About to spend $3000 on a couple of chairs and an ottoman

[gooddecisions]

These chairs and ottoman are currently available on the Crate and Barrel website and have a "stock-plus" options for all the fabrics and colors. There is not one "stock" option for this model. I didn't realize that "stock-plus" means no returns or cancellations until Crate & Barrel called me just now to confirm my order. I don't have the fabric swatch yet, so I'm going to sit on it until Monday. There is a store 3 miles from me, but they don't have any floor models for this particular chair because it's new.

I've always heard really great things about Crate & Barrel customer service and am shocked their return policy is so lousy. It doesn't seem right to have to buy furniture sight-unseen and have no options for returning if it's not what you thought. This guy went on and on about how they do have a great return policy but you've got to order the stock option. My point of there being no stock-option in this particular chair seemed to be lost on him. If there was a stock option, I'd happily order it. So, I suggested if there is no stock option in a chair they offer, they should revise their return policy. There is a 99% chance I won't have any issues, but I can't be 100% confident because I don't get to sit in the dern chair. He said he'd pass the suggestion along, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

What to do, what to do...

[gooddecisions]

Anyone have a good suggestion for where I can get comfortable and tasteful chairs for the family room? Bonus if I can actually sit in the chair.

[tskeeter]

Gooddecisions, what you're talking about is really special order merchandise.  Something they don't normally stock and would likely find difficult to sell if you were to return the merchandise.  If you don't like C&B's terms of sale, you can always do business with another furniture store.

[kittensaver]

Personally, I would not buy any major piece of furniture (couch, bed) I could not see it for myself and sit on it to be sure it's comfortable. But that's just me. I also realize I'm lucky because a live in a large metropolitan area with easy access to dozens and dozens of options. I recognize that many people do not have those options.

Do you have a C&B within reasonable travel distance (half a day or less), where you could go and see/feel for yourself before you order it online? That's an awful lot of $$ to be making a mistake with . . .

[resolution]

I would second the not buying without sitting down on it first, and I have the uncomfortable couch that no one will sit on to prove it!

[HoneyBBQ]

Can you go sit on the stock chair and sofa in store and then just special order in your own fabric choice?

[gooddecisions]

Yes, there is a Crate and Barrel 3 or 4 miles from me, but they don't have a floor model and the 800 number I spoke with said there is no way for them to provide them one. I can sit (and actually have sat) in the similar ones which are the chair and a halfs and sofas, but I'm looking at the 40" version- so I can have 2 and it's not as deep or as wide. The guy suggested all this to me and I did all that and use the limited dimensions available but can only simulate the chair so much without actually sitting in it. I can't quite tell where my elbows will be on the armrests, for example when I'm sitting with a laptop watching T.V. which is how I plan to use it. I'm so annoyed since I finally found what I wanted but took comfort in the fact that if it wasn't what I expected, I would be able to return it.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"Anyone have a good suggestion for where I can get comfortable and tasteful chairs for the family room? Bonus if I can actually sit in the chair.":::...

Ekornes furniture is superb.  I got a hand-me-down of a piece that; despite having literally thousands of butt-hours on the odometer, is still comfy.

[gooddecisions]

Nov 1, 2013 16:23:25 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Can you go sit on the stock chair and sofa in store and then just special order in your own fabric choice?

They only have the sofa at the store and I have sat in it a few times while I deliberated.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Personally, I would not buy any major piece of furniture (couch, bed) I could not see it for myself and sit on it to be sure it's comfortable. But that's just me.



I bought a sofa like this, and while it was exactly what I was looking for, it was the most uncomfortable sofa ever. I got rid of it when I could, even though it looked new.

Not gonna do that again!

[gooddecisions]

Nov 1, 2013 16:29:57 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

...:::"Anyone have a good suggestion for where I can get comfortable and tasteful chairs for the family room? Bonus if I can actually sit in the chair.":::...

Ekornes furniture is superb.  I got a hand-me-down of a piece that; despite having literally thousands of butt-hours on the odometer, is still comfy.

I had to do a search on that and there is a store who sells Ekornes furniture in my area. I haven't been to that store before because I thought it might be a little too contemporary and pricey, but I may have to check it out this weekend.

