My biggest CL purchase ever (but still a bargain in my mind)

15 years ago

I LIKE nice things. And, I have three dogs...sometimes those two don't go hand in hand. But after reading other posts on HGTV, and the post here on the best 'fabric' for dogs being leather, well, I was looking.

I've also read here and in Duane Collie's forum that Hancock & Moore is one of the best leather sofa makers. So, I'd do a Google on H&M on CL. Nothing...Then OSH sent me a link a few months ago about one on CL in New Hampshire. I saw it, loved it, and asked for more pics. I called my sister in the furniture biz and she agreed on the wonderful quality but didn't care for the style. Her taste and mine are very different. After haggling back and forth for a while, I just decided to forget it.

A few weeks ago I got an email from the seller, asking if I was still interested. They are moving abroad, and decided to take my offer of $1,000, which was $500 less than their asking price. A friend with a trailer took me to Dover Sunday and we picked it up.

Delivery men from my sister's store moved it in for me today, and put my Sherrill chenille sofa in the cellar for the time being. I can relax on it while re-finishing furniture and playing with upholstering.

I think the new H&M one, which is called 'Kent Chesterfield' looks like it was made for this spot. It's in perfect condition and comfy. I haven't done anything yet other than throw two of my leather chair pillows on it (temporary til I make some for it) but it blends beautifully with everything in the room. It's a lot of money, but after seeing fabric ottomans at some stores that cost more than this sofa, I am thrilled with the price I paid.

I put my newly refinished CL antique table on one end as a side table.

Joey has decided that it's good enough for him, and they all have been on it and no scratches (yet)!

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Comments (38)

Boopadaboo
15 years ago
Gorgeous. What a deal.....
jaymielo
15 years ago
Beautiful! I LOVE it! It looks so comfy. Great deal too! Congratulations. j.
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hoosiergirl
15 years ago
I generally don't like the look of leather, but I LOVE that piece! It's gorgeous! And I'm thinking you got a great deal, too! Woo-hoo for you!!!
lynninnewmexico
15 years ago
I love good leather furniture and your new sofa is definitely in that catergory. Congrats on the great find! It truly does look like it was made for your beautiful home.
Lynn
graywings123
15 years ago
That is one handsome sofa! And I see it has someone's seal of approval.
IdaClaire
15 years ago
Holy (used to be) cow! That's one gorgeous sofa! It's perfect in your room, and your pup obviously agrees!
bbstx
15 years ago
That is gorgeous! I've always wanted a tufted chesterfield sofa! What a super find!
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
15 years ago
Oh that is gorgeous! I have always wanted a tufted chesterfield too.
User
15 years ago
Really beautiful and the table looks wonderful next to it. I spent several hours last night looking at the Atl. Craigslist...I have decided you are really lucky to be in the area you are . We just have nothing as amazing as your finds. I am so glad the seller decided to take you up on your offer. Very good deal. c
lorriekay
15 years ago
You scored! It is sublimely beautiful! It just looks soooo inviting, comfie cozy.
I am glad it worked out for you :)
cliff_and_joann
15 years ago
That is gorgeous, good luck with the dogs on it. My hound was always on my leather sofa (long nails too) and it never scratched.
great deal too.

Joann
My3dogs ME zone 5A
Original Author
15 years ago
And when you consider that I could have bought THIS one listed on the Maine CL for only $100 less, it's even more of a bargain!

I went to a local store that sells H&M to see the leather (called Glazed Autumn) before making an offer. The one I bought has a list price of $6080 due to all of the hand work in the tufting. I could get it here for 35% off or $3960, plus tax. (I simply couldn't pay that no matter how much I like it.) The owner of the store my sister works in has had this sofa in dark green in his office for TWENTY years. He just put it out on the sales floor, as he is giving up his office and they listed it for $1900 for a 20 year old one. It looks brand new, so I'm hoping mine will be the same!
johnmari
15 years ago
Beautiful! I did actually consider that couch waybackwhen but it was too big for us. And you should have emailed me, we could have met for tea. ;-)

I'm in LUST with that side table, but then I have the world's biggest weakness for barley-twist anything!
powermuffin
15 years ago
I don't think that I have ever seen a leather sofa in such good shape on our CL. It looks brand new. That was a great find. I just love CL!
Diane
bestyears
15 years ago
Whhaaaaaa, sniff, pout!!! I want that!!!! What she has! It's not fair!!!!
deborahnj
15 years ago
What a great buy and it looks beautiful dahlink!
beausoleil
15 years ago
I am completely amazed by the loveliness that you find on CL. That is one of the most incredible bargains ever. It is such a perfect match for your home. Lucky for you that puppers approves, LOL! I love seeing photos of your home and it's setting. It is so warm and inviting. I fell in love with Maine when we visited, and hope to get back there again sooner rather than later.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Home
bac717
15 years ago
That sofa is absolutely perfect in your home. What an amazing buy, too!
texanjana
15 years ago
Beautiful! I saw 2 H & M leather sofas (like new) listed on our CL recently for $1,100 each. DH said no way. He has no concept of how much furniture costs! Boo hoo...
My3dogs ME zone 5A
Original Author
15 years ago
johnmari, Are you sure it was this one? They have a larger version, but this one is only 77" wide. I sit in my office and look at it and am SO glad I was able to get it.

The support from all of you is wonderful! It certainly isn't the usual CL type leather sofa. It blends so beautifully with my colors, and I even like the color name as it reflects my favorite season.

