Hi, I think I answered your question a few days ago about Storehouse. McCreary Modern fits into the same category as Storehouse furniture. Decent, not spectacular, sinuous spring construction, middle of the road. Similar to Mitchell Gold. Both stores, Crate and Barrel and Storehouse as well as Pottery Barn all carry comparable lines of furniture from what I have seen in their stores. I have no insider knowledge, just what I have seen.

mes444-thank you so much. I am remodeling my home and am finally getting rid of my cheap LR furniture. I want something nice but not heirloom as I have 2 young children. I keep coming back to the retailers you mentioned b/c I like their style but I am probaby better off checking getting a mid-high end brand and then ordering from NC. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my posts.

mes444 - thank you for your advice. You are right - I def want my furniture to last. I am not in a rush so shopping in the clearance and warehouse section is a possibility. I will be sure to look for kiln dried hardwood and 8 way hand tied springs per the posts I've been reading. I've learned so much from this board already and appreciate all the great advice I've received.

I have a McCreary Modern sofa bought from Room and Board. We've had it well over two years, and it is the furniture of choice for two rambunctious children and an 85-lb Labrador Retriever. Our house went on the market this week and I went over it with a bit of fabric cleaner and the vacuum, and it looks almost brand-new. It's held up beautifully and it still looks terrific.

McCreary Modern furniture is made specifically for the retailers it supplies, and it cannot be found in NC outlets. (I even called their HQ to ask.) So even though I live in Raleigh, I order my furniture from R&B in Minnesota.

jody

I emailed C&B and asked them for details on MM sofas.
Their response is pasted below. They describe a "Flexolator" spring system. Flexolator is a trade name and it sounds like it is either sinuous springs or struts. Neither is very good as a spring system.

Dear John,

Thank you for your email and interest in our upholstery collection. McCreary Modern is one of our top vendors. Since we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction, this speaks highly of the quality and value they provide.

McCreary uses a solid hardwood kiln-dried frame with mortise and tenon joinery. Dense foam core cushions for "memory" wrapped in a soft poly-batting provide durability and comfort. The patented Flexolator spring system is a McCreary trademark.

All McCreary products are warranted for normal use in the home environment with a limited lifetime warranty.

If you have additional questions please feel free to contact a furniture specialist at 800-967-6696 option 4 between the hours of 7 AM and 9 PM CST seven days a week.

Sincerely,
Sherrie Rardin
Furniture Customer Coordinator

John,
Thank you so much for getting this information. Its a little disappointing that they do not have the 8 way hand tied springs. Wish they stuck with Lee Industris sofas as they seem to be constructed better. Thanks again.

Just a word to all, I live in the Hickory, NC area and have workedin a few furniture factories. Many of my friends still work in the industry. Every one has "their" ideas as to what quality is and what lasts. Remember everyone treats furniture different too. I have two 200+ pound teen age boys, and on certain furniture they do not sit, because they do not sit they plop or flop but hit the seat like something well over 200 pounds. So you have to decide what your definition of quality is or better said what meets your requirements. For me is it comfortable and will it be comfortable in afew years.

And so u know, at one furniture factory it cost us $330 to build a certain sofa and it sold to the retailer for 350 dollars shipping was 90 dollars and retail in the store was $ 999

Mark

I also found a McCreary sofa at Crate and Barrel that I love. But they don't offer a warranty or guarauntee. The sectional is $5000. Can I find it someplace else for less?

Macy's Furniture stores carry McCreary Modern. I've had mine since last Oct. and I couldn't love it more. It's the slipcovered line and it gets plenty of use. I have to admit that I don't flip the cushions like they recommend but when I do the sofa looks brand new again.

Went to Crate and Barrel to purchase a McCreary Lounge sofa for $1499. It's somewhat unique because the depth is 46". They are talking about 6 weeks delivery date. Anyone know where we can get the same sofa earlier. C&B says it's unique. They say that they have an agreement with McCreary not to manufacture and sell to other resellers the same furniture. I am dubious.

