The third couch down (jonathan adler?) looks like it is out of kilter - either the entire cushion is out of whack or you're talking a broken frame.

The $99 side chairs I would take in a heartbeat.

My son lived in a very nice apartment complex. The man in the apartment next door to him bought a used couch, which he didn't realize had bedbugs, and the entire building had to be treated for them. Everything in my son's apartment had to be fumigated, every single piece of clothing washed and run through the dryer at high temps. Huge hassle, my son never wanted to live in a apartment after that. However, in the news recently, some college students bought a used couch in which they found $40,000 in cash stuffed inside it. (The students returned the cash to the lady, nice to know there are still honest people out there) The moral of these stories is - go over any used furniture you want to buy with a fine toothed comb!

I have made two purchases at Habitat Restore. First was a pair of wing chairs, very good quality, for $15 total. I reupholstered them in fabric on sale at Fabric.com.

Then while looking for fun, last year we saw a camel back sofa for $62. I was amazed because it was immaculate, no spots, no dust bunnies, no indication of bedbugs, just a bit of faded upholstery. We took measurements, returned a week later and bought it. When I took it apart to reupholster it, I could not find any indication that it was ever used. I bought slate blue velvet to recover it. I love that sofa.

I know that most people would not consider buying used furniture like this, but I love reusing, recycling, rehabbing stuff.
Diane

So helpful! I am worried about skeevy stuff with the upholstered goods but I have gotten over it a bit. I did get a sectional off CL for $500 and we had it for about a year or so. Then I put it out and someone took it. It was a great way to see that a sectional did NOT work.

these are the johnathan adler sofas ($100 for the pair)...

I thought maybe I could get covers made for the down cushions and it would look kind of retro boho. Maybe that will look stupid.

I did send an email to the peach green people. We shall see if it is still available.

There was a story in my local paper about a couple who picked up some upholstered furniture that had been put at the curb. They came down with terrible itching. They had contracted scabies from the furniture. I could never buy used furniture. I would be concerned about bedbugs.

Here are my 2 chairs which I picked up for $50 in 1974. (The photo reads pinkish on my monitor. They are really greenish.) I had them redone then and again 2 years ago. The reupholster was $1000.00. I refinished them myself and I bought the fabric on ebay for $35. This was all a great deal. However, reupholstering a sofa cost big bucks. The estimate I received for 2 large sofas was $5000.00 plus many many yards of fabric. So if you buy something that needs to be redone, you must love it a lot.
Laura

As far as issues and risks of second hand furniture, I think today's toxic off gassing in new furniture is a greater threat to our lives than scabies or bedbugs both of which are non life threatening and the exception rather than the norm.

I have mostly auction finds in my home and wouldn't want it anyother way!
Your sense of adventure is evident in what I have seen of your interior style and I know you can make the set shine in your home. I love Mamorella's pink living room with her floral upholstery and mixed with modern accents I think you can pull off a similar hip and interesting vibe with the printed piecez you show here! Good luck and I can not wait to see what you decide!

Opps an ipad double post again, sorry!

This post was edited by roarah on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 18:53

If you're planning to have it 'skinned', down to the frame, and you feel it's also a well made piece, then by all means have it reupholstered. I buy a lot of 'gently used' furniture, but not upholstered. I'll buy more expensive new pieces since I know I'll have them for 10+ years.

If you do buy something used, please keep it out of the house until it's been re-done. I would be more concerned about fleas than any other bug. Many furry creatures(mine included!)like to lay next to their master, and not everyone does flea control.

The peach and green set...yeah.

I think that set could look really good, but you have to be willing to put a little glamor in the room. And we're talking gold, not pewter-like stuff. Like the screen. If they'll throw in the screen behind the couch as well as the drapes, you'll be set.

If those peach chairs are in San Diego or elsewhere in southern Ca, they just have to be mine! I had them custom ordered(1982/83)from a furniture store, probably not in business anymore, and really don't remember the name.

