Buying living room furniture can be stressful because there are so many different manufactures and options available.  It can also be hard knowing where the best place is to buy well built furniture.

Furniture is expensive no matter where you get it. If you’re like me, you’ve probably purchased living room furniture in the past that had to be replaced after just a few years because it simply didn’t last. Reasons from the leather peeling or cracking, the seats sunk in and you felt like you were sitting in the basement or the frame bent or became too wobbly. Or perhaps the fabric faded or is just totally outdated and doesn't go with any of your home or office decor. Now you are ready to get good quality, timeless furniture that is going to last for generations, but you don’t know what to look for that makes it quality.

You are going to learn about all the components involved in building quality American made leather furniture from the frame, suspension seat cushions, leather to the final finishing details.

This post is all about the value of American made leather furniture.

Nothing completes a room like a piece of authentic leather furniture. From a living room with a cozy leather sectional, to a man cave featuring a power leather recliner, to an office displaying a pristine leather Chesterfield sofa, a piece of top-quality leather furniture brings it all together.

Many of the finest leather furniture pieces in the world are American made.

Leather furniture manufactured in the United States is so coveted, whether it be a sofa, chair, loveseat, or any other piece of furniture, because of its quality. From the materials to the craftsmanship, authentic American made leather furniture is constructed with the finest resources and is built to last.

Everything used to create the frame, cushions, and fabric in a piece of American made leather furniture is traditionally of superior quality. Additionally, many of the most skilled leather furniture craftsmen are born and raised in the United States. North Carolina in particular has long been a hub for furniture manufacturing.

 

Let's look at the 5 main features that make up furniture that help distinguish its quality.

Frame

 When furniture shopping it's always a good idea to ask about the sofa frame construction- what it’s made out of.

Solid hardwood is usually made out of kiln- dried Oak, Beach, or ash. Hardwood is stick built and is a solid piece of wood and is therefore the strongest and will last for years upon years if well taken care of.

You might hear some manufacturers say their furniture is made with hardwood and that sounds good to most consumers. Its those who are aware of the difference between hardwood and SOLID hardwood that makes or breaks a deal.

 So what’s the difference?

The term  "All Hardwood” simply means it contains different types of wood pressed together. Something we are familiar with is  plywood or particle board. This is a less expensive way to manufacture frames for furniture and also less expensive for the consumer, but over time these will begin to warp and wobble, becoming uncomfortable and unstable and ultimately, it doesn't last nearly as long.  An analogy to help you compare and understand is, would you rather have a home built out of plywood or solid hardwood?

Sofa Frame Construction

As an Interior designer, I always recommend solid hardwood to my clients.

Suspension

• The suspension is the second most important feature to piece of furniture. I always ask or try to find information about this component when i'm doing my research in designing.  I am always on the lookout for true 8 way hand tied suspensions over all the rest for stationary sofas.
•  Lоng соnѕidеrеd thе gоld ѕtаndаrd of ѕоfа suspension, eight-wау hаnd tied iѕ thе most lаbоr-intеnѕivе аnd best option. It’s the mark оf a high ԛuаlitу рiесе оf furniture. The springs аrе ѕuрроrtеd bу steel wеbbing on the bottom оf thе sofa and the tор оf thе ѕрringѕ are ѕесurеd bу twine.
• That’s where the nаmе comes in—thе twinе iѕ tied by hand аt еight different spots for each ѕрring and then аttасhеd to thе frame. This wеb of twinе keeps the ѕрringѕ frоm shifting, providing уеаrѕ оf unwаvеring support. The ѕоft twine аlѕо ensures thаt thе ѕuѕреnѕiоn won’t ѕtаrt to squeak with use (something thаt саn hарреn in all-metal ѕuѕреnѕiоnѕ).
• An еаѕу way to tell if a рiесе of furniture has true eight-way hаnd tiеd ѕuѕреnѕiоn iѕ to рiсk uр thе сuѕhiоn аnd рuѕh on the ѕеаt dесk – уоu ѕhоuld bе аblе tо fееl thе individual ѕрringѕ thrоugh the fabric.

True 8 Way Hand Tied Suspension

• Sinuous wire suspension is standard for reclining furniture because it’s the only type of suspension design that will actually function properly with the reclining mechanism.

sinuous wire suspension

• Pirelli webbing is one that I absolutely avoid for living room furniture. It is composed of a nylon rubber material and is constructed by interlocking in a crisscross pattern and is definitely not recommend for sofas.  Over time it will warp causing you to sink in to the sofa instead of the feeling of sitting on top of the sofa.

pirelli webbing

Related POST: 8 way hand tied explained image and link

Seat Cushions

• Spring down cushions – If you’re like me, it’s never enough for my furniture to look nice; it has to feel nice, too. For maximum comfort, I find spring down cushions, one of the plushest, softest seat cushions on the market.
•  cushions made of high-quality blown fiber foam, coil springs, and a blend down topper are made for their longevity, stability, and comfort.
• Zipper access is very important when I’m looking for living room sofas chairs.  Eventually you may find it necessary to replace your leather furniture cushions. By adding a zipper to each of our seats and back cushions, you can now conveniently replace the cushion with a warranty or small out of pocket fee without having to pay an upholsterer or buy an entire new sofa or chair.

   We are creatures of habit as we sit in our furniture, usually it will be in the same spot every time. After a while, the pillows get worn in and flattened  and need to be fluffed or even refilled. You want to find manufactures and retailers that build the furniture with removable seat cushions with zipper access to the pillows so they can be refilled. This also allows for the consumer to rotate the cushions for even wear, similar to how you rotate your tires on your car.   Many manufactures will sew their cushions and back pillows to the frame, when they are sewn on to the frame, you don’t have the option re-stuff or rotate the cushions and eventually you end up giving it away or just throwing it out which is money wasted.

Leather Or Fabric

 Deciding between leather and fabric can be tricky. However, lifestyle can play an important role on the decision making.  As a designer, I love mixing leather with fabric accents but it's not always best for every client.

 Choosing leather and or fabric quality is very important. Both leather and fabrics go by a grading scale. Each manufacture will have their own grading system. Ask your designer or retailer for their recommendations on what will best suit you and your family based off your lifestyle.

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Finishing Options

   This is an added benefit and key feature to finding quality American made furniture. It comes down to all the little details that really make it special.  Everything from choosing nail heads and foot styles, finishes, and stitching and seat cushions makes it truly customizable.  High- end furniture manufacturers will allow for such accommodations. I love working with manufacturers who have these benefits because I can create a design that truly fits the needs and personality of every client.  My overall goal is to design something that they will love for years to come.

NailHead finishes option

To conclude The purchase of a piece of leather furniture is an investment, which means it needs to hold its value over time. The value of American made leather furniture stays intact years after its original purchase date. Regardless of the type of furniture you wish to purchase, if you’ve decided to go with leather then be sure that it’s American made.

 This post was all about the value of American made leather furniture to help you become as informed as possible when it comes to buying high end leather  furniture with all the key features from sofa frame construction, suspension, cushions, and finishing touches and top leather furniture manufacturers.

Here is a list of some of my favorite American made leather furniture brands.  Some of these brands also do fabric.

American Classics Leather For 8 way hand tied sofa brands- Stationary Furniture

Mayo      Leather and Fabric, Stationary

Omnia Leather ​Leather and Fabric, Reclining and Stationary

 

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