I realize this thread is over a year old - however, I wanted to provide a heads up for the folks who are interested in purchasing a McCreary Modern sofa and live in the Southern California area.

Over the 2007 Labor Day sale at the Macy's Furniture Outlet in Santa Ana, California (Main Place Mall) we purchased a sage green down sofa for $302. Although I wanted a slipcover, the price was too good to pass up (original price $1,600). The sofa is very comfortable and I believe we made a good decision. However, one potential problem, they do not deliver.

For anyone doing an internet search for McCreary Modern who happens upon this thread:

The "Flexalator" springs on my sofa (purchased from Macy's) broke within three years. No kids jumping on them, just two normal size people using it. Macy's is honoring the warranty but I'm waiting six weeks for news springs to be ordered. Other than that I love the sofa, but I don't think I'd buy this brand again.

All & Jazzkool,

I am looking to buy the C&B lounge sofa as well (Which I gather mccreary makes)

Anybody have luck getting one for cheaper? Or did you buy & now like/dislike??
Thanks

McCreary Modern does not have a website. The most insider information I have is that their style exceeds their quality and customer service. They are continually reluctant to provide service to customers with warranty and defect claims as well as freight damage claims. The owner is clearly in it for the money and nothing more. They are also incredibly overloaded with contract orders and will quote their customers 8 weeks for lead time, but take more closely 12-14 weeks for lead time. Their factory and staff are not equipped for their massive workload. So if you want quality service and a reasonable lead time, choose someone like Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Shenandoah, American Leather, or Maria Yee.

A flexolator spring system is basically a panel that is hinged at the front of the sofa and connected to the rear with a spring. I think the panel is a steel grid but I don't remember for sure.

We visited a factory years back that used flexolator and it was the first we'd heard or seen it. The owners explained to us that the ride is comparable to no sag, but it will never squeak. Most of their styles were meant to sit firm, so the ride wasn't really impacted much on those styles. The sofas that were meant to be plush were plushed up by building the seat cushions differently. Note that even 8-way sofas will offer different cushions to adjust the seating.

Well we never carried the plush models so I can't comment on those. But we sold quite a few of their sofas. Sadly this small family-owned maker had to close in 2002. However I'd had not one complaint about any of their sofas, not one. So I don't have a bad view of flexolator.

Back to McCreay Modern... like most furniture, where you buy from is as important as what you buy. A factory warranty is only as good as the dealer who services it, or your ability to bring the sofa to the factory for repair. You can't UPS it like a camera or a watch. If the maker is crap and the dealer is great you'll get satisfaction. If the maker is great and the dealer is crap the warranty may not be worth much.

I have worked at McCreary Modern designing the frames that they use. I would not buy anything McCreary modern makes. They make cheap plywood frames that will not last as long as the hardwood frames will. As far as the flexolater system, it is just the cheapest way they can spring up their furniture so that is why they use it. The owner of McCreary Modern is out for the money not the quality furniture.

I realize this is an old thread, but I'm looking at a Room & Board couch made by McCreary Modern. Room & Board says (I spoke to a customer service rep) that the furniture is made from kiln-dried hardwood, mortise-and-tenon construction. The person writing above says it's cheap plywood. Not sure what to think. Do I believe an anonymous internet poster, or the company selling the product? The company could just be lying about the construction, but wouldn't they be exposing themselves to a whole lot of problems if they turned out to be misrepresenting their product? Whereas there's no downside for the anonymous poster if it turns out what he/she is saying isn't true.

Not sure if anyone out there has an answer, just my 2 cents I guess.

I have the Dublin from Room & Board, made by McCreary Modern, purchased under 4 years ago. We don't have kids or dogs, we are two normal-weight adults, we don't abuse our furniture.

One "seat" is sagging about 4 inches. I took the dustcover off of the bottom to get some pictures for a repair estimate. 1/3 of the wires that make up the grid/spring have snapped off where they anchored to the frame.