[kittensaver]

Nov 1, 2013 16:29:58 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

Nov 1, 2013 16:23:25 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Can you go sit on the stock chair and sofa in store and then just special order in your own fabric choice?

They only have the sofa at the store and I have sat in it a few times while I deliberated.

So then it sounds like you need to decide which matters more. If looks matter more, order the furniture. If comfort matters more, only buy something you can personally "preview." Too bad (it appears) you can't do both

[Spellbound454]

I would want them covered in cloth of gold for that price.

If you can afford it... and you really like them...Its a different matter.... but you haven't seen them so what if they arrive and you don't like them.

[nervous1]

$3000 for two chairs and a footstool seems overly expensive, especially given that they seem to be fabric, not leather.

This is a purchase you'll keep for a long time, so make sure you are 100% happy. I would just keep looking around. Why do you have to buy them now?

[nervous1]

I haven't been to that store before because I thought it might be a little too contemporary and pricey

If you're ready to spend three grand on two chairs and footstool, I'd hate to think of what you consider "pricey"!

[Gardening Grandma]

No way would I spend $3K on something that I could not return and had not sat in....

I'd look elsewhere (and write C&B's management).

We got two very comfortable chairs for our TV room from JCP - very reasonably priced and I'm pleasantly surprised at how well they've held up (considering what we paid).

[milee]

The Ekornes furniture is incredibly comfy and well made.  But it's going to start at around $3k per chair.

[Deleted]

Just about every furniture shop carries various styles of the "chair and a half" that you are looking for.  Who are your local furniture shops?  Macys, JCP, Pottery Barn (but you will pay more), La-Z-Boy are just some of the national ones you could look at.

I'd never buy every day furniture without sitting/lounging in it first. Structure, padding and seat depth can be radically different.

The Chair and a Half seem to range from $600 - $1000+ each -- they're expensive because they are "in" now.

[Deleted]

I want a link to the chairs please.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"I haven't been to that store before because I thought it might be a little too contemporary and pricey, but I may have to check it out this weekend.":::...

Glad to hear it!  Let me know if it works out.

...:::"The Ekornes furniture is incredibly comfy and well made. But it's going to start at around $3k per chair.":::...

I believe they have a pretty good range of prices; I saw a recliner for $1,250 in a Google ad.  But yes, such is how good furniture is these days.

I find it kind of sad.  I don't know that there is "middle of the road" anymore.  Furniture seems to either be "disposable" (yet still cost in the $500s) or good pieces start in the thousands.

And for the really amply funded, who want to pass something to their grandchildren, you can get a $16,000 dresser at hardwood artisans.

ETA:

...:::"I'd never buy every day furniture without sitting/lounging in it first. Structure, padding and seat depth can be radically different.":::...

I wish there was a way to test a piece of furniture that was a few years old.  Everything feels fine in the show room.  I want to know that 2 years and many many hours of TV later, the thing can still hold my ample posterior.

[resolution]

Nov 1, 2013 16:28:39 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

Yes, there is a Crate and Barrel 3 or 4 miles from me, but they don't have a floor model and the 800 number I spoke with said there is no way for them to provide them one. I can sit (and actually have sat) in the similar ones which are the chair and a halfs and sofas, but I'm looking at the 40" version- so I can have 2 and it's not as deep or as wide. The guy suggested all this to me and I did all that and use the limited dimensions available but can only simulate the chair so much without actually sitting in it. I can't quite tell where my elbows will be on the armrests, for example when I'm sitting with a laptop watching T.V. which is how I plan to use it. I'm so annoyed since I finally found what I wanted but took comfort in the fact that if it wasn't what I expected, I would be able to return it.

You especially need to sit in it if you are changing the dimensions like depth. That is the main problem with my couch, its too shallow and made in an era of smaller people. It looks gorgeous but everyone who sits in it feels like they are hanging over the front too far. DH personally restored the wood and upholstered it or I would have stuck it along the road with a "please take" sign.

I don't think the price is bad if they are made out of quality hard woods, DH is working on a remodel job that includes two benches where the materials alone are $2,000 per bench wholesale.

