Hi guys.
Currently looking at a new sofa. I have used the usual suspects:
Sofology
DFS
SCS
Where do you guys recommend buying from? Some prices are extortionate...
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Hi guys.
Currently looking at a new sofa. I have used the usual suspects:
Sofology
DFS
SCS
Where do you guys recommend buying from? Some prices are extortionate...
Not that I have much expertise on this subject, though probably none of those. Marketing, obscene markups, showrooms etc. I look forward to other response(s).
DFS always have a sale on, and are cheap, but quality may be lacking. I got a couple of sofas from them when I got my first flat, and they were comfy, but felt a bit fragile. Saying that, they lasted more than 8 years and a house move, until my wife decided she wanted to have a corner unit.
SCS I'm not massively familiar with, but from a quick peruse of one of their showrooms a few years ago, they are very similar to DFS.
Sofology seem to be a bit better quality, but the prices reflect this...
Saying that, this is something you're going to be using every day for a good few years, may as well spend a bit more to get that extra quality...
I agree on the spend more for quality argument. Just keen to get recommendations to ensure I'm not wasting my time looking at those 3 big companies.
Why have you sued them?
We used Sofaworks or Multiyork... one of the many sofa options at Forbury Retail Park. The wife uses it, so she did all the shopping while I merely got dragged around dozens of sofa shops not caring about colour or anything. She eventually found one she's happy with and tends not to get taken for rides, usually managing to haggle them down as well.
I got my sofas from DFS almost 5 years ago, I got a 5 year care/guarantee package thrown in and they upgraded the leather from "very thin" to "quite thin" for free.
It's been very good to be fair, comfy, tough and looks good. All the recliners still work fine (one electric one not). Probably was expensive for what it is, but at least it was easy and 4 years interest free to spread the cost out.
I got 3 electric recliners (2x2 seaters and 1x1 seater) 10 years ago. They're still going strong, although I've had to buy a couple of new transformers. They've had a particularly hard life, with 3 babies and a large dog in addition to me and the Mrs. They weren't as cheap as DFS, but considering the beating they've taken, they've lasted really well.
Sofas (and chairs) is a tricky one, not least because much of the "quality" is invisible - i.e. hidden under fabric, etc.
For instance, a recent consumer program complaint about a collapsed armrest that, it turned out, consisted largely of cardboard.
So .... a lot depends on your plans for the sofa. If it's 2 or 3 years 'til you moce house, cheap-ish may be best. But a "quality" sofa is something your grandkids can inherit .... albeit perhaps recovered every 20 years or so.
My current lounge suite (sofa, three large chairs) must be 30 years old, and is getting to need reuphosltering. A fee springs have been replaced over the years. But the frames etc are built solidly and will probably outlast me.
So buy cheap, buy often. But if you want to change style to suit a home, that may be what you need. Or buy quality, but buy once. At a price.
Those suppliers? Never used 'em, because never been impressed.
Who did I use? Damned if I can remember, but it was a small, local outfit that may not even still be there. Units were custom-built though, measured for seat length, etc, to suit individuals and built to order. We were shown round the factory, invited to inspect construction methods and materials, etc. If I can find the invoice, I'll let you know (if you want).
One thing I, personally, would be very wary about is companies that want payment, in full, in advance. I won't do that at all, but if you do, ONLY EVER do so on credit card.
We definitely want a quality sofa. We currently have one and have had it for about four years and three moved houses. Now that we own this house and are intending to stay, we want to buy our 'real ' sofa!
I want one that is comfortable and won't have foam that wears down in a year lol. We also want fabric. Not a fan of leather. Currently looking at a corner sofa, a single recliner and a 'cuddle' sofa (lol).
I've wandered around these people a couple of times. The quality seemed higher than the ones you mentioned, but so were the prices !
https://www.furniturevillage.co.uk/
Ended up getting one from Laura Ashley in a shop refurbishment sale.
Ah, I see!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by neonplanet40
Sorry, I was imagining you being blacklisted and refused entry to all these shops, as an infamous habitually litigious troublemaker, or something!! :lol:
"Sofas-R-Us? Nope - Been there, done them, got the lawsuit"!!
