apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Paul-
Did the couch have any excessive use, or did it just naturally flatten out? Also- when I look at the homereserve pictures again, the couches look small! Are they comfortable (height wise) to sit on? Or is it almost like those weird dorm air blown furniture?? I still haven't bought one yet, but my older brother lives in SF in an apartment with no elevators! So I'm still considering getting one for him.

I can't imagine that these are comfortable at all... the ottoman is a good deal though!

I've lived here for fifteen years and have repeatedly made the cardinal mistake--not buying the very best the first time. Now my apartment looks run down and the lack of quality shows. It's depressing at best.

There is an adage-- "Cheap things cost more in the long run." Methinks I'll replace things one by one, with quality pieces, as my budget allows.

I agree w/ buying quality, but at the same time say you are moving into a rental- the sofas and loveseats offered here are cheap, and you wouldn't need to use a "break-down" service, they cost almost the same as the break-down service. This is definitely filling a niche- they don't look that bad, you can choose your fabric- it's definitely a great idea for some people at a specific point in their lives. A long-term investment no, but a great solution for perhaps 1-3 years. At that cost you have no problem "letting go" of a piece of furniture when you leave an apartment. Also the built-in storage is definitely a huge plus in NYC apartments. I bought the loveseat in my apartment from the previous tenant, because she had to have it "put together" to have it brought into the apt- I didn't want to go through that myself, so I gave her 225 for it- I would have much rather picked out something on my own for 229, and had the storage space and then tossed it after 3 years. you do get what you pay for, but sometimes 20-somethings can't afford all that much in the first place.

My mom, bless her heart, always said, "buy cheap, buy twice." Unfortunately, I have not always heeded her advice.

But after looking at their website, I have to say - these pieces are fuuuuugly. I'd rather buy the cheapest sofa at Ikea, or sit on chushions on the floor.

I just bought one of there sofas. I have three kids (4,5,6)who have managed to stain, rip or throw up on every sofas we have owned for the last 7 years. Pros - quick delivery, easy to get through doors (or up a tight walk-up), incredibly easy to assembele (did it myself in 2 hours)and I am all thumbs, the fabric is nice, and some storage in the bottom (again, great for us NYers), and you can replace the fabric easily and better looking than a slipcover. Cons- the bottom cushions are a bit too firm (but hopefully thy will loosen up), there were a few splinters,
though sturdy the construction under the cushions is rough and bare bones. It's a great couch for people on a budget, with lots of roommates or with lots of messy children who think sofas are napkins.

Matt,

I'm with Home Reserve. For $299 people are expecting trash...then when they get it and its "good stuff" that's why they send all those good comments on the web site. Contact me and we'll send you a chair. Then you can make your own judgement.

Blaine
President
Home Reserve

I recently came across this place and bought a loveseat and ottoman. Its for a pool room, and I ended up paying so much for the pool table and bar I needed some cheap seating. For the money I spent I am impressed and happy 10 folds. I have gotten alot of compliments on the microfiber for how soft it is, most people mistake it for suede. The cushions are firm, but its because there are no springs. I have only told a few people the price, and after I did 2 of my buddies have purchased couches. Its been a few months and I love them. Hopefully, everything will look as good in a few years.

We bought a sofa from home reserve about 6 months ago. Unfortunatly our puppy chewed a hole in our first sofa and we had to buy cheap the second time. However, it is very comfortable, looks decent and gets the job done. at least until we have a little more cash.

I just bought a chair and ottoman from Home Reserve. I'll say that they are much nicer-looking and comfortable than any of my previous 'cheap' furniture (futons and Craig's List bargains), and the boxes fit up the narrow stairs to my 3rd floor apartment.

It was also easier to put together than the Ikea furniture I bought.

All in all, not bad. I think the fabric looks great.

Matt...

I purchased a love seat for a small guest room with limited space...put it together simply and it worked out real well...I think the quality for the price are geniune...and I am considering sofas for my basement recreation area only because I have a stairway leading to the basement that will not allow a full sofa because of the drop between the ceiling and the staircase...there just is not enough room to pull it through....it suits the purpose. I would not use this furniture in my main living room because it does not offer the same comforts. I would consider Home Reserve furniture a good choice for convenience and budget.

Hope you enjoy it

Hello homereserve couch owners! I am so tempted to buy a set of these couches since I just need a couch set for only a few years for school and these seem really affordable. I've had the hardest time trying to find reviews not based from the homereserve website, and was lucky to find this page. There seem to be a lot of "cushions are too firm" comments. Can anyone tell me if the feeling is equivalent to sitting on a folded blanket over a hard surface? If it's too firm to sleep on comfortably I would like to know. Also, those who have purchased homereserve couches, how do you think they compare in quality to say like a JC Penny furniture outlet. (There is one close to where I am going to live and I have actually had the chance to sit on a few couches there, and if its only like 20 -30 dollars more I might as well get a couch I know is comfy..)Also, has anyone ever returned a couch from there because it wasn't what they were looking for? If so, is the process fairly easy? My friend(who is also thinking of purchasing a set of these couches) and I would appreciate as much feedback as possible for these couches! Thanks!!