Realizing this was more than a piece of snapped webbing I called Room & Board. Turns out they didn't have a specific warranty period, rather they would open a case for me and their service dept would call me in 2 or 3 days. I got a call back 2 hours later. They are going to pick up the couch and replace the spring free of charge.

Oh, and the Dublin has a plywood frame. I believe it's decent quality (not construction grade) plywood made from hardwoods. I disagree with the person that claims it's "cheap". I think the frame is fine. At under two grand for a two seat sofa and one seat chaise, I was not expecting solid wood, I just wanted to avoid MDF. My problem wasn't with the frame at all.

I understand that McCreary Modern makes furniture to spec for resellers. From my limited experience, I think the pieces I purchased from Room & Board are sturdy and well constructed. I did have a bad experience with the springs, but it could easily have been defective materials used in constructing the spring, and Room & Board is replacing the spring without charge.

Here is a link that might be useful: interior photos of the flexolator spring & my sofa

My wife and I fell in love with a McCreary Modern sectional last night at Macys in Atl.It was around 3800 on sale.I am just looking to find a high quality,comfortable sectional.If MM is not one of the better brands are there any suggestions for better quality functional furniture.

We are considering buying McCreary Sofas (Model-London in C&B). C&B is asking for $2199 with a delivery time of 6-8 weeks. Anyone knows any place in/around Atlanta where we can get it at lower price and faster?

marshea, check out rowe or lee industries. You can search both for comments on this forum.

i know this post is old . . . but to let you know i purchesed two, special-ordered MM sofas from storehouse (now defunct?) -- someone didn't pick them up. they were already marked down, and after the 'back room' sale, another $100 off for opening a credit card (canceled next day), blah, blah, each one originally $1,500.00 -- got them BOTH for $1,250.00. i paid an extra $35 to have them scotchguarded (best thing ever done). okay, prices seem cheap? they should! that was 15 years ago . . . and, i am now looking for slipcovers for them (originally in my plan to do). yes, they made it that long. if my colors didn't need to be lightened (new SMALL townhouse), etc., i'd probably have them cleaned and move on. they were our main furniture and they were well-loved. if you get a good price (mine have down cushions), go for it. you just can't go wrong. i plan on getting another 5-10 out of the slipcovers . . .:)

I just bought a Mccreary modern sectional at Carson Piere Scott Furniture outside Chicago. Thier sale and 24 month no interest finanacing were awesome and the exact same couch and Room and Board's "Kendall" will be here soon, for about $500 less.

Well, it seems as though this thread has come back from the dead on several occasions, so I thought I'd do my part and spark it up again... ;-)

My wife and I recently bought our first home, and we have been searching for our first high quality sectional that will withstand the test of time. We have two dogs, and we will be having kids in the not so distant future, so we are certainly looking for durability to go along with looks.

After looking at the usual places, both high-end (Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Macy's, etc.), and low-end (Living Spaces, Bassett Furniture, etc.)...we stumbled upon a couch we absolutely loved. The couch was at Macy's, and after some research we discovered it was a McCreary Modern "Doss" sectional.

After reading some of the quality issues on this forum, I am hesitant to make this purchase, especially considering the nearly $3,000 price tag. Thanks to this wonderful forum, like others, I have learned that a sofa/sectional with kiln dried hardwood and 8-way hand tied springs is the way to go.

I am posting here to get some feedback and suggestions as to the brands and manufacturers to take into consideration and look for that features these qualities/attributes...

I look forward to hearing from you, and thanks in advance for any and all help. Cheers!

Sincerely,

Shane

Shane, what did you do? I was recommened, by Kittles in Indianapolis, 2nd best to Hancock sectional (which if you wanted this same sectional that is by them which is 8 way hand tied) is 10K. Wow! I would never pay that much. I have found that Action Lane has 8 way h/t, coils in cushions and supposedly hardwood framed, but made in China. Some of Lanes products are containerized from China. Hmm....? The price is right, it is leather (in my case is what I want) and one 3 cushion couch is 1300. I'm on the fence. Can't believe how much this crap is marked up.

