craigs list...but it requires that you invest some time. Get estimates for how much it costs to reupholster something and how much yardage you'll need so you can price compare with new.

Also check out consignment shops, tag sales, etc. You can do really well at some sales like that. Mom found LR furniture for her condo for real cheap...it was in a woman's living room which no one ever used so it was like new. Mom instead had slipcovers made for it to match her room colors. GF's kids got it after Mom passed away...I bartered with them to help me move stuff out of her condo and they got some of her furniture. Can't beat that price!

We also have a hotel liquidators in our area where you can get some nice pieces for not a lot of money. There the beauty is you can look over say 25 or more chairs and pick the best of the bunch. That's where I got my benches for my guest room.

Since there have been so many horror stories on the 'net about bedbugs I'm no longer willing to buy pre-owned upholstered pieces. The only things I bought in the past were wooden chairs with upholstered seats and backs but I'm even wary of them now.

I also, because of my age, am not planning to buy extremely high-end sofas, loveseats, or upholstered chairs as I don't need or want something that will last 'forever'. I still have a very good quality sofa that is nearly 50 years old which I'll probably keep forever and it's useful for a bedroom or den. The last upholstered pieces I bought for the LR were mid-quality pieces on a half-price sale. When I got them I knew I wouldn't keep them longer than about 10 years and they have a couple more to go and still look good. Sofas and loveseats in this price range are about $1000. on half-price sale and most furniture stores have after-Christmas sales which is when I will purchase again.

For lower priced items which may not last as long as 10 years one can find those at Ikea and other places you mention but when we last shopped for furniture we found the Ikea pieces were not nearly as comfortable as the ones we bought. I had hoped to get one of the Ikea sofas with slipcovers but the comfort factor precluded that choice.

While I'm happy with the quality of the La-Z-boy pieces we bought which were made in the US we were told they would soon be moving some of their factories to Mexico so I wonder if quality has remained the same. Something to inquire about when buying. I'll only buy furniture made in Canada or the US.

I'm sure you will get lots of good advice, my best recommendation is to try them IRL rather than shop online.

There is lots of info online, below is one article and other links also are there.

Here is a link that might be useful: info on how to choose a sofa

Thanks for the advice. You have both given me things to think about. I'm also very curious about the reupholstery prices because that will definately expand my options.

Oh jeez bedbugs! We got those several years ago after staying at a high-end hotel! Never want to deal with that again!

can you post inspiration photos?

I love Smith Brother's furniture. Very nice quality and made in the USA, also reasonably priced. When I bought new furniture a few months ago my main criteria was great quality and made in the USA. I ended up with a Jessica Charles chair, a sofa and chair from Hancock & Moore, and two Smith Brothers chairs. IMO the quality of SB is as good as my H&M and JC pieces and much more reasonably priced..

If you have good quality furniture now and you still like the style you could have it re-upholstered.

I've never heard of Smith Brother's furniture. I must look and see who carries them in my area.

I'm in the detroit burbs too. I'd describe the style I want as "Ballards" inpired = casually traditional, not too ornate,

I second Smith Brothers. Furniture is made in Indiana. I don't know how many components, if any, are imported. Mine is 4 years old and looks like new. I purchased a sofa and two chairs.

ok, enough with the bedbug talk - i'm sitting in a hotel right now and i'm waiting for my skin to start crawling! :)

since you're concerned with budget, i highly recommend the Possibilities sofa collection from JCP. They're almost always on sale for very reasonable prices, and you have 3 arm style choices (rolled arm, shark fin, and square) and several fabric choices.

We finished our basement before we moved, and got a small sofa and a 2 piece sectional from that collection SOLELY because we were having a hard time finding something that would fit through our hallway and doorway in the basement. and we were thrilled with those pieces, and were so sad when the buyers of our home asked to include it in the sale of the home.

i don't recommend the chairs in that collection as i thought they were terribly uncomfortable, but the sofas were amazingly comfortable and not expensive, so i thought they were a great value.

of course now that i've said that they're not currently on sale, but give it a few weeks and they'll be 40% off again i bet. they're almost always on sale.

I've finally settled on an "eclectic" style so am looking for different furniture. I got these chairs from a dealer in the Design District for $100! Seller claimed they were from a Vegas hotel that was remodeling. I kind of believe it since they are so heavy. Add in the cost of reupholstering they will not end up as cheap as I originally planned, but due to the quality they will be less than 1/2 of the cost of buying new.

Check out "floor sample" sales if there is a design district. They will have quality pieces at discounted prices.

Also, check out manufacturer's outlets. One site that I like looking at is Furniturelandsouth. They sell alot of high quality name brand items (Baddington, Bernhart, Henredon, etc.) Check out their outlet.

I saw that Costco sells some chairs for a good price on their website. Some of them come from this company (usa-chair.com) and they have more fabrics to choose from and you can order fabric samples. I can't speak for the quality or anything because I don't own any of their furniture but it might be worth checking out.

Thanks again.

I've bought a chair from Costco, it's in my den and holding up just fine. Though I just got what they had in my local store since I had no idea that you could custom order their chairs.

I just submitted an online form to be given the name of the Smith Brothers dealers in my area. I'll also check out Penney's.

I'm very curious about Furnitureland South and other Carolinas furniture stores. I was there in the 90s. Is it still a good deal to shop there and have it shipped home? I'm actually down there a couple of times per year.

I really don't need this sofa immediately, since we are still doing other renovations but it's nice for me to start looking and figuring out what I want. And I know it takes months to get custom upholstered pieces.

I have purchased furniture from FLS but I found that the pricing wasn't all that great. However because it is such a huge facility you are apt to find something that you love.

I bought my Smith Brothers from a local furniture store and my Hancock & Moore and Jess Charles pieces from Duane at the Keeping Room located in Alexandria, VA about two hours away from us. I love how wonderful the upholstery is on my SB pieces. It is definitely first class.

Good luck!

I have had very good experience with the Carolina furniture shopping. I found it very hard to locate furniture stores locally. I would have been delighted to purchase locally but the options were very slim. If you are lucky enough to have some local shops, go for it. I was able to order directly from North Carolina.Even our JCP did not have furniture, though I also thought the possiblities sofa looked great (but I coudl not find one to sit in to test it). I think unless you spend $$$ the quality is really not what you remember. Since I was not looking to spend mega bucks, I am very happy with my new purchase.