Friday, July 12, 2013

Sofa Hunt 2013 Part II

The Metro sofa by La-Z-boy
As I mentioned in my Tuesday post, Husband and I recently purchased a new couch; it was a process that took a lot longer than I expected. In that post, I highlighted the top three stores that we checked out while on Sofa Hunt 2013. In this one, it’s time to look at some of the other shops we checked out.

La-Z-Boy
I know, I know, you’re thinking, “La-Z-Boy? Why would you go there?” Well, we went there because I've heard a lot of good things about La-Z- Boy products.

And it turns out that La-Z-Boy sofas are quite nice, if you’re looking for a cozy, classic-looking sofa. We weren't, so we ended up passing on this store but depending on your taste, this shop might have the sofa for you. While there aren't a ton of style choices, most are available in various sizes/configurations and most can be created in one of La-Z-Boy’s dozens of fabric options.

La-Z-Boy prices are a bit on the high side but the store does regularly have great sales. It also has some very relaxed salespeople who don’t finish off the answer to a question with, “So should I place an order for this product for you?”

The Chesterfield Shop
This place reminded me a lot of La-Z-Boy but with better selection and lower prices. However, unlike La-Z-Boy, it does source its furniture from multiple manufacturers. This means that it can be harder to determine anecdotal quality since your friend’s Chesterfield Shop sofa might have been made in a different factory than where the sofa you’re considering will be made.

The Brick & Leon’s
I’m lumping these two stores together because they basically deliver the same things: Pushy salespeople and reasonably priced furniture that while fine, just didn't wow Husband or I.

We bought our current sofa from Leon’s, mainly because it was one of the few places where we could find a comfy sofa bed that didn't break the bank. While the fabric looks a bit rough in spots (completely our fault), there’s nothing actually wrong with it and we will be keeping when we move (it will find a new home down in the basement).

I mention this because while doing research on these two companies, I read a lot of negative reviews on their furniture quality, as well as about The Brick and Leon’s service and delivery time. While our couch was delivered several hours late, we didn't, and haven’t, had any other problems with our sofa.

The Karlstad by Ikea; it's just over a grand
Depending on your budget and what you’re after, you might want to stop by these two stores. Just be sure to read the fine print on any documents you sign while making your purchase.

Ikea
Hey, it wouldn't be a Sofa Hunt without a trip to Ikea!

I know that Ikea gets a lot of grief when it comes to their quality but personally I've never had any real issues with stuff I've bought from there (however, I have never bought a couch from Ikea).  The prices are always great and while the designs are often on the simple side, they’re generally modern-looking and often come with practical features like easy-to-wash slipcovers.

While we didn't end up going with Ikea, I would definitely recommend that you at least check it out, especially if you’re on a budget.

We also checked out a bunch of other stores including Pavilion, Urban Brick, West Elm and a bunch along Dundas East in Mississauga that I can’t remember the names of. Some of them, like Pavilion, had great-looking sofas but were just too pricey for us. Others, like the Urban Brick and many of the Mississauga stores, just offered slight variations on the same basic designs. And while many of those designs are fine looking, they just weren't what Husband and I wanted.

This is where I would post of photo of our new couch if I could find one but I can’t. I will though post a photo of the finished product once we have it.

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