[milee]

Nov 2, 2013 12:10:25 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

...:::"The Ekornes furniture is incredibly comfy and well made. But it's going to start at around $3k per chair.":::...

I believe they have a pretty good range of prices; I saw a recliner for $1,250 in a Google ad.  But yes, such is how good furniture is these days.

Sure. You can always look for closeouts or items that were used in the showroom. That limits your color and material choices, though, which may be an issue if you want matching chairs.  My quote was for apples-to-apples - new furniture where you choose the color.

DH and I don't agree on much furniture.  He's about 9-10 inches taller than I am and shaped very differently.  But we both agreed the Ekornes stuff was very comfy and this spring, we got a large sectional couch and two chairs.  The chairs weren't anything out of the ordinary in their line, and were I think the mid-range leather, not the most expensive leather because it is slightly softer and less durable.  The chairs both are recliners and came with their own ottoman and were a little over $7k for the pair.  Don't ask about the couch.  More than i'd probably spent on all our other furniture put together.  But we both found them comfy and all the research we did indicated they'll be comfy for many years. 

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"That limits your color and material choices, though, which may be an issue if you want matching chairs.":::...

Perhaps.  I didn't click through.  If one wants black or beige leather, its probably less of an issue.  If you want the red or one of the less common colors; yes.

One could also consider the long term cost.  Is it better to spend $2k/couch/decade, or $6k up front for a couch that lasts 3 decades?

[gooddecisions]

It's not the chair and a half because I want to be able to fit two with a table in between in order to not to block the return air filter on the wall I need furniture. I have a couch in the room already.
It's the 40" axle II: www.crateandbarrel.com/axis-ii-40-chair/s230928
Note: note, not one option listed for stock in this chair, which was not a big deal until I learned that their return policy excludes chairs not in stock. 

[gooddecisions]

Nov 2, 2013 5:56:02 GMT -5 nervous1 said:

I haven't been to that store before because I thought it might be a little too contemporary and pricey

If you're ready to spend three grand on two chairs and footstool, I'd hate to think of what you consider "pricey"!

$3000 for one chair which is how much I suspect one chair will be in the store I was going to check out this weekend. They specialize in contemporary international furnishings.

[gooddecisions]

Nov 2, 2013 11:49:00 GMT -5 @rockit said:

Just about every furniture shop carries various styles of the "chair and a half" that you are looking for.  Who are your local furniture shops?  Macys, JCP, Pottery Barn (but you will pay more), La-Z-Boy are just some of the national ones you could look at.

I'd never buy every day furniture without sitting/lounging in it first. Structure, padding and seat depth can be radically different.

The Chair and a Half seem to range from $600 - $1000+ each -- they're expensive because they are "in" now.

The stores that are in every city I suppose: Rooms To Go, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Bassett, Lazy Boy, Haverty's, Haynes, Arhaus, Ethan Allen, Thomasville, Restoration Hardware, Pier One, Macys, Sears, JC Penny, Costco, I dunno- you name it. We don't have an Ikea, but there is one maybe an hour from me.

Somebody find me two tasteful and comfortable chairs that I can test out.

[Deleted]

It looks like you can get that chair in any shade of grey you want. It's the real 50 shades of grey!

Nice chair. And if it really does last it is worth the $1400.

[nervous1]

They specialize in contemporary international furnishings.

I read that as "Made in China".

[gooddecisions]

Nov 2, 2013 17:25:35 GMT -5 nervous1 said:

They specialize in contemporary international furnishings.

I read that as "Made in China".

I wish, then it might actually be affordable. Ekornes is made in Norway and the rest of the contemporary I saw at the store is made in Italy, although there are a few less expensive items that are designed in Italy and made in China. Some of the more traditional stuff (traditional as far as the store, it's still contemporary in my opinion) is actually made in North Carolina. Anyway, I'm not sure futuristic/modern/contemporary is my style and it's mostly out of my budget.

[Deleted]

We have a store called Calico Corners.  It is actually a fabric store, but they do custom upholstering.  The pieces they do are scattered throughout the store.  They aren't inexpensive, but neither are the pieces you want to buy.

Don't you have something like that?