Hi I have pottery barn basic slipcovers (2 loveseats and 1 chair and ottoman) that will cost a fortune to replace - I was interested in having them dyed as well - can you tell me what you know? Many Thanks

I was/am (can't make up my mind!) considering a slipcovered loveseat or sofa for our sunroom. A blog friend recently bought one from Ikea and is very happy with it. Of course, she hasn't had it long. Do you have Ikea? We don't. There is also one at JCPenney (Linden St.) that got good reviews (look at their webpage, then furniture and you can read reviews on the pieces), especially after they changed the covering of the down stuffed cushions. The only complaint I remember reading was that sometimes the feather would poke out. They have since changed the covering. We dont' have Crate and Barrel here and I have not looked at the sofas in our Pottery Barn. It is a smaller store, I don't think they have alot of the furniture. Let us know what you decide! LOL It might help me in my decision. tina

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

All the PB stores, West Elm, & Restoration Hardware are owned by WSM (Williams Sonoma) which is a publically owned company whose shares are traded on the Nasdaq exchange. Once a company is publically owned, it has a fiduciary responsibility to grow the value of the business and, in turn, the value of the stock. The furniture looks gorgeous in the store, in the catalogs, and on-line, but if you "lift the hood", you'll see the level of quality just doesn't warrant the cost. Instead of solid wood furniture, these companies coat cheap particle board with wood veneer. Even Restoration Hardware! Also, all of the furniture is made in Asia so there's really no way of knowing what chemicals were used, or what age the employees are who made it. For me, as a mother, it's just too difficult to enjoy an evening of relaxation with the family knowing an 6 year old child may have been forced to make the sofa I'm relaxing on or that the factory that made my sofa has polluted the local drinking water. I don't mean to sound like an extreme zealot, but there's a reason WSM products aren't made in the US. We pay a fair wage, do not allow children to work in factories, have wage and labor laws, environmental protection laws, etc. The question to ask yourself is, given the amount of money WS, PB, and RH charge, why can't they afford to manufacture in the US? I own a Cisco Bros Louis Modern Classic sofa. I love it. It's 90", white linen slipcovered, down blend, easy to wash, American made, no formaldehyde or flame retardants, a LIFETIME warranty on frame. I bought mine 3-5 years ago and and it looks and feels the same as the day I bought it. I have no affiliation with Cisco, nor the store I bought it from (The Uncommon Home in WRJ, VT). I used to love Pottery Barn too until I started reading more about the quality of the products and the impact on the environment. Once I was made aware that the company is often criticized for sub-par quality I started to pay closer attention to the PB furniture in friend's homes, in the store itself, and being sold second hand, and I could see it was true. The stuff is mostly junk. I don't think it was originally but it's become junky slowly over time. When you go to a PB furniture store or a home that's had PB furniture for a while look closely at the furniture. Does the owner have to constantly shift the slipcovers back into place? Are the back cushions all slouched (sp?) and compressed? Are the seams on the seat cushions lined up at the cushion edges still? Are the arm rests loose or curved? Look at the wood pieces. Are there little white marks exposing the particle board on the edges of the tables, drawers, desk tops, shelves where the laminate chipped off? Are the dining table chairs squeaky, wobbly, or cracked? If so, for that quality, why not pay half the price at Ashley Home Store? I could be wrong, but it seems to me the money is going to the catalogs. Can you imagine what it must cost to move a production team and furnishings to a location, rent the location, pay for the creative team of designers, photographers, etc.; design, layout and print the catalogs, and then mail at least one of the many catalogs to practically every household in the US (and abroad?) And, maintain the website? Not to mention for those of us who ever claimed to be concerned about the environment, child welfare, and human rights, IMO owning WSB products kinda makes us hypocrits. When you buy WSB merchandise you are giving your blessing to disposable furniture, toxic chemicals that are being haphazardly dumped in impoverished countries, poor working conditions and meager wages, huge freight tankers that burn fossil fuels and pollute the oceans as they make their way to the US. If you think about it, sadly, millions of American children have probably written essays and completed projects about protecting the environment and human rights while sitting at or on the WSB/PB furniture purchased by their parents. I'm not preaching because I have had PB furniture in the past so I am just as guilty. But, now that I do know, I can't buy the cheap crappy stuff made overseas anymore. Aren't you glad you asked? LOL. Good luck!