Normally if a local store is not competitive, there are one of two reasons: 1) The store owner has not adapted to current market conditions. Quite simply, as the profit margins move downward - and they have - they have not revised their business structure to capture sales that would otherwise go to out-of-area dealers. Some store owners insist on adhering to a margin-based price structure and will not adjust. The smart businessman NEVER lets a customer walk out to do business out-of-area. I know a number of store owners who are hard-headed and won't adapt. Its up to you, their local customer, to bring in a price quote and show them that they need to match it or you'll go elsewhere. If enough customers do that, they'll get the message. But if you never tell them, then they don't know. 2) Some furniture makers have a 2-tier price structure. Small stores don't get as large a discount from the maker as larger ones do. Typically its based on dollar-volume sold, or number of pieces put on the floor. So there is a chance that within a certain brand line that you local dealer is paying more for the goods than a larger, out-of-state discounter. This happens to me with Southwood Furniture as an example. My cost basis is 10 % less than the big store in the next county because they do more volume by accident than I do working hard at it. Still they get the volume price and I don't. Nevertheless, I adapt (being a savvy dealer!) and match price or go under them everyday. It results in thin margins, and it does not exactly make me want to invest in a lot of their product for the floor. Personally, I think it a bad policy from the makers as it tends to keep the little guys small regardless of how hard they work for the brand and limits floor exposure for their dealership network. Walk your best price into your local dealer and tell them in no uncertain terms they need to beat it. See what happens! Keep in mind however, that local sales tax is not something that your hometown store cannot waive and should be factored out when price shopping (the flip side of this is that these taxes do come back into your community infrastructure when you buy locally). Duane Collie

I have a brown leather sofa in a room with gray walls and white trim and I love it. I have warm (mahogany and cherry) wood furniture as well. I think the contrast of warm and cool is great, just be sure to repeat it somewhere so it's not just one single element that stands out. I think wood floors will go a long way (preferably with a rug under the sectional).

Beverly, I love the second on the right and the third on the left!! Yes, when Gardenweb joined with Houzz I had already created a separate Gardenweb account with an old email. Apparently my phone is linked to one, computer linked to the other. I couldn't figure out why I was getting emails saying I had commented on my own post!! :P

Leather is easier to maintain than fabric. The problem is all the sweat/drool/other biological fluids, hair, fur, skin flakes, food particles that are going to get on the couch surface. With fabric, they will seep through and/or become trapped in the fabric fibers. Unless you can completely remove the fabric cover, your fabric will eventually smell and look gross. Spot cleaners (e.g., Bissell) will work to remove stains but they’re not for deep cleaning. Leather is easy to wipe clean. I do a weekly wipe with a rag moistened with soapy water, then wipe with a rag moistened with clean water (repeat several times). Leather conditioning is necessary if u want the leather to look good for a long time. An alternative is polyurethane/vinyl/etc. (leather look, if u prefer). That’s cheaper than leather and waterproof so it’s much easier to keep clean. You can have a go on it with soap/detergent (but don’t pour water on it. The seams are not waterproof.)