I moved to Austin and DH stayed in SD until he retired, and he would never get rid of those ugly chairs. They ended up in his office years ago, but I always kept a plaid throw over each. They finally went to goodwill about 3 1/2 years ago. Say it isn't so!!

Well that set is available. She wrote back that it is north hickory furniture which seems to have been bought and the stopped making that brand from what I read.

The chairs are in ny patty cakes so I don't think they are the same, but too funny. If you look they have the same green fabric on the back as the couch.

I was thinking about that last night fori. Gold huh. Funny I just brought a gold mirror and an black and white sketch with an ornat gold frame to auction.

I don't think I would want to go ornate with everything Elsa in the room. Does everyone think that would be a must to pull it off?

I love mamorellas room too. I just wonder if this is too over the top to pull off.

Decisions decisions......

OK - I thought those peach chairs looked familiar! I have a North Hickory wing chair just like that, reupholstered about 10 years ago, but originally purchased in 1979. It is still in excellent condition! We still had a couch in that same style, purchased a few months before the chair. I think that quilted look was really popular then, but we couldn't afford the quilting as 24 year olds with our first house. We only donated it a few weeks ago to a furniture bank. The frame was in fabulous condition, the fabric just faded.

Buying used upholstered furniture is, IMHO, not worth it,if you are not a DIY-er. I would not want anyone else's upholstery, period. I don't want anything that I can't wash from a stranger.

Buying used case good furniture, is, a three-fer:
1. better for the environment
2. like- for like, often cheaper
3.a way to get something different then what's currently available

PS I think once you have known someone with a bed bug scourge, you take it very seriously. A former neighbor had bedbugs in their NYC loft conversion. When they moved out of the city, they had their truck of belongings fumigated over a multi-day period, bought a new set of clothes, and threw the old ones out at the store. They were traumatized.

Can't you get the furniture cleaned? I did the leather sectional I got myself. I am sure it was not great for the leather but I scrubbed it down outside before we brought it in the house.

I would think the set above you could get cleaned professionally, but maybe I am wrong?

Good to know clt3. Did you find the set to be comfortable still? I think it would be but the formal look makes me question it.

If the idea of upholstered goods freightens you so should case goods. Termites have been transfered at the same rate as bed bugs and fleas via wood antiques. There are also numerous accounts of bedbug infestations being traced to new mattresses so the risk is always present whether you purchase new or used unfortunately so I would not let the rare horror stories persuade you one way or another.

I have always pretreated all case goods for termites before bringing them into my home and my antique wingback chairs, harp chairs and regency chair were professionally cleaned first too and have never had any issues. My girl friend in NYC order a brand new mattress and was not so lucky....

Good point, Roarah. They like to go where people sleep or nap, but that is hardly the only place.

If you read the link below, you will never buy anything used again, or, possibly, leave your home. LOL

Sorry for the Hijack Boo, but the info probably does belong in a thread about used furniture.

Here is a link that might be useful: bed bug facts

If buying used furniture, case goods, clothing or knicknacks makes you squeamish, don't buy them, really, please, don't even consider it, cuz that means more, and possibly cheaper, options for those of us who do purchase used items.

sandyponder

This is one of those areas where I wish I had more vision and more connections. ;)

I have no real information to add, but thought this might help:
(1) Emily Henderson buys vintage upholsterery pieces (and case goods) all the time and her blog has some really useful information IMO (prices, suggested fabric types, what to look for in frames, etc.).
(2) You may want to consider looking into what your reupholstery (and refinishing, if applicable) options are in your area. I found it a little overwhelming (and got quotes that were quite a bit more expensive than I'd anticipated) -- but, then again, I really don't know what I'm doing. ;)

Good luck!

With the right neutral background, no other pattern except maybe a stripe, (rugs excluded) I think the first set could work without looking second hand. The paint color is BM Key West Ivory, but the real color would have to be chosen in real life.