It seems like people are still looking for the best quality, most affordable sectionals or sofas. So I will post my experience. I purchased several Lee Industries products in 1996, including a sectional, sofas, and arm chairs. Here it is 16 years later and my furniture still looks fabulous! It is still super comfortable and structurally sound. Even the fabrics look great!!Perhaps you'll realize just how amazing that is when I tell you I am the mother of 8 and now grandmother to 19. The furniture has been moved 5 times, including two long rides in a container over the ocean to Australia and back. It has seen the active lives of our huge family and their various friends and pets. I am still amazed at the quality. Yes, it is more expensive than many brands, but I surely got what I paid for. There's a wonderful privately owned furniture store in Orem, UT that has a 40% off custom upholstery sale every March. That is when I buy! Good luck in your furniture buying choices and I hope you'll consider Lee Industries.

This company has terrible customer service. We called about slipcovers for our sofa and they agreed that they made them but wouldn't even talk to us about buying them.

My OH my! Yes, I know about their furniture (that term being used lightly). I bought a large sectional couch of theirs through Carsons Furniture in Wilmette, Illlinois. Carson touted it mightily. Within 6 months the material fray, pilled shredded and look like it should be in a bus stop. Carsons sent a guy out and said "this is junk" and brought all new cushions. In 2 months same thing. A 23 year old teeny bopper girl came out and with incredble arrogance said we are not flipping the cushions enough and left. We have a Sherril couch and a Conover sectional about 15 years old and material is like new. So I take it to Carsons next level and some guy named Tony, after I told him it is junk and told him his inspector said it was junk, said "It is not our policy to stand behind furniture". Really?

Long and short Mc Creary makes garbage. It is 2 years old and we could not sell it in a garage sale because the uphosltery is tattered, shredded, pilled and shot. AND, our kids are gone. Just 2 60 something and it wore out instantly and Carsons and Mc Craery could give a hoot.

DO NOT BUY from Carson"s and DO NOT BUY MC CREARY junk. NO matter how they BS you, it is poorly made garbage with an manufacturer who could care less and Carson's who turns their back on you. Double whammey with those companies.

McCreary Modern furniture is made specifically for the retailers it
supplies, and it cannot be found in NC outlets. So even though I live in Raleigh, I order my furniture from R&B in Minnesota.

I wouldn't' say McCreary Modern is junk. They have nice styles and nice fabrics. It is a mid range product carried by large retailers. It is very difficult to even get into their exhibit at the High Point Furniture show as they don't want to sell regular retailers.They use a plywood frame and a Flexalator spring not be confused with Flexsteel's Flexolator (or at least they used to). This is the Flexsteel spring http://www.flexsteel.com/home-furniture/quality-construction/sofas-construction The springs looks like the wires from a camp cot. Kind of like a wire grid of small rectangles. I think they buy their cushions from Interstate cushion which makes a decent cushion. It's not a bad look in my opinion.

As far as style goes, they just pirated it from Mitchell Gold. Check out Mitchell Gold's ALEX.

Robert Holt- I so appreciate your comment. I am about to purchase the Doss sofa from Carsons in Wilmette. Unfortunately I don't want to spend a lot and it super comfy and the right dimensions for our space. I am curious which fabric you used, as I am trying to de use between a few, and I would guess that some hold up better than others. Thanks so much!

Sorry - for the auto correct typos! That would be ... I'm trying to decide between a few.... Thanks!

We considered a variety of furniture brands before purchasing McCreary Modern for our beach house almost five years ago. The frames are kiln dried hardwood, the quality is excellent! The fabric wears well and the sleeper sofa is wonderful. We were able to find slipcovered furniture at a price point less than other stores at Carson's in the Chicago suburbs.

