I've had two PB sofas, both from the "Classic" line made by Mitchell Gold. I would consider them just OK. The framing held up well, but I'd say the cushions were softer than most and did not hold up as I would have expected.

I did have some issues with the slipcovers & their quality.

Honestly, if you were wanting a standard white slipcovered sofa, I think you'd do just as well at some place like IKEA or big box furniture store, as PB.

I can't speak to Ballard.

Thanks very much, avesmor. I was afraid that was probably the case.

I went back & forth between PB & Ballard, but once I went and actually looked at them... I felt Ballard was slightly better (better fit of the slipcover). We don't use them much, but quality wise, they are fine, it was what I was looking for.

We had a Ballard Baldwin-style, and it held up well. A couple of the back (down filled) cushions squished down a bit because our dog sat on the back, but they could be easily replaced. The slipcover replacements were also very reasonable.

We bought dd a PB sofa in that same classic line for her apartment. This was in 2009 when she graduated from college and was furnishing her first apt. She has been harder on that sofa than a family of orangutans, and it has held up beautifully--- frankly, im amazed at how good it looks. She ordered it in red ticking stripe and when the upholstery started looking shabby she had it steam cleaned and it looked like new. No experience with Ballard sofas.

Thanks, everyone, for the additional feedback. So hard to decide what's best to do.

In reading about both of these companies, I noticed that Pottery Barn sofas are made in the USA. Ballard Designs sofas are made in China.

What was the fabric that you had you say is gone forever? Maybe we could find it.

Oh, I would love it if someone could find it, but the color (ivory) was exclusive to Calico Corners and it was discontinued back in 2010, much to the distress of the CC stores around here, who sold tons of it. Evidently the company had some trouble with weaving this pattern.

Anyway, it's Covington Coralline. Here's a picture of it in one of the two color schemes you can still find occasionally as remainders (this or a celery/aqua mix). It's not hot in the other colors, but it was really pretty in the ivory:

Thank you very much for that, marvelousmarvin. The article was very interesting, and not only about PB. For anyone else who's interested, I found it online:

Here is a link that might be useful: quality of PB, RH, C&B furniture

That's a interesting article (linked below). Apparently Restoration Hardware and Crate and Barrel are also grossly overpriced for their quality. I mean, hollow plastic chair legsIn RH chairs???

Here is a link that might be useful: Pottery Barb Unstuffed

Oops, SORRY! Those plastic legs were on a Crate and Barrel chair, not RH.

Oh my goodness!!! We have been planning on buying a sectional, couch, and love seat from PB for our new house! That's a pretty good amount of money to drop at one store. If PB, RH, and CB (my three favorite store catalogues) aren't any good, where should I look???

I have 2 /baldwin sofas from Arhaus but notice that Ballard also has a slipcovered sofa called Baldwin that looks exactly the same. Does anyone know if the replacement Ballard slipcovers would fit the Arhaus Baldwin? They are more affordable from Ballard. Thanks.

Hkmorgan, I had the Baldwin sofa and Baldwin apartment sized sofa from Arhaus and bought replacement slipcovers from Ballard. They are absolutely the same, and the slipcovers were SO much cheaper from Ballard. It was a great find! You get the replacement covers much more quickly from Ballard, and there are a lot of fabric choices.

PB’s classic line and grand sofa Lines are surprisingly made by two different companies. I found the PB classic to be more comfortable, the grand to be too soft. I did a very extensive and thorough search of couches. I found the McCreary line to be just what I was looking for. Crate and barrel and Room and Board carry many couches that are made by McCreary. But they don’t advertise that name. McCreary is made in the US. If you ask store to point you in the direction of the McCreary couches, they will. I bought my McCreary couch at Carsons, but Macy’s also carries that manufacturer. Found better deals/sale prices there. Very durable, very well-made not too soft, but not too hard. Down wrapped cushions. Last a very long time. The only reason I ended up getting rid of my McCreary couch, was because the color just wasn’t in anymore and had faded a little bit. After about 15 years. My new sectional is McCreary.

Just got a new Ballard catalog yesterday, and noticed that they are now emphasizing that ALL their upholstered furniture is US-made. They have some really good looking updated, but still traditional styles.

As for cushions - back or bottom. Just be sure that any sofa one buys has cushions covers with zippers on them. Most are filled with poly, or poly/feather, and they will compact and droop - pretty quickly, in fact. When they do, take the pillows/cushions and their covers to a GOOD upholstery shop and have the filling replaced. Bottom cushions of often used chairs/sofas, are best done with springs and a wrap of something with a nice crown. Loose back cushions are a problem with pets - they like to use them as a hammock and they always look like an unmade bed. If they are filled with a 50/50 down/feather fill, then at least they can be fluffed up to look nice. I finally gave up and just had my sofa done with a tight back - looks SO much better. Throw pillows are easy and inexpensive to replace, and the dog doesn't sleep on them the way her predecessors did on those loose back cushions. I'm far happier.

What one must realize is that today's upholstered furniture, no matter where it is made, is simply not the quality it once was. People do NOT want investment furniture - a sofa they will keep for 50 years They like change and won't pay for true quality, thus the manufacturers (even ones like Baker), have lowered the quality for price point reasons. If there are no buyers for quality, one must make lesser quality at the price point customers want to pay.

Do you have a brand that you like? I would like a white slipcovered modern sofa (think simple lines, mid-century possibly) for a well used TV room (2 small non-shedding dogs and 1 teenager)?

anglophilia- Any idea who makes the Ballard sofas? I really like the picture of the Hartwell but would love to see a "real" photo and know who is making them "in the usa" now.

HU, I went to a Ballard store last year to check out a different sofa model and I was not impressed at all with anything on the floor, unfortunately. I didn't even bother to ask about the maker because the ones I saw were about Macys quality, but much more than Macy prices, although the styles were nicer.

I have To second the quality of McCreary Modern. I found my sectional at Macy’s though they sell the same sectional at Room & Board and Crate & Barrel. While the sectional’s bones are not impervious to toddlers using them as a trampoline, the fabric is bulletproof. I have a grey slightly sueded fabric and it wears amazingly well. A quick swipe with a damp cloth makes it good as new. I’ve been crazy impressed with the quality of this sofa over the 6 years of ownership. Calico is my other go to.

My fav is Taylor King. Other quality sofas are Wesley Hall, Vanguard, Lee, CR Laine, Century and Sherill. Calico Corners (Home) will tell you who manufactures each one of their pieces.

King Hickory has great quality and you can totally customize their

I have the Ballard Baldwin and it is the same as Arhaus BUT i got a beautiful slipcover from Comfort Works online made to fit those and many PB styles Numerous fabric choices Best was that they are 1/3 x 1/2 what Ballard or Arhaus charges