If you live in a large enough metro area, there are likely source for new cushion materials at reasonable cost. For example, I wanted to revive my 20 year old sofa, and found a place that made foam products where I could get the foam core, cotton and batting to remake the seat cushions and re-stuff the backs and arms.. I did replace the fabric also in this case, but reused the cushion liners.

Boop, I really like the green and peach and you can tell that it is well made.

Oh yes, the set was still comfortable. The reupholstered wing chair is in my husband's office. They were both very good quality and quite expensive for us as newlyweds. I believe the couch was about $1000 and the chair about $500-600 in 1978-79 dollars.

Boop, I love your style. Always have!

I am not squeamish about used, upholstered furniture, but it would have to be worth it. Reupholstering will never be in my budget until I go back to work. The new stuff in my budget is boring or too big.

I am planning on getting my next LR set at a high-end consignment store. The donations are carefully selected and profits go to cancer research. It won't be cheap-cheap, but great quality I could never afford new.

Boop, I am with the crowd that buys used/antique furniture. Can't find the same quality or look in modern furniture. This is a 1950's sofa set we bought recently. Not a style for everyone, but we love it. The upholstery is original. Looks like it was never sat on. We have never had a problem with "bugs".

This is a close up of the mohair. We looked for several years to find an original mohair set.

Gorgeous, Mary! That mohair would be $$$$!

If buying used furniture, case goods, clothing or knicknacks makes you squeamish, don't buy them, really, please, don't even consider it, cuz that means more, and possibly cheaper, options for those of us who do purchase used items.

You welcome to everything I'm not buying :-)

The most timeless, enduring styles would lead me to the two Adler sofas ($100 the pair - great value) and the kilim sofa, all of which should wear like iron & be easily cleaned. (Note the fitted armcovers on the kilim, another sign of quality as the arms are often first to wear.) These are sofas you could literally live on & would fit right in with the colors in the paintings, brick fireplace, wood floors & rug in your photo with the slide. Adult & kid friendly to boot, cozy. Add corner throw pillows to the Adlers & you've got it made.

The rose bouquet Laura Ashely look sofa you love is appealing, but you'd pretty much wind up redoing the room around it rather than slipping it in. Not a particularly durable choice even when scotchguarded, meant for lighter use. Check out her website for shapes that would look good with it. If florals zing your heart, might choose pillows or a throw for the Adlers & kilim.

The green & peach floral set you're mulling over - sort of an all-in-one design combo - strikes me as highly stylized & dramatic. Something for a room used only for company rather than family living. Remember this type of set with walls to match the background of the print or gold foil wallpaper. Looked at the listing & noticed in the gap between the back cushions on the loveseat what seems like dark lining fabric. A top of the line set would use the surface fabric or the same fabric without the print to cover the entire inside back. When you lean back against those cushions, the gap will be apparent.

Something locally available that you can touch, sniff & sit/lay down test would be first in line for me. If it's being offered in a home, is the place well kept? Turn it over & examine it thoroughly. Does it show wear, smell off, feel slightly sticky (home foam cleaners not rinsed well can do that)? Labels should be visible on the decking under the seat cushions. With fabric pieces, look for cushion covers that are reversible & can be zipped off for cleaning & for arm covers, as these two spots get the hardest use. Look for piping or welting edging cushions to stabilize the seams & add a finished edge. Is this something you'd buy off a showroom floor if it was within your price range? In other words, is it well made & do you really, really like it? Can you see yourself happily lounging on it in your home?

For any piece that would need to be shipped, add the cost of that, in addition to its returnability & that added freight if you don't like it in person, along with the seller's reputation.

Pal, that picture is really helpful. I do think it could work. But, I dont think I have enough confidence in my own abilities to pull it off.

You all are so helpful and give me a lot to think about.

Vasue - I do agree with you. I love the flowery and the patterns and the velvet, but I am not sure they will work - with the house or our lives and 3-5 boys regularly in the house.

I feel like like the adler ones could lend them to a kind of MCM vibe and would work ok with the Ikea shelves in the room...

or more of a boho look like this if covers were put on the top, bottom or both cushions.

these are crude, but you get the idea...

