Best Sofa/Fabric for House with Kids, Pets and Allergies

[fortato]

My parents had a flexsteel living room set for 15 years, the fabric pattern was hideous, but it never looked worn. My next sofa will be a Flexsteel, or a Rowe.
Don't buy Hickory Hill, we've had our sofa for 5 years, and they don't make the fabric anymore, and the sofa isn't very comfortable.

[amp]

Nancy, I just wanted to say thanks for all the info you've provided. We are just about to buy a new couch too, so this is especially timely. Thank you for being so frank about what to look for. If I met you in the store, I might think you were giving me a "line" or a push to buy your stuff. But reading it here, with no pressure, is infinitely helpful. Much appreciated!

[Drag0nflygirl]

You're very welcome! I'm a big fan of educating myself before making a purchase, so I'm glad I could pass along some info.
As for the color choice thing - that's just the leathers. We do have some less expensive sofas that we only offer in two colors. That lets us keep the price down because we buy so much at once. As for fabric, there are at least 1000 choices. That's the part of my job I like the best - the design work. You can even bring in your own fabric for any chair, just like calico corner.

[classyt]

Wow! Sounds like lots of people are struggling with couch issues. The problem with leather for us is our cats have claws and our to PBarn chairs already have scratches. Plus the matchy matchy issue. I'd love a fabric that's not just one flat color but not sure you can get that in an easy-clean fabric.

Does anyone have any input on the outdoor fabric for indoor furniture? I read it in a magazine and thought it sounded interesting but not sure how soft it would be.

I will for sure check out flexsteel and the other brands mentioned.

Thanks for all the feedback. Keep it comin'.

Amanda
Mom to DS Lucas Parker, 20 months on the 5th

[classyt]

nancy-
wow! you are a wealth of knowledge. i know some of this stuff from Pbarn but not nearly what you know.

i checked out the flexsteel website and i'm just not sure about the styles. i really want a slipcovered sofa (i love that casual cottage look).

i'll check out the others too. and la-z-boy, of course.

it's not a decision i expect to make quickly, but my chocolate brown monster with the scratched up ripped corners (cats) and peanut butter marks (child) HAS TO GO!!!

thanks.

[classyt]

nancy-
one specific question:
i have a bad back and have found my current sofa to really aggravate it. our cushions sink to much and it has a seperate cushion back which offers NO support. what types of cushions should i be looking for to help with this? should I be going for a continuous back or are cushions okay? this is our primary couch that we sit in every day so it needs to be comfy but also supportive. i'm pretty sure we wouldn't go with down cushions because of the allergy factor.