunny.  He's unlikely to cause problems, bless his heart. We do have a two-year-old in the house.  He's usually pretty well behaved. Usually. 

IKEA is an option.  It would be a more attractive option if they weren't a hundred miles away in the big city.  That is not a trip I want to make if we can avoid it.  We could certainly have something delivered if we were willing to roll the dice.

I'm in the same boat. Our twenty year old leather Costco couch and love seat held up really well but it's time to replace. I love nice things but like the OP haven't got much stomach for spending on furniture.  

I live near some very wealthy areas so second hand might be the ticket. 

At that price point, I would be keeping a search out on marketplace and Craigslist for the following brands: 

• Stickley
• Hancock & Moore
• Bradington Young
• Hooker
• Taylor King

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some top tier brands that will last a long time. Additionally, go to estatesales.net and start searching for nearby sales and find something that will work.

We bought 2 Lazy Boy Brand (but not reclining) living room arm chairs via Marketplace.  My wife seeked them out. Bought from a relatively high end home where the furniture was in the formal living room.  You know, the room that no one is allowed to enter or actually sit on the furniture except for maybe Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

Keith Tanner said:

Consider IKEA. Their stuff tends to be scaled more reasonably than a lot of US furniture  

Time constraints will likely make up your mind for you. 

We picked up one of these last year and have been extremely happy with how comfortable and practical it is. All the covers are removable, washable, and replaceable, and it lives big (comfortably seats 4 adults and sleeps 2) without looking bulky in our small living room.

In-laws got a lovesac couch that's pretty cool. 

The lovesac is a lil ole couch where we can sit together. I'll see myself out. 

Ikea may be backordered.  Lots of places if buying new are having issues lately.  I wanted an Ikea couch but it's not available and not sure when that will change.  Ended up ordering one through Wayfair; 8 to 10 week lead time required.  I don't need it this instant so it's not a big deal really.  Just a warning.  I would rather buy something from a real store but I hate running around so I went this route instead.

Nicole Suddard said:

Keith Tanner said:

Consider IKEA. Their stuff tends to be scaled more reasonably than a lot of US furniture  

Time constraints will likely make up your mind for you. 

We picked up one of these last year and have been extremely happy with how comfortable and practical it is. All the covers are removable, washable, and replaceable, and it lives big (comfortably seats 4 adults and sleeps 2) without looking bulky in our small living room.

This is the exact setup my girlfriend and I have picked out to replace a horrid handmedown costco couch circa 1999. Primarily because of dogs and washability. We haven't pulled the trigger yet but it's nice to see others having taken the same dive.

I helped a buddy pickup a couch last year from a local furniture shop and having power outlets and junk in the couch is cool and all I just couldn't stomach spending almost 3k for basically the same couch. Furniture is crazy. I guess it's worth it sometimes, but damn.

ian sane said:

Furniture is crazy. I guess it's worth it sometimes, but damn.

I thought furniture costs were crazy until I went shopping for window shades...

RevRico said:

I've only had it about 2 months but the couch chaise thing we got at big lots is actually petty nice. I can't speak for longevity yet, but initial comfort is great. 

 

We've spent some real money on furniture through the years and had it be E36 M3 within months, so I'm always leary.

Have had two different big lotta Serta couch sets in the last 12 years and really liked them.  

Keith Tanner said:

Time constraints will likely make up your mind for you. 

And, as predicted, they have. Mrs. Monohue found a sectional she liked on FB Marketplace, which is usually pretty sketchy around here, but this one turned out to be brand new, tags and everything, sold by the cousin of a wealthy divorcee who impulse buys more than she needs and then asks said cousin to clean out the excess inventory.  Likely story, I know, but as strange as it sounds, we got zero bad vibes off the gal, and the setting was far from suspicious, so we went for it.

Brand is Stanton, which (as mentioned) is made nearby and widely available, with the added benefit that we could run into town tomorrow and bring home the matching loveseat if we felt the urge.  Kind of a luxury to have that as an easy-button option if we need it.

Missus is happy, so I'm happy.  Thanks for all the input on this one.

If you're looking at leather, note that a lot of lower priced furniture uses 'bonded' leather.  "Bonded leather is made from a small amount of leather scraps and fibers. It is mashed into a pulp, then binded to a paper or fiber backing using polyurethane."  It wears out quickly and looks terrible, and should be avoided.

If you're lucky enough to find gently used quality furniture, that's the answer.

Sorry about the confusion. This was resolved 18 months ago, but the thread got bumped by a canoe. We are still using the sectional we got last April and it's doing okay for us. Pretty comfy in curl-up-and-watch-TV mode, which is its primary mode, and less so with our feet on the floor because the cushions are very deep, front to rear, and we're not tall people.

Shortly after dragging the sectional home, we lucked into an effectively new loveseat by the same manufacturer on Craigslist. It's a slightly different style and color, but they work well enough together. Close enough.

Stuart's comment about bonded leather is valid. One of the things that gave me a bad feeling about La-Z-Boy is that the salesman didn't know anything at all about the leather they used. All he could tell me was that the piece we were looking at used "leather match",  but he couldn't tell me whether that meant hand-matched grain patterns or just cheap bonded leather with a grain stamped in. No, thanks.

Reminds me of a joke that goes something like this:

An elderly woman entered a large furniture store and was greeted by a much younger salesman.

"Is there something in particular I can show you?" he asked.

"Yes, I want to buy a sexual sofa."

"You mean a sectional sofa," he suggested.

"Sectional, schmectional." she retorted. "All I want is an occasional piece in the living room!"
 

DarkMonohue said:

Sorry about the confusion. This was resolved 18 months ago, but the thread got bumped by a canoe.

Whoops.  I'm usually pretty good about checking the dates on posts so I don't respond to zombie threads but I missed this one.  

In reply to 1988RedT2 :

And a canoe brings it back again! Goddamn they're persistent.