I really wish I could find out more about the quality of that brand.

I did ask the poster for more pictures without cushions and of the cushions. They are all removable and have zippers.

I forgot to mention - MaryLu- those couches are amazing! So perfect for your gorgeous house. Good to "see" you around!

I love the mohair MaryLu.

I think you can't beat the price of the Jonathan Adler sofas but I can't attest to the original quality, and in the pictures the left arm looks like the padding is lumpy under the leather. But for $50, especially if you are redoing the cushions...

Adler isn't a brand with which I'm familiar, either, but then again seldom need to buy upholstered furniture, also going for quality & durability. Casual browsing turns up the faqs page linked. Made in the USA, custom bench-crafted with kiln dried hardwood frames, limited lifetime warranty on frames & springs - sounds good. Call for more details, such as questions about hand-tied coils & leather specifications. They use two kinds of cushion fill around a quality foam core - poly or down & feather wrap. The ones you're considering have the down, the ones illustrated in the models below use the poly wrap for a tight fit. Imagine you could modify the wrap if you prefer the tailored fit. Their price point seems neither inflated nor low-balled. Absolute top notch construction would include details like clips on elastic tucked into corners to attach invisibly to cushions to keep them from shifting, type of leather & finishes like glazes. Find often that higher prices don't necessarily reflect genuinely higher quality. These likely aren't heirloom quality your grandkids will fight over (though could become so if standards continue to deteriorate with throw-away trends), but they appear well made & streets beyond the run of the mill variety. Of all the styles you've shown, these strike me as the most versatile, appropriate in a wide range of settings from traditional to cutting edge. (The velvet pulls at my heartstrings, too, and might find another room for that - nice at the foot of a big bed or tucked in a hallway or landing.) The impression on the left leg looks more like a dimple to me - left from something propped against it. Happens sometimes to my leathers from heavy books left stacked on a cushion. Resolves itself in a few days once the weight is removed. Caused one by leaving a picture frame set against a leg for a week while deciding which painting to hang above the sofa. Used a dry iron set on low with light cardboard between it & the leather to resolve that. (Around here there are people who come to your home to fix glitches in leather furniture, and I'd read up on their techniques.)

The Adler sofas look like their currently available Blakely model in Lyon camel leather. (Under fabric, click the brown square to find the price of $5,500.)
http://www.jonathanadler.com/Custom-Blakeley-Sofa/?cat=991
This model has a wooden plinth base. Looks like the same style on legs in their Topanga model for the same price.
http://www.jonathanadler.com/topanga-sofa/?cat=991

The plinth makes cleaning the floor beneath the sofa easy, but you could replace it with legs or simply add legs as well since the plinth is recessed. Might be fun to put a tailored skirt along the apron in a print - could be easily attached underneath without altering the piece - to match or play off pillows. If you sew, making new cloth cushion covers is the easiest part of redoing a couch, taking a pattern from the existing cushions. The mix & match leather-fabric combination you're considering is fun. You could make fabric cushion covers for the back or seats or both & swap out the cushions themselves to have interchangeable options. Leather pillows against a cloth background or the reverse continue the mix.

Can relate to what may be your wish to give the room feminine touches as the lone girl! I mix lace curtains under pull drapes with leather upholstery & like the gender inclusive balance of both. Thirty-five feet (10 tall windows & a glass door) in this family room are dressed with machine washable wild birds motif lace hung by rings from a double rod so they can be pushed to the side as needed. Drapes in the same motif fold into the corners & can be pulled out across the windows. (Behind both are pull-down accordion shades for each glass.) The guys nixed florals there, but small flowers & berries show on the tree branches behind the life-size birds in the print & lace - subtle yet evident. Funny how birds are acceptable as nature-themed - gender neutral - but flowers are girly in the guys' opinion. Sun coming through the lace casts bird shadows into the room, enchanting to me. An example of how I've skirted preferences to please us each & all. Upholstered pieces are mainly leather in this room, with some needlepoint seats.

