I live in NC and am looking for the same..only a little less expensive. I have looked at Hancock and Moore and Smith Brothers and I think both are great - but out of my price range. I will tell you to beware of NC furniture shopping - you are not always getting the discount you think you are and are not always buying direct that many think they are. There are also a lot of hidden costs. Six years ago we fell in to the NC furniture shopping trap and I regret most of our purchases. Like I said, we live in NC and don't bother anymore with the "furniture maker" stores/websites.

Thank you for your response. I look forward to reading more comments with current information on the best places to buy, the best value pieces, etc.

Please provide input, fellow posters!

Check out Casco Bay. There are many positive reviews for this online company on gardenweb. I am going to purchase the Manchester sofa from them this spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Casco Bay Furniture

I'll look into it.

I was thinking of going with Bernhardt, Bradington-Young, Century, Henredon, Hancock & Moore, King Hickory or Hickory White.

I'm not tied to those brands - I am however tied to the idea of that sort of high quality.

Does anyone have a store recommendation? Has anyone shopped around and concluded that one store or brand was a significantly better value than the others online?

Thanks!

Where do you live? There are several Fine Home Furnishings stores where I live - all carrying most of the lines you are considering. Maybe there are such stores where you are at even if you have to drive a short distance. Maybe once you find a sofa you are sure on (have sat in it etc) purchasing, you can then find a deal on line for that particular item. Just some thoughts.

The problem is that your budget isn't sufficient for your requirements.

Hi partial38 - I am by no means an expert on sofas by wanted to give you my own experience after searching some online forums. We certainly would have loved to have purchased a H&M sofa but our budget would not allow for it, since our price range was the same as yours. We ended up getting a Bradington Young and could not be more pleased. I did get a grade 3 leather but saw several grade 1 and 2's that were quite nice. The BYs are 8-way hand tied; not sure if they meet the rest of your criteria, but overall it is a well made leather sofa. Note that BY does carry a lower-end line called Seven Seas that is not recommended by many, so just to be aware. If you go to the BY website, you can find dealers in your area.

Hope that helps some.

Can someone explain the different grades of leather, please?

Grades = Price and not necessarily = better quality. And manufacturers / tanneries will grade their leather/pricing differently. Grade 1 maybe a top grain aniline dyed leather with no protective top coat; this is a very soft-hand comfortable, breathable leather but will soil very easily. Grade 3 maybe a top grain pigmented leather that has a protective top coat, doesnt breath as well but easily cleaned. Grade 2 maybe somewhere inbetween. But all top grain leathers are your most durable and most expensive. But is worth the investment.

Thanks rmanbike - that explains (better) and confirms what I have read.

Give Wellington Furniture a call. We have purchased 4 sofas, 3 recliners, 3 chairs, 3 ottomans over the past 15 years from them. All but 2 of the chairs were Distinction leather, and all have been extremely comfortable - 8 way hand-tied, hardwood frames. Talk to the great people there. If you can wait until the end of the year, they run a 15% of sale.

I agree with the NC stores not being what they used to be. We purchased 4 outdoor chairs this past summer, and Lexington Furniture in Lexington, Ky was $375 PER CHAIR cheaper than Furnitureland South. In addition, they still don't charge sales tax, where Furnitureland South does. I have noticed that Furnitureland South is now on ebay, and the things I've seen have been great prices, so you might watch there.

Good luck.

BTW., Cascobay used shills to post on this forum, though there is a longtime poster who purchased from them and was pleased.

I love leather sofa.The sofas that are of high quality and made of pure leather last much longer than the ordinary ones. If there is a chance of you not finding the correct sofa of your choice at any store near you, You can always consider shopping online for the affordable leather sofas as they have many varieties.Its important to make the best decision when buying them.

Bradington Young does make a quality product. We have two lovely upholstered recling arm chairs that are Bradenton Young and they look as good now as they did 15 years ago.

I know this is an old thread, but we went through the leather sofa search not too long ago. Ended up shopping and buying from Furnitureland South in Jamestown, NC (between High Point and Greensboro). They have a HUGE showroom with most top and mid level brands. They'll help you find what you want, whatever your budget.