imho, i hate microsuede. it's unmistakably fake looking ...and looks cheap. i'm sorry, but i had to be honest. especially since you are comparing PB to a reputable company like lee. i have been dealing with them a lot lately as i purchased two sofas from them (linen slipcovers w/down-feather cushions) as well as a velvet bed for my daughter. both orders were customized: the sofas i chose came with two seat cushions. i prefer one, so they gave me one at no additional charge. the bed is a little different in that i wanted the same height headboard and footboard so it would resemble a day bed. there was a slight up charge but if i remember correctly it was only $100. you should consult with your dealer on any design changes you'd like, or perhaps they could recommend a different model that would satisfy. also: quality aside, i tend to steer clear of the retail chains as they are without fail more expensive. crate & barrel sells lee, but you'll pay a higher markup. as for the durability of microsuede, i can't answer. i'd never drink wine out of a plastic cup either.

I can't comment about the honey pine finish stuff, but, I can tell you the things I have ordered from Pottery Barn Kids have been very good quality. I have ordered many baskets, a big hamper with a gingham liner, and a decorative curtain rod with flower balls on the end. I would imagine that all their stuff would be just as good quality.

I bought the cute PB Reindeer mugs last year for Christmas. We ended up not using them until this year. They were tucked away in my kitchen cabinet in their box until we brought them out this Christmas. I rinsed them out and used Two, one for hot chocolate and one for tea. The person with the tea suddenly had the hot liquid coming out at the base. At first she thought she had spilled it and grabbed a cloth. While this was happening the other person was pouring the hot water into the Chocolate mix in his cup, there was a cracking popping sound and the hot chocolatey liquid spewed out from a very large crack running vertically down the side. In the meantime the hot tea cup was continuously seeping from around the base of the cup but we couldn't see a crack anywhere. After cleaning up the mess and making sure no one suffered any burns, we cleaned out the cups and checked them out. One had an obvious crack that had occurred, while the other one used for tea had no discernibly visible crack. BUT we discovered that when you ran a wet finger around the bottom of the sides of the inside base of the cup , you could feel a hairline crack running almost completely around the inside base circumference. These cups come in a package of 4 and are expensive considering 2 out of 4 cracked when used for hot drinks. We are afraid to use the other two cups for fear of getting burnt. l wanted to read reviews of these cups but cant find ANY reviews on any of their products. This leads me to thinking they purposely don't have anywhere to post them. From a CS perspective this is a very poor optic, doesn't inspire brand loyalty or any desire to continue to purchase their products. Trust and belief in the brand providing quality products is seriously compromised. I also purchased a woven duvet cover that I have to needle in a couple of loose ends that were left sticking out the ”GoodSide” of the cover. Shoddy finishing work with a no care attitude.

Dee, that is a very good point to consider about the shedding. I have a Karastan multi kirmin and am looking to completely change the color scheme so I can't use it. This rug has never shed--I guess that bumps up my expectation of quality. I use Home Depot polypropelene Oriental knockoffs under my dining table in the kitchen, and toss them every 5 years as they get very heavy traffic from kids/dog/ dirty feet coming in from outdoors. They look and feel just ok, but never shed at all and clean up pretty well so I don't have to freak out when someone spills BBQ sauce on it. The LR rug will have to last over the long hall. Maybe I will look at the Karastans at Macys locally to get some ideas on true color. I am hesitant to buy any rug online unless I see the exact one in the flesh first. Any one else out there care to comment on the quality of their Pottery Barn rug? Do they all shed like this, because they are hand tufted? They are half the price of Karastan. Requires some contemplation here.....