Long intrigued by examples of stenciled leathers, a tatoo pattern look, if I found these Adler couches, would pick them up to experiment, remake the cushions to pillows or repurpose to headboards. If I actually needed sofas, these would already be in this house or on their way. At this price ($11,000 new versus $100 used - less than 1% of new), they'd be here in a heartbeat to at bare minimum be stand-ins till "perfect" showed up.

Here is a link that might be useful: Adler

This post was edited by vasue on Fri, Aug 22, 14 at 13:27

Grrr Now someone is bidding against me! Up to $500 and I am not the highest bidder. Have to decide how much to pay.

this one I have been watching (supposedly reupholstered) has dropped the price to $900.

I do love that velvet one too Vasue and for $160 I can't believe no one has snapped it up!

I don't know why I have such a hard time with this. :) Maybe because I have made mistakes before.

Bummer, went for over $900. too high for me with a mover considering the patches and marks on it.

Mary lu had me looking for mohair - these are $1,000 for the pair...

the floor model Sherrill sofas are back on ebay about $800 each...

the more I look the more I am drawn to MCM lately. I dont know why.

I like this one too...

i make myself nuts. sometimes I wish I had an old house again or modern house. I think it would be easier to figure out maybe? what goes with plain 90's colonial? :)

I read through this entire thread and all I have is a headache! Omigosh, the styles are all over the board. Do you have one style you like best? Are you shopping for something 3 - 5 boys won't destroy in short time? Something you can pick up, move into the house and live with - minus all the sturm and drang over 'bugs', cleaning, re-upholstering, etc., etc.?

I never quite got what you were bidding on and lost. Peach and Green? Somehow, I can't quite pair velvet furniture with a bunch of boys - or little girls, either, for that matter.

If you're looking for workhorse furniture, then the Adler sofas - for a song - would be my choice.

Btw, when shopping for any furniture privately owned, you'll get a good sense of whether it's 'buggy' or not by the appearance of the the owners and the house.

I tend to think all those not afraid of bed bugs have never had them. I haven't but am very cautious when staying at hotels, even nice ones. I had a friend who stayed over night at a decent hotel, a large Hyatt, and brought home bed bugs. What they had to do to get rid of them was unreal.
I have also read that high end hotels have them just as well, so it's no guarantee.

New furniture can pick them up in the delivery trucks and also if in shipping crates.

So I have no answer, but I would examine new and old furniture very carefully and fumigate for at least 24 hours if possible.

lol tomato freak. You see that Magnaverde quote. that is me. :) struggling with the life I envision( nice floral domain or zimmerman furniture) and the life of a mature (this is what they call it around here when you have kids when you are older, maternally mature. cracks me up) mom of two young boys and 2 stepsons.

I bid on the adler sofas. they went for $900 something, didnt end up to be such a cheap bargain.

I have been there done that wiht crappy leather puffy furniture twice. I don't want to do it again so I think I would rather by well made second hand furniture and see if I can get it to last at least as long as the new junk. So the question is, how close can I get to my preference while cosidering the kids. I had two sick for the last week and a half and there were a couple of accidents that did have me leaning back towards leather. :( What do you do if a kid has an accident on a fabric sofa? get the cushion cleaned?

I also used to have 4 cats which were a consideration. An while I am sure someday I will have pets again, I don't have any that might scratch my furniture (intentionally or unintentionally) for the first time in 15 years.

here is another one to give you a headache. Too bad it is in the UK or I might have ordered it!

I would for sure bumblebeez get them cleaned and leave them in the garage for a bit - understanding that is not foolproof.

This post was edited by boopadaboo on Sun, Aug 24, 14 at 21:05

Well, oddly, I actually like that "explosion of color" sofa! Of all the pics you posted, this one (I don't know how to capture images to post) seems like a good design, neutral enough to go practically anywhere and sturdy.

