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[FiddleDeeDee]

Thanks again, everyone. I appreciate having the names of brands as well as the furniture stores that you would visit.

There is a Haverty's here so we'll check what they have. At least I can call around and see if any of the local stores carry brands you all mentioned.

As I stated, I don't mind paying the money if it's something we know we'll last more than 5 years or so; a good majority of the furniture made today does not and quite a few are shocked that you expect it to. Excuse me? Well, yes, we're a throw-away culture so expecting something to last long isn't the norm. Guess I'm odd, then. 

Slipcovers were my way of being able to have off white furniture in the family room without having to worry about dogs, cats and kids and their mess (and DH as well). Once upon a time, PB, C&B, Ethan Allen, Thomasville and a few others were well made and offered slipcovers that lasted a long time....no longer. If the fabric comes in something that handle heavy wear and tear, then super. If not, I'd like to have machine washable slipcovers. *sigh* Why is everything so freaking hard nowadays? It used to be fun buying furniture. Now it's akin to buying a car and NO, I won't blame Covid.

[homedecor1]

@FastDogWalker2 

Havertys is one of the better stores in our area.  We bought a leather den set -- very pricey but at 2 years old wouldn't even know ...still comfy and looks brand new.

Recently,  bought a luxury Stearns & Foster cal king mattress set.  I love this bed so much -- yesterday, I went and bought same only in queen for my guest room (maybe my company won't leave -- mostly family who visit😉🙂).

They are pricey but do carry nicer quality furniture & stand behind their product.  

[Lucky Charm]

@FiddleDeeDee Even though our furniture is slipcovered, I still keep it covered. 

I buy beautiful oversized pestemals by Sand Cloud and throw down 3 or 4 and the couch is completely covered.  

You can switch up the look of the room in an instant by the colors and designs.

We have two cats that get up on the couch, so I change out the pestemals every two or three days.

I found out that even though I have washable slipcovers, I don't want to have to wash them weekly because of cats. 

Most people probably would use blankets, but blankets just wouldn't be the right look.  The pestemals wash and dry easily.

Just another thought if you are trying to protect your furniture (and yourself!) from pet hair.

[Nonametoday]

Isn't Pottery Barn the mid-range store that belongs to the same group as Restoration Hardware, Benjamin Moore paints, etc.

[novamc1]

@FiddleDeeDee 

I shopped many different stores when we moved to our new home and needed to replace items we sold before moving to a smaller home. 

The best quality I found, without question, is Ethan Allen.  Was not happy at all with the quality at places such as Haverty's, Ashley, etc.  We have them all here-- and more than that.

 Ethan Allen sofas,  chairs  and dining room tables can come in many different styles, upholstery coverings,  dimensions, etc.  You can even choose from a wide array of wood finishes and have the item made just for you.

I found it was best to get to know an  Ethan Allen designer on  their staff, because they know the products, the options available, and really try to understand what you're looking for and need.  The choices available are so mind-boggling, that I really appreciated her help.

They offer a lot more products and styles than just what you see in their stores or catalogs. The design service is free, but I turned down her repeated offers to visit my home and give advice.  I've bought enough expensive stuff over the years to know what I want and how I want to place it in a room.

I did buy a light-colored leather sofa from Thomasville that is extremely nice, but I think Thomasville has been sold or merged with another company in the past few years---not sure, though.

I got to know and worked closely with the Thomasville salesperson, after visiting the store many times, and her help was useful in getting such a high-quality sofa with the "best cushions" that will last a long time.

[Katcat1]

@FiddleDeeDee    Ethan Allen is so over priced.  I would look at Pottery Barn or their affiliate West Elm. Most of the furniture stores out here have cheap looking furniture and priced too high.  You would do better at IKEA.  Catch a sale at Pottery Barn.

[FiddleDeeDee]

@novamc1 Ethan Allen holds a very special place in my heart as I remember going there with my parents to purchase things growing up. The 3 items I just had redone are all Ethan Allen. The fabric was in mint condition (but VERY dated) and the gentleman who did the work commented on how rare it is to see solid wood furniture now (unless it's an antique). The Queen Anne wing chairs are HEAVY and the sofa (a Camel back Chippendale took 4 people to move it) because of the quality of the work back then. IME, it is no longer like that.

We've attempted to purchase multiple items over the past 8 years and every single piece had to be returned due to faulty production: the stain didn't cover the entire item; the seams were obviously uneven and patterns didn't match; the legs weren't all the same length; cardboard-like back to a hutch; not staining the inside of doors that are meant to be kept open; very thin cushions (nothing like the ones on my parents' chairs) and all very expensive. That's why we stopped dealing with them.

[NickNack]

I still have the Ethan Allen bookcases that were in my bedroom growing up.  I also still have an Ethan Allen club chair that I bought for my first apartment around 1980.  I've had it recovered multiple times, and it still looks like it's new.  I have heard that the quality has gone down but don't know that firsthand.

I buy my furniture from a local furniture store.  They've been in business for many years and sell high quality furniture.  I bought a new Sherrill couch from them a few years ago.  Sherrill is excellent quality.

[novamc1]

Sherill is indeed a very good furniture brand.

I'm a serial reupholsterer of well-made items by such old-time makers as Hickory Chair and Southwood.  I also love my old Henckel Harris mahogany pieces.  

I agree  with the proverbial complaint that "they just don't make them like that anymore",  although Ethan Allen comes close.

FYI, if anyone wants reupholstery done on good pieces, I've had excellent reupholstery results in both Virginia and Georgia by dealing with Calico Corners (now calling itself just "Calico").  Their reupholstery contractors haven't ruined a piece of mine yet!  Good selection of fabrics in their stores.

[proudlyfromNJ]

I agree about the Sherrill brand. We bought a sofa and love seat many years ago. Each had one cushion which zippered so it could be taken off and laundered. I think we had it for at least thirty or more years. It was still in great shape but the cost to reupholster was too much.