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How Much Do I Need to Spend to Get a Good Quality Sofa?
High quality fabric sofas, that are both comfortable and long lasting (15+ years) are available beginning at $2500.
When Did Furniture Makers Stop Using Horsehair in Sofas?
Horse hair is still used in a few ultra-high end custom-built traditional pieces. When found in old sofas by a reupholsterer, it is usually replaced with far cheaper materials such as foam, polyester fiber, or cotton batting.
Is Parker House Furniture Made in America? What Kind of Foam Do They Use?
Parker House is a wholesaler. They import furniture from multiple Asian sources and warehouse it for resale to U.S. retailers. Very few specifications are given, but the foam used for seat cushions is probably 1.8 density.
Jackson Catnapper: Do They Make Good Quality Furniture?
Jackson Catnapper reclining furniture is basically generic mass produced manual and power reclining furniture. What distinguishes Catnapper from its competition is the coil spring cushion construction.
Why is the Leather on my Costco Amax Sofa Wrinkling?
Puddling (wrinkling) is a common problem with leather furniture at all prices. It’s not considered a defect. One way to minimize this problem is to move around and not constantly sit in the same part of the sofa. “Fluff up” your cushions periodically.
Is Smith Brothers furniture well-built and a good value?
Smith Brothers furniture is built to last 20+ years. Frames are solid hardwood. Foundations are made with coil springs. The Qualux Ultra cushion upgrades are 2.75 density foam.
Bassett vs. Flexsteel – Which Leather is Better?
Bassett and Flexsteel use similar quality leathers for their mass produced furniture. These are corrected top grain leathers. The imperfect natural grain has been sanded away and replaced with a better looking engraved grain pattern.
Will American Heritage Leather Sectionals Last 15+ Years?
American Heritage is a high quality private label brand owned by Leathershoppes. Several other high quality leather brands are also listed in this article.
Comparing Mattresses: Are 50% Off Discounts Really Bargains?
Mattress retailers artificially inflate suggested retail prices to offer phony discounts of 50% or more. A former buyer for a major furniture retail chain shows how mattress sellers manipulate prices for their Mattress Sales.
I Need a Sectional for an Odd Shaped Room! Can you Help?
Furnishing rooms with unusual shapes may require professional interior design assistance. There are thousands of independent interior design professionals. Some high end retailers offer free interior design assistance.
Where Can I Find Replacement Cushions for My Old Couch?
Question: We are looking for replacement cushions for two sofas we purchased approximately 10 years ago. Within 4-5 years of purchasing the sofas, we noticed the seat cushions on both couches were not very supportive….
How Do I Fix a Sofa That Leans Forwards?
Question: My sofa leans forward. Is there a diy fix I can try? Thanks. Answer: If your legs are screw-on, the simple fix is to buy new front legs that are 1 inch higher than…
Jeff Frank is a 45-year veteran of the furniture industry.
He has worked directly with hundreds of manufacturers, retailers, designers, and suppliers.
Jeff’s manufacturing company, Simplicity Sofas, founded in 2007, won the $20,000 Grand Prize in a 2012 nationwide competition for “Most Innovative U.S. Small Business.”
Simplicity Sofas was one of the first furniture manufacturers to sell Direct to Consumer. The brand was selling nearly 100% of sales through its online website several years before Amazon and Wayfair popularized the concept.
After 15 years, Jeff retired from Simplicity Sofas to devote full time to this Insider’s Guide to Furniture blog.
Over his career, Jeff has been directly involved in all aspects of furniture manufacturing, retailing (both stores and online), and product design.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Jeff was a Buyer for a major furniture retail chain, purchasing over $200 million of furniture & mattresses.
As a Buyer, Jeff negotiated with hundreds of large & small furniture manufacturers. He also set pricing for Special Sales Events and the everyday showroom prices.
Other responsibilities included merchandising, advertising, customer service, and more.
In between Jeff’s work as a Buyer and his ownership of a furniture manufacturing firm, he formed a product design team that created a new type of modular, ready to assemble furniture.
Jeff has received 7 patents. 5 of these were licensed to a major furniture manufacturer, accounting for over $40 million in sales.
Jeff has been writing about the furniture industry for over a decade.
He has published more than 2000 articles & reviews, with over 2 million views.
The Insiders Guide To Furniture includes over 500 articles and reviews. Several of these are constantly being re-written and updated.
Research is ongoing. Jeff visits the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina to view new products. He also speaks frequently with factory executives.
He is happy to receive your Ask the Expert questions about product quality & value, brand comparisons, design & construction, costs & pricing, customer service & warranty issues, and many more furniture-related topics.