Frankly, I do stick with leather. Cats and dogs = hairballs, puke and drool. I can clean the leather, knowing it didn't soak through to cushions underneath. Does it look spectacular? No. But until I get that barn I want, there won't be any velvet, chintz, mohair, quilted prints or any other permeable material in my living room!

P.S. One option I've considered is patio furniture. Lots of it these days is marketed as indoor/outdoor. It's washable and you can drag it outdoors to do it. ;o)

Here is a link that might be useful:

MaryLu-my heart skipped a beat!

Boop-I actually kind of like that Adler sofa with the first plaid you showed. But that UK sofa-it's sooo cute! My DD just bought a brand new sofa, I wish I had the photo but she texted it to me and I can't download it. It's very similar to the dark brown leather one on your recent post. I typically don't like that type of modern style, but its a very sexy sofa.

The mock up Pal showed of the green/peach makes it much more appealing to me. I just don't love the color combo, but it looks like a very well made sofa.

I will buy used furniture, specifically teak. Our dining room and kitchen set are used. Upholstered, I prefer new.

The sides and probably back of the peach chairs are not peach they are a patterned fabric, is it the same fabric as the sofa and drapes? You can see part of the print fabric in one of the pictures.
What kind of shipping costs are involved with these, or are they for local pick up?
At least having the drapes you would have extra fabric should you need it for repairs or pillows or something.

Where are you located? Anywhere near Dallas?

American Leather has an outlet store with GREAT prices. I picked out just a few I thought would meet your needs: Red Leather $1354, Stripe $1350. And they will take more off of that price (20-40%!!!)

Here is the link to what they have (sorry about quality):

https://picasaweb.google.com/105104480761647013386/NewArrivals?feat=directlink#

Thank you finallyhome. I am in NY state. that is a little far. :)

I found a set that is close to me. It says the brand is schnadig. Is that any good? I cant seem to find much on it.

{{gwi:1778937}}

Well apparently I stink at this and don't see issues with furniture. :p I guess I need to work on that. Looking at these few now. This is kind of a walk through Boop's learning how to buy used furniture thread or furniture in general I Think.

I like this set from Vanguard. I think I read that is a decent name. I don't know why but I really like the warmth of the orange. It says Best offer and is from furniture land south. I have no idea what is reasonable to offer.

I really like these, but I think the arms might be too high for everyday use....

To the person who said I was all over the place it is true. There is really nothing I am married to in this room ATM besides The IKEA birch expedit shelves and the TV. Well and the brick fireplace (we are thinking of putting in a pellet stove there) I am planning to paint the walls BM windswept. I think it will go with many colors and the kitchen which this room is open to. We currently have a sofa and loveseat. The sofa is shot (very ripped, not worth repairing I think) and the loveseat is OK. A cheap set overall.

DH really really likes this... I guess I never showed it to him. ANyone see red flags on this one?

I would just get the sofa and loveseat. I don't need the chair and I don't think it is available. Is it odd it dips down in the middle?

I love that last velvet sofa! I loved the blue one in the original post too. I have had two velvet sofas and the fabric wears like iron. Great with kids. The green one is a classic shape and the dark green is fairly neutral. Do it!!!

I love the 2 velvet sofas. You can wipe the fabric down, vacuum off pet hair and it's beautiful too. I am not crazy about the last brown leather set. I don't understand the big horizontal cushions. They make the sofas look clumsy.

I love yours mamorella. You gave me hope it could work and I have been envious of yours :). I won't be able to sit in these so I was wondering if the look ok shape wise. I am going to ask them what the cushions are made of and for a picture without the cushions on. The add also says crushed velvet. Not sure what that means to durability.

boop, you are too kind! My current family room sofa in velvet is from Calico Corners. I wouldn't buy from them again, only because the couch isn't the most comfy. It is fine though and I do love the fabric.

As for the green velvet couch, I love the lines of it and it seems to be in good shape. I see that there is a pattern on there. The "crushed velvet" shouldn't be an issue for durability. And really, it shouldn't matter since you might reupholster down the line.

Good luck!