Vanguard/Wesley Hall/Taylor King/Ethan Allen sofa opinion?
Chris T
4 years ago
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Rachel
3 years agoChris T
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Please share High Quality Furniture Experiences (brand list in post)
Comments (16)Thanks so much for all the replies so far... I knew the list was too long and somewhat messy since some of the listings with someone's name may be people/designers who have contracted with another manufacturer to produce a line with their "brand/name" stamped on it instead... but when I posted on the furniture forum I didn't get many responses when just asking for quality, so I thought it might help to have a list to jog some responses. Reviews mean a lot to me when making purchasing decisions, and I am coming at the upholstered world with very little knowledge. A few years ago after a lot of research back then, I purchased our first two pieces of upholstered furniture that were not "hand-me-downs" or cheap college purchases, and I went with Lee Industries. Unfortunately I think we only sat on that sofa and beautiful chair two times before we found out my husband's job required a major move, and since we had purchased them during a promotion, we were able to get most of our money out of them through Craigslist, which was better than paying mover's to transport our things and pay for storage since we'd be landing in a partially-furnished rental for the first year. Since then I have read a lot of conflicting Lee reviews, including on GW/nowHouzz, and so it feels like starting over, but I'm still leaning that way. I tend to like to spend money on experiences vs. things, so I really want to get as many decades out of our furniture purchases as possible, even if paying a little more on the front end for quality to make that happen. Though a poster above was spot on - they just don't make 'em today like they used to, do they... I wish they did! My favorite chair in our house is from my husband's 87-ish year-old-grandmother, and it was second-hand when she bought it many years ago, so I guess it's third-hand by now. There are a few stains, but it sits perfectly, and I would never recover the embroidered linen on it unless it wears through - I can't even imagine what that kind of fabric would cost today. Re: case goods... I know my standards on that front are only because my parents own a small mom-and-pop store in the Midwest that sells solid wood case goods, mostly Amish-made. While it isn't all my style, that is how we ended up with hand-me-downs, and so over the years my Dad has drilled into me to look for solid-built, solid wood quality. If not for the family discount on that front, my preferences might be different. To answer the question above about veneer - the reason why I excluded veneer is because they don't carry anything with particle board or veneer, but I also want to avoid veneer because in our current rental, two side tables that are not ours have nicks through the veneer that reveal the mdf or particle board underneath, and they just aren't wearing like the the 10+ year old coffee table we got from my parents, which still looks pretty perfect. Our pedestal breakfast table is the same one I sat at for dinner each night as a child, and other than the fact that it has been refinished once and that oak is currently off-trend, it looks pretty indestructible. I wouldn't pick the oak today, but the table has a nostalgia that will keep it with us. I hope to update the look a bit with upholstered chairs around it. If I could edit the thread list down after the fact, I would, but unfortunately it looks like the time window for changes has passed. Thanks again for all the reviews so far, it really helps to know what has worn well and what to look for... sounds like I may need to start looking at some estate sales and craiglist ads too......See More"Rigid sheet webbing" in $4000 Mitchell Gold sofa?