My puppers had better behave on it. The friend who took me to get it used to have a cockatoo in his work office, and it was free most of the time. One morning he came in to work, and 'Paco' had pulled every one of the nail heads off HIS sofa overnight! My 'kids' are over that stage, thank goodness, and will just enjoy relaxing on it.
teacats
15 years ago
What a classic style -- such a gorgeous chesterfield!

Just LOVE it! :) And it is perfect in that spot too!

Jan
amck2
15 years ago
That sofa found its perfect home - it looks wonderful in your space, and Joey looks so handsome on it. Congratulations on your great find!

You do seem to have good luck, but the saying that "luck" is when preparation meets opportunity applies in your case. It appears that you do a lot of research and homework related to your finds. Enjoy!
donnawb
15 years ago
It was made for that spot. My CL never has anything nice like that. The best they have are sofa's that have 20 years worth of dirt on them and they are only 5 years old.
greenthumbfish
15 years ago
LUCKY!!!!
tracey_b
15 years ago
Beautiful--what a find and deal! Love the pic of Joey taking it for a test nap.

Could you tell me, please, what the color is below the chair rail. I'm looking for "dusty pumpkin". My favorite so far is LA 'Spice' which I've already used, but need a few more along the same line to test in my kitchen.

Thanks!
Tracey
My3dogs ME zone 5A
Original Author
15 years ago
Tracey, that color is Ben Moore's 'Baked Terra Cotta' #1202.
brutuses
15 years ago
Wow, did you score or did you score? My goodness it is beautiful and best of all it matches the dogs perfectly. LOL Look how sweet that baby looks on the new sofa, too cute.
justgotabme
15 years ago
Now that is a leather sofa I could live with. I love it! What a great deal too!
~Becky
patricianat
15 years ago
That is a beautiful sofa and I cannot believe what a good deal you got on it.

An office that I managed years ago had one identical except it was beige. They bought it in 1977. I do not remember the price but it was staggering, especially in that era of horrible economic times (more than it would be today even). I left there in 1988 and that sofa was still holding up extremely well. Someone had punched a hole in it with what appeared to be a knife blade and I found a man to repair it in 1981. No sign of the place it was pierced from then on. So in a busy (very busy) office where it lasted at least 11 years to my knowledge, it was a bargain despite the original high price.
caminnc
15 years ago
That is really, really beautiful. Smart lady!
nhb22
15 years ago
my3dogs - What a beautiful sofa! Your taste is impeccable.

The style reminds me of my grandmothers red velvet tufted sofa...most comfortable ever!

Ironically, a furniture store in my area is featuring the Hancock and Moore Chestnut "Evening" sofa in the newspaper today. The ad reads:

SPECIAL OFFER
This is a once in a lifetime chance at owning a luxurious Hancock & Moore Leather Sofa at half price.

Regular Price $6,199.00 Sale - $3099.00

I'd say that you, my3dogs, were able to have that once in a lifetime chance. Congratulations!
My3dogs ME zone 5A
Original Author
15 years ago
WOW, NHB! H&M is never advertised around here at all, but what timing on that ad. I just checked out the 'Evening' sofa online. It's more of a traditional leather sofa, and very nice. I just fell in love with this style, which my sister said looks like it belongs in an old library...WHAT'S wrong with that? :-)

I laid down on it last night and immediately had 2 dogs on top of me. Since they both couldn't fit ON me, Joey climbed up on the back of the sofa and walked along it til he crawled onto an arm. (My dogs do not have impeccable manners!) I told him to get down, naturally, and my heart was in my mouth, but NO scratches! He's napping on it now, but there is a sheet under him. This really was my once in a lifetime chance!
cooperbailey
15 years ago
Just lovely. I dub thee the official queen of CL. I know you will wear the crown well!( but don't refinish it! LOL)
The little Cl table is perfect next to it.
I love what you've done with the place! truly inspirational.
flyingflower
15 years ago
Oh look, you've even given Joey two doggy pillows! The photo with him on the sofa next to the pillow is adorable. I love the CL side table and accessories you put on top of the table (especially the lamp). The sofa looks so rich in that setting, and the colorful carpeting warms up the space. It's a beautiful room. Your dog is too cute!
tracey_b
15 years ago
Thanks for the color name, DogMom. It coordinates with your Brittanies very well. :-)

Hubby's going to Argentina in December for a few weeks, and he's coming home to a newly painted kitchen (I hope).

Tracey
johnmari
15 years ago
my3dogs, yeah, it was that one because OSH pointed it out to me too, and I'm ten minutes away from its former home. :-) The rooms in my baby New Englander are on the small side and somewhat inefficiently designed for furniture placement, so furniture scale is getting to be VERY tricky here, and it was just too much visual mass in one boxy chunk when we mocked it up with cardboard. My loss is your gain!
eandhl
15 years ago
Looks made to order for your home and dog.
My3dogs ME zone 5A
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh my gosh, johnmari! I didn't realize that you meant this exact one. My friend and the hubby at the house put in in the trailer for me, as I could never have done it. It's darn heavy, and SO beautifully made.

The furniture movers who brought it in for me took my other one out quite easily, as they know their stuff, but this one was even heavy for them. I've enjoyed reading on the H&M website how all this is made, and those nail heads went in one by one...It's an investment piece for me, and am so happy how at home it looks in my LR. I can't sit on it without at least 2 dogs being on it with me, and I am amazed that they haven't scratched it. Leather is great!

Tracey, I did my kitchen in a similar color to what you saw in the LR. It's Ben Moore Crimson, #1299, and I LOVE it. It's really NOT 'crimson' as I think of it, but a terra cotta color. You may want to check that out also, but the Baked Terra Cotta sounds more like what you are looking for. Great plan to do it while hubby is away!

My biggest CL purchase ever (but still a bargain in my mind)

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