Ever thought about designing your own sofa to your own requirements? https://www.nabru.co.uk/ I used them for my last sofa 6 years ago. Was able to design it to fit the space I had perfectly and price wise was OK. Still got the sofa, although having to construct it yourself is a novel experience.
I bought a 2 and 3 seater from Next last year.
I didn't choose online though, i went into the store so that i could see the sofa before deciding to buy.
http://www3.next.co.uk/homeware/sofa-collection
More then likely Multiyork, they have since gone bust and had their assests absorbed by DFS, same as Sofology who are also now owned by DFS.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saracen
From personal experiance i would recommend a few makes depending on your budget.
Buoyant - www.buoyant-upholstery.co.uk/
Going to be the most afforableable but will lack some of the quality of others.
Ashley Manor - http://www.ashleymanor.co.uk/
Sold these for quite a few years, never had one back quality was very good for the price and nothing was too much for the company, we could pick up the phone for extra fabric, fillings, different options without any problems.
Mark Webster - https://markwebster.co.uk/upholstery/
Some seriously well built bits of kit but you do pay for them.
Duresta - https://www.duresta.com/
Extremely well built sofas but you will pay through the roof, offer tradition options such as a front sprung edge, loads of colours, feet options etc.
Natuzzi - http://www.natuzzi.co.uk/
Prepare to pay upwards of £5k for the combination of what you are after but you will struggle to find better looking sofas.
Generally speaking if you are looking otherwise you want a hardwood frame thats either screwed & glued or stapled and dowelled also, feathers always beat fibre fill for cushions as they retain their shape longer but do require more work, if its fibre try and get Dacron which is a trademarked fibre and generally lasts longer, for seats you want a cold cure foam, means its cast from liquid not cut off a block, its much stronger and will last longer.
I don't think so. I'm sure I'll know the name when I see it, and that rings a bell, but not as the supplier we used. I could be wrong, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jasp
Good names and good tips there. Thanks.
We bought a sofa bed from Ponsfords in Sheffield a couple if years ago. Upper mid-range pricing (around £2000) but it's held up very well and I've been very satisfied for the price, manufacturer was Fama (model was Bolero for reference), based on Spain. You can see their range here:
https://www.fama.es/inicio-en.html
IMO don't go for any of those
go for a custom one made locally [will not be cheap but will be excellent]
or if you want a cheap one nip down to your local charity shop and get something from there
or something like
https://www.swooneditions.com/sofas [no a recommendation]
I've had a few catalogue and DFS types over the years, all rubbish, not lasted long at all.
About 4 years ago, we decided to get something better. Spent some time looking round a local independent furniture company's showroom.
We found a Parker Knoll one we really liked, not cheap! What I did was then go away and found a good deal online, took the quote back to the local company and they matched it.
Very happy with what we've got now, feels very strurdy, and still very comfortable 4 years on. I have a feeling it will last a good amount of time.
Look locally first.Quote:
Originally Posted by neonplanet40
DFS/SCS is more or less the same.
Thread revival I know. Thanks for the help all. Due to other work, getting a sofa was delayed. Only just got round to it now. We bought local in the end. Made in the UK. Just waiting on delivery. 8 weeks or so :(
Now I just need to find a new entertainment unit for the tv. Nice and modern looking. Dark colours. Perhaps glossy.
Funnily enough, we are in the process of finalising the order to have our existing suite re-upholstered. Just finalising some fabric changes due to not being happy with "actual" samples.
Maybe I ought to explain that.
You pick fabric(s) from hundreds of options from a load of different fabric companies and are then sent "sample" pieces from stock. Once you order, the actual cloth that will be used is bought in, and you are sent an "actual"- sample from the roll(s) that will be used for your furniture, in case there are any differences to stock samples.
There was, on one fabric.
That caused significant problems, and about 2 months of delay, but finally we think we have "actual" samples we're happy with.
So then, our suite is collected (loan furniture left) and taken away. It's stripped diwn to bare wood. Any damage repaired, joints reglued/screwed, resprung, webbing replaced, and any damaged, flattened or degraded padding replaced, and the whole thing brought up to current stsndards in safety, fire-retardancy, etc.
