Vivi, I am about to order a King Hickory sectional, but have not yet. I have checked out the quality of their construction first hand though. You can see in the link King Hickory uses solid or gold standard construction techniques. But I test out the furniture on the showroom floors to make sure the construction is solid. Two tests (of many) for "solidness" of construction are: 1. Lifting the couch off the ground by one leg. The second leg should lift off the ground almost immediately (1 inch maximum). The King Hickory does as well or better than every couch I have tested, regardless of price. Layered plywood frames on some other manufacturers have to be lifted 2-4 inches before the 2nd leg lifts. This amount of flex is not good. 2, Wiggle the arms to see if they are solidly attached. Again the King Hickory does great. Kiln dried hardwood, double doweled, and corners braced makes for a solid piece of furniture. I choose the loose box welted cushion. l wanted the flexibility of taking the cushions off the couch for more room when laying down on the couch at night when I have insomnia or when our adult kids come for a visit. Also the loose cushion allows you to easily have it refilled or reupholstered down the line without having to bring the whole couch or have the upholsterer make a visit. Flipping the pillow over is also a big plus if you have a tough stain. I am not affiliated with King Hickory or the furniture trade in any way. I am just a working stiff who values bang for his buck and quality construction. I will say the Smith Brothers pieces I checked out also seemed well built but a bit more expensive and did not fit our space. From what I read Lexington is rated A+ by the BBB and responds to all customer concerns. You will want to read and follow their instructions carefully before accepting or rejecting delivery (check for damage). The delivery company will reserve the right to fix any damage. Also their delivery times tend to be longer because they wait until they can fill a truck before they send one across the country. If you need a local store to hold your hand through the process they are probably not right for you. You need to know the exact model, fabric, options etc before you buy. But in my case they will likely save me $1,600 on a King Hickory factoring in delivery and taxes. $7000 seems a bit high to me for upholstery. But perhaps the larger footprint of your sectional and the premium fabric bring the price up. We chose the Bentley which is customizable. For 3 pieces (sofa, curved corner and love seat) we are looking at $3,400 to $5,100 with tax and delivery depending upon the retailer.

Hi, Your post is great. I am seriously considering using Barker. If I do end up going with RTA, I will definitely measure the height/width of every single cabinet as soon as they arrive. I can start planning the inspection early. :) That means clearing the living room or something. Yes, remodeling = problems. All those remodeling shows on TV make it look fun, but that's fantasy. :) I had bathroom cabinets done. I bought them at a local kitchen showroom that ordered them from a company in another state. They sat in my house (in boxes) for months while other work was completed in the bathroom. The day they were finally installed: 1) The linen closet door was missing; Oops... it was sitting in their warehouse; 2) The installer messed up two doors when he put the handles on; they were crooked. When he straightened them, the original holes were visible (image of me smacking my forehead). They ordered new ones... that took like 6 weeks. When the 2 new doors were delivered, the installer did not bring the linen closet door. I called to remind them of that. The answer was, "Huh? What door?" They searched the warehouse, but could not find it anywhere...and THEN the manufacturer could not find my order to make a new one (it has been too long for me to remember why...), so the local kitchen dealer had to pay a local cabinet maker to make a new door (and it was gorgeous - the finish was slightly nicer than that of the rest of the cabinets). I'd love to know who this local guy is, because I'd hire him. LOL. I only did a vanity and a linen closet, but they were very expensive cabinets, They were built perfectly. That was my first project... many other things went wrong in that bathroom. It put me into the mindset of "problem prevention" with subsequent projects. I try very hard to ask a million questions and take measures to prevent problems, but it's impossible. I don't have a crystal ball. Just about everything I've had done after that has had issues, too... :( The important part, as others have commented, is how the contractor corrects the problem. The only thing I would have done differently today would be: Drive to the kitchen showroom myself on day one and say, "Please give me my door." Still wondering how a door disappeared, and what good it did anyone. :) Did it accidentally end up in the trash? Did someone later find it, take it home, and make a tabletop out of it? :) My only request: Could you please post photos of your beautiful Barker kitchen? :) Thanks!

MNDutch RoseGuy Thank you for the fantastic report on nurseries, I never buy from Edmunds roses after googling "The scoop on .. name of nursery", this gives customers' reviews on any nursery. https://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/123/0/ How do you like the own-roots bought from Roses Unlimited this summer sale? Nurseries that I bought own-root roses from are: Regan, Burlington, Heirloom, Chamblee's, High Country Roses, Roses Unlimited. Right now I'm debating if I should buy State of Grace for $16 from Northland Rosarium ... shipping charge is $20 for 2 roses, but Andrew is excellent in customer service. Della Reese is wimpy as grafted-on-Dr.Huey (got from local Menards store for $6 as bare-root). It didn't even flower for 1st year, so I killed it. Grafted-on-Dr.Huey declines drastically after 2nd-year in my zone 5, so I no longer buy grafted-on-Dr.Huey unless it's flowering lots in a pot at local store. Very happy with the 6 roses I bought from Roses Unlimited this June 2020 summer sale, they are 3 times taller than the 4 bands I got from High Country Roses late May 2020. The bands from High Country Roses are so short that they got eaten by bunnies this fall. For dense & thick and alkaline clay like mine, just a bare-stick Dr.Huey-roostock doesn't sprout roots well, even when bought from Regan Nursery, such as Young Lycidas (grafted-on-Dr.Huey) died through its first zone 5 winter. The blooming power of 3 own-roots roses (large bare-sticks) from Regan Nursery is less than the blooming power of 3 own-roots roses (in pots) from Roses Unlimited. In the past decade of buying 130 own-root varieties, I find that alfalfa meal is a must for growth-hormone, it's worth making a special trip to the feed-store for a 40 lb. bag of alfalfa meal to mix with potting soil or to top my clay. Roses Unlimited recommends mixing 2 cups of alfalfa meal or 1 cup Mills Magic Rose Mix in the planting hole. Below is a tiny band of Crimson Glory (bought from Burlington) producing 4 bud/blooms after 1 month of purchase, fertilized with alfalfa meal.

Thanks for pointing that out Lyban. I made the correction! Sorry it is not available in Canada. Fudge, Pun and Bpath... I am so happy that I could help! I am so very picky about mattresses. When I was young all I wanted was super plush but as my bones and muscles have aged I really appreciiate a more medium firm mattress. I can only take so much give in a mattress. I am absolutely loving this one. For 300 it really is hard to beat.