Boy oh boy, you all really have me thinking (really, obesessing) about this. I am really torn. I want nice quality things but at what cost? I need to be able to sit on the pieces before purchasing them and we really don't have many furniture stores in my area. I'm going to another store tomorrow, about an hour away. I'll see what they have to offer. I did find a Drexel Heritage sofa that I love (the Kerry). It has a tight back, exposed feet, and low arms, but it is too deep, too high, and too long for my room. Plus, Rose, Boyles and Lexington don't sell Drexel. The local price is $2400 for the sofa. Ouch! So a sofa and a loveseat would be close to $5K. I wouldn't have the space for the chairs and ottoman I wanted. I would have to find one smaller accent chair. If I go with the Norwalk which is smaller in scale, I could get a sofa, loveseat, two chairs and an ottoman for $5,100. In both cases, this is a large amount of money and I won't know if I made the right decision for years to come. Let me ask you this, how important is it, really, to have a frame and springs that will outlast the style and potentially the fabric of the piece? If I spend the money for a high quality sofa and the fabric wears out or is out of style, I would probably end up spending another $1K (at least) having it reupholseterd anyway in 10 years. Why not just buy a new sofa then? If the frame style becomes outdated (which mine is), then what? I am not the type to get rid of something that is in perfectly good shape just because it is dated. I have two young children so I don't expect ANY sofa to last for the next 20 years. I'm shooting for a good 7 - 10 years. My current sofa, loveseat and chair are Schnadig --with sinuous springs and I have no idea what type of frame they have. They are 11 years old. I've had to replace the piping that became worn on the sofa and loveseat seat cushions. The piping on the pillows is also shot. Then the fabric started to wear at the corners of the center seat cushions (where they get the most use). Granted, the springs on the loveseat are starting to go - but this is the piece that the kids have removed the cushions repeatedly and used it as a trampoline for the last 5 years. The loveseat has also taken other abuse - not to gross anyone out, but if you have kids you'll understand - it was "christened" by my kids in more ways than I care to explain. The springs and frame on the sofa and chair are in good shape, as far as I know - no squeaks and good support. The seat cushions have not lost their shape at all. The loose back cushions look very sloppy and have definitely seen better days, but I think that's because of the style of the pieces. I LOVED the fabric when we purchased the set, but now I DETEST it. Plaid, plaid, plaid, yuck! I would never think of reupholstering the pieces because I don't like the style anymore. But if the cushions weren't ripping, I would have a hard time justifying purchasing new pieces. I don't even think the Salvation Army will take sofas that have holes in the fabric, so they will be put out at our next yard sale then thrown away if noboby buys them. I never put this much thought into buying anything before. All I know for sure is the old stuff has got to go soon and I need to stop obsessing. Sorry for my long rant. Thank you all so much for your comments and advice. Cindy

Thanks everyone! I was very uncomfortable with the cheaper place I visited yesterday. In addition to not being able to communicate with the guy about what I need, he was high-pressure and had a bit of an attitude when I told him I'd have to think about it. He tried to push the cheap remnants and the place was just gross. They may do good work but there was no way to get a sense of that from my visit. Saw two other guys today. The first does lots of wood repair but sends all the upholstery out. His labor alone was $900, I'm assuming because he's marking up what his upholsterer charges him. The third guy was right in the middle. I already know he does quality work based on word-of-mouth (he does a lot of valuable antiques) and he can't even do my chair until August, which I take as a good sign because he's busy. His shop was small and cramped, but clean and organized. He did nothing to try and sell himself, but was very helpful with explaining fabric choices, etc. I'd feel very comfortable having him do the work, plus, he's a local small business that's been in the community (he's about 10 minutes away) for years, and I value that as well. I'm going to check out a few more places, just to make sure though. Upholstering seems to be pretty pricey in this area.

I used cabinetrydirect 4 years ago and had an absolutely wonderful experience with Ken. The price for beaded inset in cherry was about 1/4 - 1/3 less than the prices from other companies that we looked into. And the best part for me was no annoying KD. I got to do the whole design and implementation myself, my own choices, my own budget, no one dictating what I "should" or "should not" have. I got to line price items and adjust them myself according to my budget as needed. (I'm a bit of a control freak, can you tell? :-)) Ken was wonderful also. Sometimes difficult to get in touch with on the phone but very responsive through email. He doesn't really help you with design so much and the process will go really smooth if you know what you're doing regarding design, sizes, etc. He works really well with people like me. If you're needy and need a lot of handholding, he may not be your guy. Delivery was on time and very personal. The couple who drove the cabinets up to MN from MS were so sweet, unloaded everything, and drove through a hurricane (literally) to meet my delivery deadline. I could go on and on with positive things. Not to mention the quality of the cabs! :-) Here are some pics and the link to my finished kitchen below: Here is a link that might be useful: My Finished kitchen by cabinetrydirect

We had a steam shower put in during a recent remodel. It is AMAZING! Just as good as a gym one. It is one of the best things we did in the remodel. I love being able to put whatever oil that fits my needs when I need it. We did a steamiest, and not a super fancy one. I didn't do the oil pump cartridge things as I felt I could just add the oil in the shower. The best part is that I can sit in it alone without a bunch of strangers sitting in there too, and I don't have to drive anywhere to use it! Best thing for congestion too.