IMHO, antiques are a bad idea. They are investments, not something you use. Chairs and such are usually quite uncomfortable, finishes don’t hold up as well, etc.
Buy furniture that you will feel happy using. If you like antiques, store them in the attic, don’t try to live with them.
Ordered the sofa and loveseat tonight. We found a leather furniture store while on the way to a different store, and found just the type of salesman we were looking for: extremely knowledgeable, but never the least bit pushy. They actually do the manufacturing of some of the products themselves, although not what we ended up buying.
And what a deal we got! The sofa and loveseat together are $300 less than the cuh-rap at Wickes, and incomparable in quality. The pieces we bought were 100% top grain leather (including the back and sides, where some sofas are imitation), had removeable cushions that are secured in place with a snap buckle and velcro (discreetly, not tackily, placed), cushions with zippers filled with replaceable padding, kiln-dried hardwood frame, lifetime frame warranty, 5 year cushion/sag warranty, a top-end spring system (the name of which I’ve forgotten, but recognized from my reading), and it includes leather care coverage (if, say, my cat’s claws puncture it, it can be replaced/repaired for free during the seven year covered period).
It’s been a very educational past few days. Truly elucidating. Lesson learned: Wickes is extremely overpriced, but nice looking, cuh-rap. (With just a one-year retailer’s warranty…WTF is up with that!)
Never store antiques in the attic. It’s one of the worst possible environments for them.
If you want to ensure future preservation, keep antiques in an area which is climate (and, ideally, humidity) controlled.
Let me guess… The Leather Factory? 