apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i hate to add to the waste-stream by turning up my nose at second-hand furniture, and always figure that I can get it redone if I don't like something. However, I am also increasingly afraid of bedbugs, as the epidemic worsens.

I would not buy furniture on-line. Shipping costs and the hassle of returns are part of the reason but also I like to buy locally. I recently bought some Cherner arm chairs and I could have saved some money buying them online but there is a shop locally that carries that line. The ability to go and sit on them and really inspect them was worth the extra money and the store has to survive.

I agree with comment above about buying used upholstered furniture - would not do that unless it was from a friend.

generally when i buy on-line it's after i've checked the piece out in a local store. the beauty of new york is having so much available to you. that said, i did buy my sectional sofa on line without seeing it or sitting on it. it was scary but it worked out and i love it. it was from an extremely reputable scandinavian company and though i couldn't find the exact sofa anywhere in new york, i did find another one by the same designer. i went and saw it first and inspected the quality and comfort.

I have used Club Furniture in the past and been *very* happy with the materials, workmanship, cost, and delivery. You have to sort through a lot of suburban bland on their site, but they have some fantastic modern and Anthropologie-like items as well.

They do not let you place an order until you receive their fabric samples, or until you send a sample of the custom fabric with which you wish to use.

Look out for codes and discounts -- I received 20 percent off the cost of my sofa and an upgrade to down inserts with one promotion.

Highly recommended.

...also, Club Furniture has a line of small space/studio sized furniture. A real bonus since the size of many chairs and sofas has expanded to fit McMansions. [www.clubfurniture.com]

I've got to try things out first for a number of reasons. First, comfort is different from body to body. What I love, another person might hate. Second, quality really needs to be experienced. Third, even if they have a return policy shipping and handling can be expensive. I always go into DWR rather than buying online because I know the people in the store (at least in MA) are much friendlier than the folks online.

I would not buy upholstered furniture online unless I had tested it out somewhere. It's not just the issue of cushion comfort but also furniture size. A friend of mine couldn't understand why he kept sliding off of his couch. It turns out the couch was designed for people of shorter statute, so a taller person can't sit comfortably on the couch for long periods. As a result, he is stuck with an uncomfortable couch.

I bought a sofa online and it worked out great for me. I couldn't find what I wanted locally in terms of build quality and style; I found exactly what I wanted online and have had the piece close to ten years and still love it. Still in great shape too. That said, I'd only buy from a very reputable company I was familiar with.

I've bought lots of furniture through eBay and Craigslist - New and Used, all sight unseen.

I'm not too particular about comfort (I can and do add pillows, etc.) - but if I were buying for my Mom?

I think I'd want to see the piece in person and in a similar fabric to what I'm ordering in. (Fabric weight & weave does affect how the piece will sit - the same sofa/chair will sit differently when it's upholstered in leather, Chenille, woven cotton/linen or microfiber, etc.)

Anne - thank you for posting this question. I've been eyeing a piece on overstock.com for a while and wondering the exact same thing! Not that I have anything to contribute to the debate...I'm still on the fence about it....

I've bought a sofa (and other large furniture) on line. If you know what you are looking for it can be great. I try to deal with known entities that have free / low cost shipping and good return policies.

It's a risk but it can pay off in terms of selection, savings, and time.

I bought a chair from overstock and am not happy with it and it just seems too complicated to return.

I wouldn't buy furniture online again, unless I saw it somehow before ordering.

I don't know if your mom is elderly or has mobility problems, but if she does you have to be extra careful when buying a chair for her. When I bought one for my mom, it turned out to be too low, and she couldn't get out of it easily. So I would recommend buying locally. Maybe you can do a first pass and find one or two that you think she would like, and then take her to sit in it, if possible.

These are all great suggestions.

Bronx cheer - I live in Manhattan and my mother lives in another state in a small city that doesn't have quality furniture stores.

I have checked on a couple of chairs online including the one shown with this post and the seat is 21" high which is good since she's elderly and about 4' 10" at this point in her life. And she needs arms so that she can push herself out of the chair.

