Manufacturers want you to work through their dealer network. They do not want to establish a working relationship with a customer as that usually ties up their office staff for hours on end. It would be like calling GM in Detroit and asking for a brochure for a Silverado pickup. Go to your local dealer where they can get things for you promptly and answer your questions. Manufacturers are also keenly aware of internet price shopping and want to keep their local dealers solvent. Therefore they don't do things like list all the dealers on their national website, don't send fabric or leather swatches, and sometimes will not send out photos or catalogs. Everyone has a job to do, and the local dealer's job is to work with the retail customer. Another thing too, is email can be overwhelming (if you even make it through their spam filters). Most manufacturers right now under NOT doing well, and are asking their employees to do more and more in a workday - not hiring a lot of office staff. Answering email from retail customers is right at the bottom of the list of things that need to be done in a given day. -Duane

Good morning all: Well, we went with two 100" Madison leather sofas in Brompton Cocoa from Casco Bay Furniture and they arrived last Thursday, several weeks before expected. We LOVE them! Our sofas were estimated to take about 16 weeks as the size was custom so frames had to be built from new pattern. In addition, Rob was kind enough to send us several hide samples from amongst the numerous they have at the warehouse so we could choose the color we liked. This too was supposed to add to the time and we were thinking a delivery time in May but last Thursday they arrived right on time. My family and I could not be happier. They look EXACTLY like RH Maxwell sofas. I understand that the ones from CB are superior in construction to the ones currently made in China by RH, but since we have only had them one week I can only tell you what they look and feel like. They are beautiful now and we are looking forward to seeing how they "weather" over time. My husband literally started on one end of one sofa, got up, moved down a little, all the way to the end of the second sofa to see if there was any sagging or lifting of cushions: there was none. When we went to the RH Outlet in Wrentham in December/January we sat on several 96"and 108" Lancaster and Maxwell sofas and found the sagging, and if one person sat on the end of one cushion with no one else in the middle, it would lift like a see-saw. The sofas on the floors of RH retail showrooms are most often over 5 years old from when they were constructed in the US: the ones at the Outlets are more consistent with quality of product if ordered today as they are typically customer returns. In the end, we could not be happier and I look forward to doing more business with Casco Bay in the future. /Users/christine/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Previews/2012/04/10/20120410-112846/IMG_1678.jpg /Users/christine/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Previews/2012/04/10/20120410-112808/IMG_1677.jpg /Users/christine/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Previews/2012/04/10/20120410-112846/IMG_1681.jpg

DON'T buy the loveseat - they are the bane of good seating arrangements. Unless you have a courting couple in the home who like to snuggle, a love usually seats one person. Most people don't like to sit that close together. Even on a 3-seat sofa, they tend to leave an empty space in the middle so they can turn and face each other for conversation. Get two upholstered armchairs instead. I think you'll want to paint your home anyway, so first change out the lights for 4000K LEDs. That will give accurate daylight color. If you plan for this sofa to last more than 3-5 years, then get a neutral color that will work when you decide to change rugs, curtains and accessories. If you like to change your decor every 2-3 years, then just get the color you love. Paint is the last item in a decorating project because it can be custom blended to work with the fabrics and textiles in a room.

I like to put my arms on an arm rest when I'm sitting, so I'm not to keen on the armless option. How about a regular arm rest? A couch is a big investment, so I would take the time to pick out one you really like. I got this one from Ethan Allen. I'm very happy with it. https://www.ethanallen.com/en_US/shop-furniture-living-room-sofas-fabric/melrose-sofa/melrose.html#start=47&sz=23