Check the link below to see where you can try a sofa by Norwalk furniture. Quality, made in America, styled and sized to your needs.

locations for Norwalk furniture

We recently bought a couch and chair for a second home at Macy's and the price and quality seemed reasonable.

What's the name of the place in Santa Cruz, sounds interesting. Thx

Norwalk Furniture is excellent furniture and so is Flexsteel. We own both brands.

You'll pay for quality, but since it's what you're seeking, those are my recommendations. Both companies offer Made in USA products.

We own a La Z Boy with Comfort-Core cushions. Firm and supportive!

The chairs and sofas that I have purchased from Macy's have held up well.

My issue now is just that I need a different design, that is not as deep in the seats (deeper seats seem standard today compared to 50 years ago) and supports a more upright posture. I am thinking I will have to find a custom furniture maker -- but will check out Norwalk. Most "custom" that I have seen so far don't customize seat depth or back height/angle.

Look at Room and Board. Some of their stuff is quite modern, but they do have some more transitional pieces. Made in the USA, great quality and very customizable.

I bought a brand called BEST. Made in America. Went shopping with a tape measure to make sure seat was high enough. Also needed firm cushions and back. I wanted to make sure I could go from sitting to standing without having to push myself up with the arms of a couch or chair. Definitely wanted a 3 cushion, so if laying down my hip was not in the “crack” between 2 cushions. I was very particular, but am still very happy with my choices 8 years later.

Try Lee Industries. Crate & Barrel carrie that brand.

We got some Flexsteel pieces and are pleased with them. We replaced a number of couches and side chairs with Flexsteel models that are a bit higher off the floor and less squishy than what you normally find. We tired of the experience of sitting down into a marshmallow at floor level and for the alternative for a couple we dislike recliners in a family room.

I believe most couch-type furniture sold in the US is made in the US. Because it's high volume (space wise), low value merchandise that takes up a lot of room in shipping containers so perhaps not worth the effort.

I hate furniture shopping with a passion. We finally bit the bullet last year. First stop was Ethan Allen and fortunately we were able to find a sofa and chair that fit our needs. I wanted a 2 cushion, tight back sofa. The one we chose was available in 2 different seat depths. There were a number of cushion fill options. The store is set up so you can sit on each option to see how they feel.

We need a new sofa, too, and I don't know where to find the kind of quality we've had from companies like Century -- sofas and chairs with 'spring down' cushions -- purchased over 15 years ago.

I wouldn't expect much from Crate & Barrel's upholstered pieces. Their whole business model was creating brightly lighted, trendy displays of cheap imports. I think most furniture is now made in the Near East out of something resembling wood -- the disintegrating pieces that are so cheap at mall storefronts like Ashley Furniture Co.

The reviews for Macy's sofas are *scathing*, Elmer. Check 'em out.

Well, there's always reupholstering. That's not cheap either!

Very interesting to hear, chisue. I know that many departments stores, Macy's included, are in death spirals and the shopping experiences they offer are pretty dismal. While it's still early days, we've had three different Macy's furniture purchases and deliveries (including a bed including mattress and frame and a sofa, with other smaller stuff), and another is on the way. We shopped at two different stores in different parts of the state for delivery to one location. We haven't had any problems.

I can't speak to the durability of the furniture we bought but it's comfortable and won't be subject to a lot of use.

I'm not crazy about shopping for furniture either, too many of the salespersons in many stores seem ill informed and a bit slimy. One city has a district where there are a lot of furniture stores and it was after hopping from one to another without finding what we liked that we wound up at Macy's. You do the best you can.

If it fits within your budget, I would look at hand crafted furniture in your area. I splurged 20 years ago on a hand-crafted sofa and love seat. Since then, they've been recovered and restyled, but they are so well-made that it's worth it to keep the frames. You'd be amazed at how much an upholstered piece can be restyled by a competent upholsterer.

It’s hard. We have bought a few pieces (not a sofa) including a chair from Bassett and my DD bought a custom chair from there and have been very pleased. Lee made a very good sofa at one time as did Vantage. Don’t know if they still have a good reputation or not. We had a Vantage that lasted at least 20 years and the fabric looked brand new.

Most but not all of the furniture companies are in the Southeast of the US. While you might be lucky to live in an area that has a business that actually makes furniture unless you go to a local craft shop you will not find locally made furniture outside of the Southeast. Some companies do use what were called furniture blanks, wooden or other material to be covered by upholstery so that the companies that they supply can have a more custom appearance.

I think Flexsteel is the best. My living room furniture (sofa, love seat, chair) and my family room furniture (sofa, love seat, recliner) were custom-made by Flexsteel--in the early 1980s. They still look new.

Perhaps if I was in my 40's or 50's and lived a more social life I might invest in furniture but I am looking at what I find is most comfortable now knowing that someone will need to clear every thing out and dispose of it. Easier to toss in the dumpster when there is little value. While I have some good older pieces they are only valuable to me.

Chisue, are you saying you don't buy green bananas? :)

We tire of furniture and replace it (done a few times) so a lifetime of wear isn't what we've ever had in mind. And certainly not now in our 60s.

I know the Southeast has historically done a lot of furniture manufacturing but we haven't come across it recently.

Flexsteel's HQ is in the Midwest. The pieces we bought just a few years ago were shipped by truck from Los Angeles. The store said that's where our custom order was made, but I suppose they could have been made elsewhere, shipped by train to LA and then trucked here?

We just ordered a dining room table and chairs and they're Amish made (or at least touted to be) in the Midwest.

Lots of good info here--many thanks. I've had a busy couple of days to hope to go through these tomorrow.

When you can, please pass along the name of the place you mentioned in Santa Cruz. Thanks.

Sorry, meant to do that, Elmer. I got the location wrong--must have gotten it mixed up with another after all my searching. It's Cre8-a-Couch and they're in Willow Glen. I looked at Yelp reviews and I'm not sure they are quite what I'm hoping for.

Someone told me about that place. It's a new business and they don't disclose who makes their pieces (presumably on a contract manufacture basis). Maybe good, maybe not?

Russell's in Santa Clara carries Flexsteel products and you can custom order (size, shape, fabric, color) anything they make. As above and as others said, I can recommend their stuff. Good luck.

sjerin, another good manufacturer is Lee Ind. We have two sofas from them, the last purchased about 5 years ago. They have held up very well (aside from cat damage). I think one of the stores like Crate and Barrel or Room and Board uses them for some of their furniture. Lee used to be a favourite of the Garden Web decor forum, and that's how I discovered them, but I'm not sure if that is still the case. Like I said, the last we bought from them was 5 years ago.