So what exactly has been snuck? Buttons on the sectional back? Awesome, sheer genius... and all done with a little particle board!

I second that. This really is not good quality. You are essentially throwing your $$$ away because they have some how managed to convince you this is style/quality.

I'm confused, since when is Room & Board considered "not good quality"?

Random nastiness by people who don't know what store R&B is, since their furniture is largely solid wood and not outstandingly expensive.

Relax Wende, I was making a joke cuz the photo looks pretty much like one from last years catalog and they say their frames are made of hardwood (which is good to know).

But FYI there has been a bru ha ha about a well known high end modern furniture shop in the UK, the Loft, which lost a recent court case for a very expensive repro of a modern classic sofa that turned out to be made largely with particle board.

http://www.loftonline.net/about.htm

When you buy fully upholstered furniture you need to be aware of what is UNDER the upholstery and be secure that it is well made out of the best materials. Particle board furniture has it's place and price (IKEA) but not in high end furniture costing thousands.

R&B says their frames are hardwood and that's a good thing but we as consumers need to be aware of these issues to ask the right questions and demand the appropriate quality for the price. Ask what the frame is made of and get that in writing. Ask if you can see a piece W/O the upholstery. As they used to say 'kick the tires and look under the hood'.

I recent national financial publication, Money or Forbes, recently purchased furniture from that large national brands. Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and Room & Board. They then took all of this furniture to North Carolina and had furniture makers take the stuff apart to understand what consumers were purchasing. In case after case these experts found that the quality of furniture was low to the prices charged. Darker stains were notted as a way to cover inferior and unmatched woods. Verneers were so thin that any scratch went through the finish. Joints were not properly constructed for lasting use.

Additionally, the article noted that all of these retailers had shifted there pricing over the last five years to higher margins.

The only national brand to past this test was Ethan Allen. Granted it may not be your style but you are getting what you pay for.

I have a piece by Room & Board purchased years ago. This thing is solid cherry and solid as a rock. But in the intervening years ALL of these manufactuers have lower quality and raised price. The real point of my earlier post, and JC's comment, is to be aware. We know were Ikea stands but these other retailers are masking inferior quality. Be aware. Ask question and buy for the long term. Quality materials and items are true sustainability!

Ty, I don't suppose you have a link to that article or can give me an idea of the month it was published?

It sounds like an interesting read.

Thanks!

TY, I think this is it?

http://www.forbes.com/bow/b2c/category.jhtml?id=122

Ty,
I saw a similar piece on television.
My understanding is that the government regulations for furniture has 'softened' to the point that there is no definition of descriptions such as 'leather' or 'hardwood'. Without this vinyl can be called leather and plywood can be called hardwood and in at least some cases with 'high end'national chains this is true.
Let's face it, how would we know if the frame is oak until you take it in to be reupholstered?

I was rudely awakened to the inferior quality of Crate and Barrel sofas earlier this year when I purchased the "Petrie" sofa and ottoman, only to have the stiching coming out and the buttons loosening within a few weeks of delivery. After I complained, the store exchanged the sofa for an identical one, claiming that they had "never had a problem like this." One month to the day that the 2nd sofa arrived, it was unraveling at the seams as well. I sent it back and got a refund (less the delivery charges) and now stand officially disillusioned about C&B.

Okay, so you're telling me that you're attacking Room & Board as poor quality not because *they* have poor quality, but because Crate & Barrel does?

Whatever.

Now Wende, don’t get your panties in a bunch, nobody attacked R & B based on a bad C & B experience. We're just saying that there is mounting evidence that many high end furniture retailers in this country and others are having serious issues with quality control.

The burden is now on you, the consumer, to be a better informed shopper and not succumb to slick marketing and glossy catalogs. There's a lot more to good furniture than what you see on the surface.

I looked at C&B sofas before I bought mine, and I wasn't impressed. The stitching along the sides was not even and that for me was even a telltale sign that the quality wasn't fantastic. I bought my sofa at R&B and I'm happy with it, the lines are straight and so far, a year and a half later or so, it's still in perfect condition. Granted, I'm not hard on things, but the fabric is fantastic, it's comfortable and stylish, and for an affordable price as far as I'm concerned. I'm not rich and I could afford it easily.

I forgot to mention, if you go to the R&B store, at least on Michigan Avenue, they have fantastic sales people who will discuss how it's made and you can actually go online I think and figure out the furniture makers who make R&B's stuff and find out the woods used and the materials. R&B as far as I know say they are committed to offering fairly made furniture at fair prices.

Room and Board's furniture is top quality for the money. Remember, folks, you are not going to a Merchandise Mart!
Go into any store, and any Design Associate will gladly show you a cushion from a sofa and print up a cross section of one of their sofa frames.
They have nothing to hide and really want to educate their clients.