Living in NYC (and any other large city) gives us the opportunity to try out an upholstered piece in person but I wonder how those in other areas of the country purchase nice furniture if they can't test it out. Shipping charges alone make returning it out of the question and then they're stuck with expensive uncomfortable furniture. I wonder what companies do to make this kind of purchase easier.

I bought a Crate and Barrel sofa online from the clearance section after I had obsessively searched in vain for about 3 months. It was one that I fell in love with in the catalog but never got a chance to see in person, but I read some rave reviews on this website (thanks to whoever blogged about their Kinsey sofa 2 years ago). So I made the leap of faith and I absolutely love it! But without reading people's opinions of it here, I would never have bought it sight unseen.

I bought a chair and a sofa on overstock. They are great and I love them, and I feel really happy with what I paid. BUT - I will probably never do it again - it's too hard to tell colors, textures, etc. I was less concerned about comfort level because I'm pretty easy, but obviously this can't really be tested either. If I order online again, it will be for something I've already tried in the store.

In short - if you are fairly flexible, I think ordering online can be a great way to save time/energy/money (shipping was cheaper than if it had been delivered locally!), but if you have specific requirements and will be unhappy if they are not met, stick with in-person shopping.

I replied to this question on the SF open thread.... here's what I posted:

Anne,

I bought a sofa from room and board totally untested. I did however do the following:

1. Checked sofa measurements against my body and other similarly scaled sofas to make sure the fit would be good (I'm petite and a too large sofa just sucks).

2. Scoured AT for references to the sofa I bought (Loring, custom covered in Vance "cloud") and read what other buyers had to say.

3. Completed a serious investigation into the quality of furniture I was buying. The cushions are down wrapped, the frame is built with "mortise and tendon" joinery, the fabric is high grade upholstery velvet, etc.

4. Room & Board in particular has designers on the phones, not "order takers." In fact, they are what I would call a service company, not a furniture company (their first "product" is service, not matter what they're selling). The designer I worked with found someone my size on staff to test various sofas for me (feet flat? small of back where? etc). We then narrowed down those under consideration that met my criterion.

Because their service was so awesome, I also got a dining table, 4 dining chairs, a cabinet, and some patio furniture.

I guess the moral of the story is, if you're going to by upholstery without a in-person test, make sure that you're buying from a retailer with stellar service before anything else.

I would say that Crate and Barrel's service is a very close second.

I LOVE my sofa, by the way. So much so that I can't resist posting a link to it every chance I get. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/2374153603_281c20048b_b.jpg

I also bought online from Room and Board with good results. I ordered fabric swatches. All the details you need are online -- all the measurements, good photos etc. Even the type of padding construction. Customer service was very helpful. I later ordered dining chairs (not upholstered) and 8 months later had a problem with one of the chairs. A new chair was sent and shipping to sent damaged chair was covered -- NO COST at all.

I think it is always good to check out furniture before you buy it. Especially sofa's, dining chairs, beds, etc ...

That said, and understanding the need to save, I find it rude for buyers to go into a shop and then go buy it online cheaper. This seems a bit like using the company you don't purchase from as your own personal resource. They are in business to do business, not be your personal try-out center.

I personally always shop locally!

Our corona set from Macy's Just got her a couple hours ago, and I probably wouldn't have bought a couch and chair online without trying them. I like comfort way too much. We bought our bed frame from overstock. I was wearing without seeing it, but it looks great. I'm a big online shopper, so this was just the next step for me. Couldn't beat the $3 shipping for something that weighed 70 lbs...

There are two major barriers with purchasing any furniture online:

1) Return Policy - You need to be able to return the item if you're not happy

2) Freight/Shipping - With a large/heavy item like furniture, you need to find a company whose shipping rates are cost effective.

If you can find a company that can break down these barriers, then shopping online for furniture can be a fantastic way to go. There are some terrific online sources for some of the best furniture around.