I've bought a couch from home reserve about six months ago. It looks really cool (similar to one on Will and Grace) but it's very uncomfortable. The cushions became very thin and almost imposible to sit on.

My girlfriend recently purchased a homereserve sofa and so far it is great. I thought the cushions were a little too firm at first, but they get better fast. We recently had a friend in town sleeping on it and he loved it. As for the comments about "buy cheap, buy twice" and so on, that's great advice but most 20-somethings just getting their first real apartment can't afford to drop several thousand dollars to furnish an apartment. There is clearly a need for cheap furniture not intended to last a lifetime, and homereserve is the best I have seen in that area.

Folks,
It's important to remember what you're buying and why. I own a Home Reserve Sofa and have for over 3 years. It is in my office and covered with the microfiber. Most of my friends think it's some kind of suede. This furnature is made of fiberboard and it "locks" togather to form the sofa "frame". My cushions are firm but soft if that makes sense. I have to remove the back cushions to sleep comfortably on it but it is comfortable. Bottom line, I bought a sofa 5 years ago from a "notable" furniture store and it stained and wore out in 2 years....it cost around 700.00 My 300.00 Home Reserve sofa is going strong and not showing any signs of excessive wear. I'm happy with my purchase.

I have a loveseat from HomeReserve for a over a year...I have a fabric called "pet care" which feels like suede but resists stains(fyi, it works great). The loveseat is "small scale" not huge or bulky, perfect for small spaces. The seating is not deep - little on the shallow side. It is comfortable and has not worn out or frame become wobbly. I love the fact I can change fabrics, buy new foam for the cushions and buy different arms to give it a new look. The storage space is great as well.

I have visited the Home Reserve website numerous times in an attempt to make a final decision on whether to purchase the sectionals. I expect to move from an apartment to a huge co-op in three-four years, which is why I am thinking this purchase would be perfect; sort of like disposable furniture. However, I love to entertain and still need to maintain comfortable/great seating for my family and friends until I move. Any feedback from anyone about their sectionals? please help/Thanks a lot

Hi Matt,

Epinions has a review that's not so favorable regarding the home reserve sofas. Also from what I can tell from the review, they do not post negative comments about themselves, even though they claim they do. I was going to buy sofa from them, but I too have children, and decided against it.

Teresa Chang

We bought the sofa, chair and ottoman and had them as our living room furniture in our last rental house for one year. Now we have purchased a home and nice leather furniture for our living room. The Home Reserve furniture is dis-assembled in our basement, not taking up too much room. I am considering putting two of the pieces in our three-season room/back porch until I have the cash to buy nice furniture for that room. Pros: affordable, disposible/easily dis-assembled/easy to move, decent fabric, easy to assemble, and you don't worry if the pets try to mess it up. Cons: the actual seating area is too small (I'm 5'5 and even I felt like I was being pushed forward off the seat, let alone my husband who is 6'0), and it isn't as convenient as it sounds to have to remove the cushions and lift up the wooden door to use the storage area. Also, like someone else said, if you want to sleep on it you pretty much have to remove the back cushion or you don't fit on the sofa. I will keep the furniture while we live in this house, but it will be thrown away rather than moved to our next house in about 5 years. Hope this helped!

I too have been looking into getting Home Reserve furniture. I am up in that air about that. In there defense however, I was just at their website and some of their reviews do have comments that state some parts were missing on initial delivery or that some people had trouble putting it together. So, they do put some unfavorable comments on their website.
Anyway, I am assuming you get what you pay for, so it will be something you can live with for a few years and not feel guilty throwing away. If you are looking for $700 quality sofa, then this is probably not going to be what you're expecting.

I love my home reserve love seat. I have two teens, two dogs and a cat, and can change the upholestry every year for very little money. The kids love to lie on it, it is very comfy. Also I can take it apart and move it around the house by myself (I am a single mom). The storage is also great. It isn't the ritz, but a good value for an all purpose sofa you don't need to worry about ruining.

Two years ago, we purchased a home reserve chair and ottoman for our daughter's college apartment. It was perfect for the small space. (My 12 year old put the chair together - it's simple!) Now our son is moving to an apartment and we just ordered a new cover. This chair is perfect for college students who don't seem to be too concerned about caring for their valuables. It doesn't take up too much space, For the price, the comfort is not so bad. I'm hoping it will last through my next child's college experience, too.

About 2 months ago i purchased 4 pieces from Home Reserve to form a sectional configured as 1 3 seating.