Comments (7)Mitchel gold use three types of suspension depending on the item. They primarily us a no sag sinuous spring, which is essentially s shaped wires stretched across the frame attached by clips to the sides. They also use "Pirelli Webbing" which are bands of elasticized cloth woven in a checkerboard. The webbing suspension is used in Europe. Here it is commonly found on dining room chairs. Personally I would not choose it. What they refer to as "Rigid Sheet Webbing" is really a material called Propex. Propex is the polypropylene material used under an 8 way hand tied suspension in which the steel banding used to support the 8 way hand tied springs rest on. I have not heard of using this for a suspension. I think they just use this for small chairs and I doubt they are using this in the sectional you are looking at. I would think they are using a sinuous spring in the sectional. A Propex only suspension would be very hard on your cushions as it wouldn't give and in my opinion it would cause excess pressure on the cushions causing them to wear out. They say they used hardwoods and plywood's in their frame but they go on to say the frames are cut by a computer "C and C router". You can't cut a 5/4 hardwood frame with a router very easily so in my opinion they are predominately using a plywood frame. A hardwood frame such as Maple or Poplar or Ash is preferable and the most durable. They do talk about environmental issues in construction, a 5/4 hardwood frame is naturally good for the environment as it is just wood and does not contain any glues or manmade materials...See MoreBuyer Beware! Vanguard Sectional Couch total failure1
Comments (4)Sabrina sorry you didn't have a good experience but personally I think Vanguard makes a very nice product, one of the best. Do your cushions have a foam core. All down cushions will pack down and they do become uncomfortable. A better choice is a mix of down, feathers and fiber in a mix of 50% down and feathers with about 80 to 90% feathers and the balance in down (10 to 20% of 50%) and 50% fiber. The best choice is a spring down mix suggested by Elite Interiors but with a 3/4" fiber wrap around the springs, followed by a few inches of high quality foam and then a down, feather and fiber wrap followed by a down proof ticking. In my opinion you made a good choice and I would say you did get a good value but that the cushions chosen were not the best option. Often times consumers think that is what they want. Your salesperson should have suggested some other options. However you can order new cushion cores. You might contact Vanguard customer service and see if they will sell you some at wholesale explaining your situation or go online and google a cushion replacement company of which their are several. If you go the down, feather and fiber route I think they are referred to as an envelope cushion. You might get these for about $100 each plus frt. You could also contact an upholsterer but expect to pay 2 to 3 times as much. A far as the time delay I might expect that there was a fabric delay from the Mill which can happen and is somewhat out of Vanguards control especially as they carry hundreds of fabrics and couldn't expect to have all of these in stock. I recently visited the High Point International Furniture show and carefully examined every high end fully upholstered furniture company. The two best in my opinion, Vanguard and Taylor King. I was taken on a tour of Vanguard by the owner of the company and found the presentation very impressive and well tailored....See MoreBest Furniture Brand
Comments (22)The following have solid reputations for quality and lasting craftsmanship (eight way hand tied, kiln dried hardwood frames, corner blocks, glued and doweled, etc.) Wesley Hall Taylor King Jessica Charles Hancock & Moore Hickory Chair Hickory White Lee Industries, which has a decent reputation, has some pieces available at Crate and Barrel. I've also heard good things about Stickley. Lexington could also be a contender. Some places to be careful of due to questionable construction/quality are West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Restoration Hardware. Basically, if the store can't tell you who made the piece and what methods were used, consider it a red flag. Here are a couple of other links to discussions about quality furniture I found useful. You may as well. [Middle to High End Upholstery[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/middle-to-high-end-upholstery-dsvw-vd~2371843) [Furniture 101[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/furniture-101-qanda-dsvw-vd~2371246)...See MoreRachel
3 years agoRachel
3 years agoChris T
3 years agoRachel
3 years agoRachel
2 years agoChris T
2 years agoIt has! Thank you for asking again. We are very happy with it! comfortable and appears to be good quality.
Sam Robi
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoSam Robi
2 years agoNancy M
2 years agoSam Robi -- I'm looking at Hickory White. They have a sofa style I like, just not as much as the "Blaine" by Wesley Hall. I'm simply not willing to try again with WH after seeing the tailoring on this sofa and hearing the owner of the furniture store defend it as "acceptable". Before ordering a new sofa, I'll be looking for a vintage sofa in a clean-lined style which I can have reupholstered. The quality of the frame, springs, and tailoring will be good if I can make that work.
Prior to buying the Wesley Hall, I had a nearly 20-year old sofa by Lancaster Furniture, also a NC company. At the time of that purchase, I was told they were known for excellent tailoring. That sofa looked like new (see photo) when I let it go -- well-constructed with 8-way hand-tied springs, mortise and tenon joinery, solid wood frame -- worthy of reupholstering. I just wanted a simpler style. Now I kinda wish I'd had it recovered.
Chris T
2 years agoSam Robi
2 years agoSam Robi
2 years agoChris T
2 years agoSam Robi
2 years agoChris T
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