One last thing:
Ask your salesman about what to look for in leather furniture before you buy. If he doesn’t know these points, or gets it wrong, consider taking your business elsewhere. These are things that are supposed to be part of basic training in this field.
Sorry about the triple post!
Hello Dopers,
I’m Nashiitashii’s fiancee, long time lurker; and went by DeaganThe Wolf, way back when the 'Dope was still free. I’ll have to get myself a paid acct soon…
Anyway, I’ll be happy to entertain any other questions you might have regarding furniture, or anything else for that matter.
When shopping for cushions, look for virgin, high density polyurethane foam. This prevents the sagging of the cushions. Recylced foam often contains dirt, clay or even sand to increase the density, but this actually causes crumbling over time. If you can see the support system in your sofa, look to see of the springs or coils are stapled to the frame, or run through it to tie off. Staples are cheaper and pull loose if you ride your furiture hard.
-Cheers!
Scan is a company that actually started out as a grocery cooperative and then branched out into selling Scandinavian furniture. They have beautiful stuff, though as you’ve seen, some of it is made in other places these days as well. We’ve got a cabinet DH bought from them years ago that’s made of rosewood and the figuring on the front panels (which slide) is just gorgeous. Thing’s a bitch to move though (heavy).
it is my understanding (from friends who are in interior design) that chintz is the only fabric that is somewhat cat proof. it is very difficult for them to get thier wee pointy claws into.
chintz does have a “grandmom” “foo foo” reputation. rich corinthian leather, on the other hand, has a more macho rep. but can be rent by felines.
Hey thanks everyone, especially Nashiitashii and Acid Lamp.
I have a question about (I know, not leather related) about Cherry Wood furniture. While I’m willing to put out some cash for leather, I really don’t care about my bedroom set. However, I realize that I need one as my current dresser (actually older than me) finally broke. I like the way cherry wood looks. I went on craigslist and someone posted that there is scam regarding cherry wood, but fails to elaborate. Is there something I should be looking for in furnture, other than no pressed wood? I would like solid wood furniture, but it seems so expensive.
Maybe they mean this. Funny though, would anyone think that something they bought at Kmart would be solid wood?
And yes, solid wood is going to be very expensive. My husband is a woodworker and bought some wormy maple to make me a small CD box and just the wood for that was over $100.
Solid wood is usually quite expensive, however the quality and lifetime of the pieces will far exceed that of toss-away furniture. If you are just after the look, go for the presswood and veneered stuff. While you’ll shell out good for solid wood, it’s worth it. Just be sure that you’ll want it for a long time because your stuck with it.