My purchase was for an apt I purchased that I will live in about a year while my new place is built. At that time i will sell the apt and toss the sectional or convert it to rental property.

I was attracted to Home Reserve because it is not a full size piece of furniture. It requires less space than a futon and looks alot better, although is it not as contemporary as I would like.

Assembly was easy, although i reinforced the corners with metal corner braces $4.99 at my local hardware store.

Contrary to other comments, i find the cushions too soft. As a result, If i do not sit properly, e.g., forward on the cushion, sideways, etc. the cushion presses down against the wood and is then hard. (FYI, i am 6"1" and 185 lbs which i would consider pretty average).

Is this cheap furniture, no question. But given the price and purpose i think it is a fantastic value. To use a car analogy: Most every one would consider a Lexus to be high quality, but not everyone can afford a Lexus, Toyota offers a Corolla at a fraction of the cost and the quality is not the same as the Lexus, but I think most people would consider it a good value. Same goes here.

Rick

I've just purchased a Home Reserve Sofa for my new Townhome, and let me just tell you that for $426 (which includes a $57 shipping charge via UPS)-- I have made the best buy-- whether in person or online that I have ever made in my life!

I've researched and looked at hundreds of sofas online and in person. As a single parent, and purchasing my first home-- I just don't have a couple of thousand of dollars to purchase the sofas I want from Crate and Barrel, Room and Board, Pottery Barn or other stores-- and for four month-- I've had no sofa in my living room due to the insanely high costs of these sofas. So when looking at HGTV one evening-- they had used HR furniture which included much needed storage-- and I looked up their website, viewed the various options, read the comments, and ordered fabric samples.

They have a new "contemporary" version called, "Brooklyn", which is what I ordered. They told me it would be 10 business days to receive it, but it took less than a week for me, as I'm located much closer to their headquarters.

The sofa came in two boxes via UPS which fit easily through my front door, and only took me and my teenage daughter 2 hours to put together, and that was because we took a break to eat. Needless to say-- I am totally amazed at the quality and look of the sofa!! It is GORGEOUS and more comfortable than I'd imagined!! The sofa is not "cheesy" in any form of the definition-- the fabric is "top grade", and the storage is most welcome as I now have somewhere to put my videos and CD's without them being piled up next to the TV and stand.

If I tire of the fabric-- I can order a new fabric without having to purchase an entire new sofa. If I wish to somehow change the look of the sofa-- I can order new arms, etc., instead of ordering an entire new sofa. Their Customer Service is unparalled!!

Friends and family cannot believe that this sofa came in two boxes and was put together in 2 hours, and they cannot believe the quality which is definitely much cheaper and better than Ikea!!

Sure, I would have rather had the Room and Board $3500 sofa-- but I just can't afford it. Home Reserve offers good quality furniture at a great value.

Oops. Correction to my comment-- The quality of the fabric is not "cheaper" than Ikea.. It is better. The cost of the sofa is "cheaper" than an Ikea sofa...

Greetings, I bought a Home Reserve love seat just over a year ago. I was moving from a large farm to a smaller house in town. I have cats, too many. They came with me and became house pets. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that would become a extra large stratching post. I chose a microfiber and it hasn't snagged at all. I also have a dog and a few messy friends. It cleans up easily, no spots or stains. And because of a back injury last year, I spent a lot of nights sleeping sitting up on that couch. I was very comfortable. I'm almost done re-doing the inside of my home and plan on buying a sofa from them next.

I actually bought a USED homereserve sofa off craigslist a year ago. i just needed a quick-fix sofa for my new studio and the ability for me and my friend to move it in 1 cab ride was beyond convenient.

I washed all the covers so they were like new and put the whole puzzle-piece sofa together in barely any time. it was actually very fun and satisfying to do.

The back cushions are very thick and soft. the arm and seat cushions feel like memory foam -- firm but very giving. in fact, my back enjoys sleeping on it more than my $1000 mattress.

The sofa is very comfortable but i have to say the seat is too shallow -- there is no couple cuddling on this sofa. but now i'm coming back to homereserve to purchase an ottoman to create more sofa 'space' and am also considering changing my fabric covers for a new look and also because.... i just can (and for only $109).

I am considering getting a Home Reserve sectional, but I am concerned about how firm/not firm the cushions are. I'm sure I would be fine sitting on the sectional, but my husband is 6'4" and weighs about 220 lbs. Is he eventually, if not right away, going to be feeling the hard wood beneath the cushion when he sits? Also, I read some comments about the shallowness of the sofas. Has anybody else had experiences in which you feel like you are being pushed forward in your Home Reserve couch/chair/sectional? Overall, I'm not concerned about the cushions being too firm (they'll soften over time) or about what the fabric looks like. I just need it to be affordable, functional, and comfortable.