We have had our C&B living room set (Sofa, side chair and ottoman + coffee table and side table) for about 6+ years now. Loved the look and feel, until we started getting stuck in the back w feathers. Feathers in the cushions, feathers on the floor (after we pull them out), feathers everywhere. I have to do a daily (if time allows) or monthly trip thru the LR to pull out any new feathers that have started to emerge. This having been the first sofa that I had ever bought (hubby and I always just got hand-me-downs from family members until we became homeowners and now, quite affluent ones at that), so I had no clue what to look for or questions to ask. I expect what you "think" are real down feathers, actually are. I cannot wait to get rid of this and get a mid-century modern leather sofa from Design within Reach (DWR.com). My brother said he'd gladly take the C&B sofa and side chair. Great! He can have them. I HATE them. Lynne

I agree that reupholstering your EA sofas may be the way to go. I have a pair of hand-me-down 60 yo EA Bergere chairs and they're in wonderful condition. They're well-made, comfortable and came back to life with new upholstery. Of course, if you don't care for the lines of your old EA sofa, then there's nothing to be done for it. I bought a vintage sofa on Craigslist for $25, found 13 yards of fabric at an outlet for $37 and had an old country preacher reupholster it for $350. All told, I got a new-to-me sofa for just over $400. I wouldn't rule out EA, Thomasville, Drexel today. Their reputation is that they're pricey, but they've really had to drop their prices to stay in business. I was in EA this spring and they had a slipcovered sofa for $1200 or so that I looked at long and hard before going my vintage-cheap route. I've never heard a bad word about PB, et al, so I dug up the article lovesummer mentioned. I'd be very interested in these same folks looking at their furniture today. That article is now a full 3 years old and I've seen plenty of blurbs in the PB/C&B catalogs touting improved quality and value. Interesting findings. Here is a link that might be useful: Pottery Barn Unstuffed

I’m also considering the axis reversible chaise. I’ve called several C&B stores to ask about it and they argued with me saying that it doesn’t come with a reversible chaise. Wish the employees were familiar with their products.

C&B and R&B both contract with different Vendors to produce their furniture. R&B is and alwasy has been transparent who manufactures for them. This particular sofa looks to be made by Precedent. C&B isn't quite so transparent on their website. If you go to a store and ask an associate they'll likely tell you who manufactures the Notch for them. C&B used to contract a lot with McCreary Modern and Lee Industries. These days, I'm not sure. McCreary also private-labels for R&B. What I getting at is you'll be better off finding out who makes these sofas and going from there. If you search Precedent on this site, you'll be able to find some threads regarding quality.