Apart from minor cosmetic design features, it's rebuilt like-for-like. That is, no modifying of shaping, etc, but rebuilt to essentually look the same, but new fabric. Those minor changes could be repkscing old-fadhioned tassels with a "skirt", or twisted cord with single-colour piping, etc. But essentially, it's the same design.
This process is extremely labour intensive and, believe me, is not cheap. Put it this was, we could have brought a brand G-Plan suite, inclyding electric recliners, for less. And as for DFS, etc, from what I've seen, price up a suite then triple it. Or more.
It isn't worth it for a suite that was cheap to hegin with.
BUT .... we have a suite that, first, was custom-built (to body measurements) in the first place, and second, was very solidly constructed. It's now some 30 years old, some springs need replacing and some of the fabric is starting to look a little worn. It's also higjly due for a modernisation, colour-wise.
But the structure is rock solid, all solid wood built (no cardboard, chipboard, MDF, etc., and most importantly, we like it and find it extremely confortable.
My opinion, based on quite a bit of hunting around and question-asking, is that very few modern factory-built suites are built the way they were even 20 years ago. Prices may be very competitive, but at the cost of quality and solidity, even in fairly 'high-end' furniture.
We found ONE suite we actually felt was comparable in build and confort. Trouble is, and the name escapes me, it was premium, Italian, and a like-for-like replacement woukd have been about £15k.
And no, that isn't a typo.
Which is why I said earlier in this thread that, in addition to being prepared to pay fir it, this route is for people intending to keep a suite long-term, or prepared to pay several grand every few years to change the colour. We got this suite nearly 30 years and hope to never change it again. That means the current not inconsiderable fost should, hopefully, be it, for life. Not hunting around maybe every 3-5 years.
That doesn't suite everybody.
But if you have, ir can get, a really well-built older and comfortable suite, consider it. It ain't cheap, but it's hopefully a very infrequently repeated expense.
And it sure beats traipsing around numerous furniture shops. :D
I have a sofa that I purchased back in 2000. I ordered it with leather like rhino-butt....it's tough. I had dogs.
the years roll on.. dogs die... move house and think... I will upgrade soon.
Then I decided a dog was more important... it should do a few more years :)
we went with DFS. Lasted ok so far but no psycho pets/reckless kiddies or the like to abuse it.
Choose carefully some sofas are better than others. Ask to see inside the covers. It tells you a lot. (not all can do this, but the one we got you could unzip the liner at the base)
Wait for a sale. Do not buy the list price. If it's at the list price it's because they're going to put it in a sale. Know what you want and wait for it to appear. The scotch guard treatment is worth it for fabric. The easy slide ptfe feet are not worth it. If you need them buy your own on Amazon. They gave us pads that were far too small for the size of the feet. Not impressed with that. Everything else was fine.
as someone else said this is definitely one to put on the credit card.
Also remember to ask about delivery - as in physically getting it into your house and then into the room in question. We got a sofa where the arms are separate unboltable pieces from the main part. It's the only reason it got in. If we'd got the other one we were looking at that didn't do that we would have been stuffed.
oh, picking up on an old thread I struggled to find before - I asked my folks who they used to re-foam theirs and 1) it took 3 goes to get right 2) they have now gone bust. Hence sorry, not able to come good on the promise to forward you their details. (though I'm guessing you'd realised that already)Quote:
Originally Posted by Saracen
I had assumed so, yeah. Not a problem. We went with Plumbs anyway and, so far, it certainly hasn't been the smooth customer-centric experience we were led to expect. Nonethless, we'll see when we get the final, completed product.Quote:
Originally Posted by ik9000
Would I use Plumbs again? Well, experuence so far puts that in question but, again, it depends on the final product.
What I would say is that it's not a cheap service and, generally, when paying a premium price for a product or service I expect to get permium service. The airlines or at least the onss I've used, charge substantially for 1st class but you get hand-held, fuss minimised and oh-so pampered ... in as far as is possible on a flight. Ever stayed at the Savoy? Again, premium service but at a price.
The examples are numerous and I'm still hoping that the final product will be as good as others that have used them, including the in-laws, have said, in which case maybe I'd use them again, but so far .... not impressed. Except for the local 'consultant'. She's been exemplary. It's HQ that have been the pain in what I expect to be resting in my reupholstered chair
what? A daschund? :shocked2:Quote:
Originally Posted by Saracen999