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dgranara

Pier 1 Furniture???

dgranara
15 years ago

Okay, we are at the tail end of a whole-house remodel and while the house looks beautiful, it also looks EMPTY. We need some furniture desperately. My husband and I are having a hard time agreeing on sofas (to put it mildly). Well, I finally found one that we both actually like. The thing is, I'm a little wary about it because it's from Pier 1 and I don't know anything about their furniture (other than wicker/rattan which I have been very happy with). This is the couch...

It's called the "Carmen" sofa and is on sale for $899 right now. Anyone know anything about it or have any opinions on the quality of their furniture in general?

Thanks!

Comments (21)

  • dilly_dally
    15 years ago

    I love that couch. Have you seen it in the store or just online? I saw this in their store and recommended it to a guy I know that is looking for a "masculine" yet modern, clean lined, sofa and is too lazy to shop. The large nailheads on it made it look rugged for a den.

    This looked perfect but I too worried about the quality. Most Pier 1 upholstered stuff starts to look beat up just being in the store. I examined it carefully and it appears to be made better than their other junk and even better made than other $899 couches out there.

    If you have only seen it online, keep in mind that the green color is really, really green in person and that does not show in the online photo.

  • cricket3395
    15 years ago

    I have a chair from Pier 1. It looks good but the quality is poor. It has a seam that has pulled apart and it is rarely used. I am not sure a sofa would hold up to daily use. I love the looks of their furniture just not the quality.

  • dgranara
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thank you all. This is just the kind of info I was looking for. Wow, I had no idea it was "green." I thought it looked grey-ish and the online description calls it "neutral." I guess green can be neutral, I just assumed it was more of a beige color. Thank you for clearing that up!

  • dilly_dally
    15 years ago

    Yes, definately go see it in person if you can. It is more of an avacado color. And the color IRL looked deeper than it appears on the website. That could be disappointing.

    I originally saw it in the store first and like it in the "green". I tried to check it out online since, of course, the clerks there could not answer any of my questions. I was surprised at the color I saw on my monitor. It looked light taupe. I checked to see if there was a color choice listed and there was none. So I assumed, like so many photos of rooms here, that it did not photograph the color as it appears IRL. I am assuming they tried to lighten the photo to be able to show the nailhead design.

    I believe the Pier 1 stores have halogen lighting and that may make the difference, but the couch I saw was definately a green and would show green in any lighting. If you are thnking of buying a taupe couch for a brown and blue combo room, this couch is definately off your wish list.

    I know that Restoration Hardware will send color swatches if you call them and ask. I saved myself from a disappointing purchse this way. RH sent me a fabric swatch of an item they did not have displayed in their stores and it was nothing like it looked in their catalogue.

    Maybe Pier 1 would sent you a swatch?

  • walkin_yesindeed
    15 years ago

    Danielle, go over to the furniture forum on the THS sites, and educate yourself about the basics of what you want for furniture to hold up. Good furniture tends to have kiln-dried hardwood frames, for example, not just wood, and esp. not MDF. Most of us don't have the cash to buy heirloom-quality stuff, which is of course extraordinarily expensive, but knowing the basic criteria can help you recognize a good deal when you stumble across it in unlikely places. Like, for example, overstock dot com. Very different sofa from the cute Pier 1 model you like (great taste, by the way), but note the frame:

    Here is a link that might be useful: kiln-dried hardwood

  • parma42
    15 years ago

    Crate and Barrel sells sofas that are similar to that style. A lot of them are made by Lee and get pretty good reviews.

  • marciagaye
    15 years ago

    Just a tip....usually better quality sofas will have a 3rd leg in the middle....npt just 2 across the front. You get better support and it will last longer.

  • kitchen1921
    15 years ago

    Every couch I've ever seen from Pier 1 has been small ... apartment size. If you have a large space, it will look odd. I would compare them quality-wise to Cost Plus/World Market or even Target's newer furniture lines ... decent enough for your first grownup apartment, but not something I'd put in a beautiful remodeled home.

    I second the recommendation for Crate and Barrel. Same look, nicer stuff. Or try Overstock.com, they seem to still have inventory from Storehouse Furniture's closing, which is also a similar look.

  • johnatemp
    15 years ago

    Althou, I like the looks of that sofa - I seriously question how it would look in a year. A sofa usually gets alot of wear. I saw a pic of the cutest chair from Pier 1 with a pleated skirt - went to look at it & it didn't not look very good for the long term.

    I would check your better furniture store back clearance rooms often. Talk to a salesperson at each store to be on the look out for you. When something good goes in the back room, they will call their customers.

    Parma mentioned Lee sofas - I really like their furniture & fabrics.

    Smiles:)

  • mpwdmom
    15 years ago

    I'd pass...not likely to wear well and looks uncomfortable too. The problem is that MOST of the furniture around today is poor quality.

    I've looked high and low for good nightstands that didn't cost an arm and a leg (less that $500 each) and found none. I am headed to my unfinished furniture store tomorrow to order some. They may not be the most stylish but at least they're real wood.

    Susan

  • markspencer0128_yahoo_com
    13 years ago

    I don't think springs are necessary in the cushions, but I would sure like to know if it's real wood or the composition stuff that i'll be paying for and sitting on. It also depends how much you're planning to spend.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Furniture Butler

  • Route66Services
    12 years ago

    This doesn't answer your question about Pier 1 sofas, but I have almost every piece in the Pier 1 Savannah collection (now discontinued) and am extremely happy with it. I'm no furniture expert, but it appears to be very well built, solid wood, not particleboard. We've had it in our living room and master bedroom for about five years, and it's still in excellent, like new condition.

  • lazzarid
    9 years ago

    I purchased this very sofa from Pier 1 and after 5 years, I will have to throw it away, no will buy it or would want it!! It has sagged in the middle and if you sit on the end near the arms, it pulls you to the middle. It was made in China, that speaks volume! I will never buy food, clothing or furniture made in China ever!! Stay away from this badly made sofa, Carmen from Pier 1.

  • Gracie
    9 years ago

    Almost posted on this zombie thread till I saw the date. Whew! That was a close one!

  • zorroslw1
    9 years ago

    May_flowers


    Zombie thread? That's hilarious, it made me laugh:)

  • Gracie
    9 years ago

    Kswl said these old threads are rising from the dead, then someone else called them zombie threads. Who was that someone else? Cuz I think we're going to hear it often, so that person and kswl deserve the credit.

  • lindanewc
    9 years ago

    I almost purchased this same sofa a little over a year ago and was unable to because other things came up that I had to spend $$ on. I do remember that the sofa we replaced was from Room & Board and this one seemed much lighter in weight so I did question it's stability. Since it's still being sold at Pier 1, I think the "zombie thread" is very valid in 2015.

  • amykath
    9 years ago

    I used to have a pier 1 sofa, chair and ottoman. They were really good pieces of furniture and comfy. That was about 15 years ago, so I am not sure if the quality is the same.

  • IdaClaire
    8 years ago

    Watch out for the SPAM! Duly reported.

  • Cynthia Miller
    7 years ago

    We purchased the Carmen loveseat 1-1/2 years ago and followed up a little later with the sofa. The loveseat seems okay, but the back panel of the sofa is detaching: you can see long, needle-like staples that are supposed to hold it in place. I agree with other posters that it needs a center support; sitting on the end does pull one toward the middle. We have yet to contact Pier I, having just noticed the back panel. It is kept covered with a throw to keep our cats from sharpening their claws, so I'm not sure how long the problem has existed.