I got my Taylor King sofa, Cozy Creations. I will get right to the point. The sofa was delivered with damage to the upper back of the sofa, two legs were damaged as well. The cushions were awful, and new ones were sent to me, but they were not much better, so I put foam in the top cushions, They sent an upholsterer, and he said my sofa needed work. Never heard from anyone again. To be fair it was the beginning of Covid. I really need another sofa, and of course it has to match. I will not order a sofa from Taylor King, but if there is a store with one on the floor, with my fabric "Bayou Porcelain" and the dye lot is a good match, it would work. Duane Collie I wish I liked the fabric on the sofa you had on your floor, it looked much better than the one I received. If you get this sofa, in good shape with my fabric, please reach out to me. Of course that would be almost impossible, Regards, Chris

I can suggest what we did -- we went with a moderately priced leather (leather match -- the back and sides are actually a matching vinyl but 12 years later they still look like the seats -- just less worn) when my youngest was probably in 1st grade -- he's in college now. We have two boys and they grew up with the sectional, DH came and took breaks from working in the yard, and two dogs acquired along the way sometimes came in and hopped up before we noticed they'd been in the pool or dirt. I can't think of anything else that would have lived with us so well, been so comfortable that I fell asleep on it the first day we had it and it's still comfortable. Our sectional is a Lane and I've been surprised to see people calling them junk, but we bought it 12-13 years ago and things may have changed since then. It wasn't top of the line -- the leather match takes it out of that category, but the leather and the vinyl have not given us any problems, Everything other than the Sharpie mark left when my youngest fell asleep while working on homework cleaned up easily, and I even got out the Sharpie. I will stop short of recommending Lane because the reviews now seem universally poor, but I do think it makes sense to go with a modest (not cheap) to mid-range sectional. I wouldn't look at top dollar or maybe even your top budget unless you know you aren't going to be moving for a number of years (the size of configuration might be all wrong for the next house). We are looking at Omnia at a local dealer. If you don't have a local dealer, there are some locations you can purchase online (including limited models from Wayfair. They are full leather -- not match and made in USA. They have non-reclining sectionals in your price range. All the ones we've sat on have been very comfortable. We have ruled a few out because the backs are shorter. Your DH may like the split cushion back -- they sit 2" taller. My 6'4" sons liked them. Macy's also has some leather sectionals that are sofas and loveseats with a corner wedge. That means have two arms on both sides and can separate them -- even use them separately or in the reverse configuration if you move. I prefer not to have the arms inside the sectional and they don't fit our space anyway, so they aren't an option for us, but I've sat on them and they are very comfortable too. Hope that helps.

Clint Eastwood... Here is an example of Hickory Manor... http://www.hickorymanor.com/products/productList.php?category_id=2&location=minnesota Just realize that it is King Hickory with a different brand name. The specs are the exact same, and the brochures in the stores are exactly the same except they change the manufacturer name to Hickory Manor and also change the style names. Same product, same manufacturer, just re-branded so you can't compare different retailers as easily. Your region may have stores with King Hickory re-branded with another name as well. If you are looking at the KH Winston and feel it is too big (as we did), look at the KH Bentley. The footprint is smaller and we felt it was more comfortable because the depth was not as deep. Construction is the same, just a smaller footprint. Here are some links... King Hickory: Bentley... http://www.kinghickory.com/img/uploads/PopImage/42/image.pdf Winston... http://www.kinghickory.com/img/uploads/PopImage/55/image.pdf See this thread as well... [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/my-experience-with-smith-brothers-of-berne-in-dsvw-vd~2381070[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/my-experience-with-smith-brothers-of-berne-in-dsvw-vd~2381070) Our local retailer was reluctant to drop the price as low as Lexington furniture. We negotiated for over an hour. They kept coming back with "we have a better warranty" or we use better delivery people etc. In the end they matched the $3,400 price when were going to walk out, but we had to pay tax. We felt the extra 6% was worth it to be able to deal with a local company. Still, far better than the $5,100 retail, or $4,400 sale price they offered. By the way you can order the KH Katherine with a one arm chase, so both you and your wife would be happy, see the below link... http://www.kinghickory.com/img/uploads/PopImage/50/image.pdf

Jan Moyer you are right on the money. Every single manufacturer knows how to build an upholstered piece the right way, it's not a secret and it's not rocket science. However this is a price-driven industry and the consumer demands lower prices, so most these companies respond accordingly. There are only two ways to lower the cost of the build 1) Reduce you labor costs 2) Reduce your material costs. You take it out of the craftsmanship or the materials. A manufacturer will decide what level they want to produce at - and then target the build to that price point. This is very much a time-business as well, so they are always looking for ways to make it faster to save on labor cost to meet target goals. The result is shortcuts and elimination of time-honored techniques and materials. How much can they eliminate in the cost to build is a meeting they have in staff every single week? Dealers demand it because they have the pressure from the retail consumer. However, everything they reduce - takes away from the quality of the build in one form or another. At some point down the line, they're are producing junk that goes to the landfill rather quickly. Companies that are publicly held and traded on the stock market are under enormous pressure to maximize profits for stockholders. Those that are privately held much less so, depending on what the owner wants to do. Best example I know of this is Hancock and Moore, which was started by Jack Glasheen and Jimmy Moore when they were fed up with the cutbacks at Classic Leather in the early 1980's and decided to go out together and build a new company that doesn't take shortcuts. I know both of them quite well personally and they have never wavered in the quest to build the best in the industry and also take care of any issues that may pop up from time to time. They very soon took over from Classic Leather as the # 1 builder in the USA. Jack and Jimmy retired a few years ago and sold the company, but not just to anyone. There were many who wanted to buy it, but they would only sell to someone who has the same beliefs and would continue the legacy of the build. That was Alex Shuford at Century, who runs his companies the same way. That's why H&M is now a part of Rock House Brands, the parent holding company. I don't carry poor or mediocre brands in my store. I know what makes a good piece of furniture in the 34th year of doing this and I build relationships with both my suppliers and customers, not just "make sales". I know that cheap sofas go to the landfill quickly, good ones actually cost less over time as they are serviceable for many years. It's my job to show clients what makes a good piece of furniture and what they are getting for their money so they can make an informed decision. Knowledge is Power. Empower the consumer through education, which is also why I participate in forums like this and run one myself. How strongly do I believe in that? I even have a cut-away of a Hancock and Moore chair in my store that I had custom made to show those interested how its made. Once you know the right way to do it, it's easy to spot the poorly made stuff. For the most part "you get what you pay for" in this industry. - Duane Collie