We have purchased upholstered furniture from Pennsylvania House (when American made), Broyhill, Tom's Price, and Ethan Allen. Our McCreary Modern chairs and sofa are on par.

I just purchased a Sectional from Macy's called the Doss Sectional. It's made by Mccreary Modern. I've had it for 2 weeks now and it still has a strong odor that hadn't gone away. We left it outside for 3-4 days and now for 1.5 weeks have had all 4 windows in the room open 24 hours a day. They don't use flame retardants and the label on the sofa proves that. The inside is a core foam with feather, down wrapped. I noticed the body of the sofa, without all the cushions also has a strong odor....I have no idea what is causing this chemical odor. I called the manufacturer and they say they don't use toxic chemicals or materials in their sofas. I'm perplexed.

Which fabric did you order the couch in?

We bought a sectional from McCreary Modern through Carsons Furniture in Wilmette, Illinois.. The material is pure garbage. It was tan kind of nubby material which shredds right off. It is like nothing I have ever seen. Thet gave us new cushions and the same thing happened within a month. Mc Creary does not care and Carsons in Wilmette refused to get involved. So, we have a god awful sectional that, after 2 years we will throw away or have itr recovered. Probably throw it away as recovering junk does not make sense. I'd stay away from Mc Creary and Carsons.

Thanks for getting back to me. And Rats. I just bought the Doss from carsons. It's a grey somewhat nubby material. I hope it's a different material than the one you have. Do you remember the name of your material? I'm somewhat kicking myself for not just getting the basic microsuede that it come in. I just didn't love the colors... The reviews on the Doss microsuede fabric seem pretty good. I'm crossing my fingers that this one is ok ( it will arrive in 8 weeks).

... We also bought from Carson's in Wilmette

We bought a McCreary down sectional at Macy's in 2005. It's now 2016. We fell in love with it on the floor, in cheerful sunflower yellow pinstripe. It is the best thing we've ever bought. Incredibly comfortable. So soft & cozy. We are also tall, 6"2 & 5"9. We have 2 kids, now 12 & 13, who grew up on this couch. As well as 2 Persian cats a Newfie & Great Pyrenees. (Dogs not allowed on sofa) I wash these slip covers in cold in our washer, dry to damp; using stain spray on stains. They wash clean & fabulous. Nothing has ever frayed, failed or broken. We. Love. This. Sofa. It looks similar to when we bought it 11 years ago. It's huge & impressive. People love it. So much do we love this sofa that just today I contacted our same sales gal at Macy's who sold it to us, seeking to buy a new set of slipcovers. Even though the original ones look great & haven't noticeably faded. We just want to extend the life several more years. :) Our sofa & experience has been great. We also bought a sofa & love seat denim slipcover set from Lazyboy the same year. The cushions totally failed the first year- looking terrible, & LB would not replace. Terrible & not comfortable. The slipcovers on the LB set faded horribly & shrank within first few washings, so much they tore. McCreary sectional meanwhile- looks & feels new after 11 years. :) As well, I have bad asthma and allergies, and am extremely sensitive to smells or off-gassing, and our sofa had no odor at all. I wonder if the above person's sofa that had a strong smell, had come in contact with something at a warehouse, store, etc, if they had fumigated for something? Or even painted or been doing construction at some particular storage place or store? Only to say we had no smell at all, thankfully.

Hi Nicole,

Do you happen to know which fabric ( the name of the color) you purchased your sofa in? I am awaiting delivery on our sofa - and we chose one of the non standard fabrics, so I am just wondering how well it will hold up. I as well have kids two Ragdoll cats and a Newfy ( who will not be allowed on the sofa

Hello, :)
Our slip covers are a cheery, yellow pinstripe, that I believe was called the color, 'Sunflower.' (And I don't even like yellow, but this was lovely and actually quite neutral) On our old receipt and product sheet, it says Cover: Muslin Natural/Baldwin Sunflower- Grade D. And in product description next to each piece of the sectional says BALDWIN SUNF. It feels like a general canvas or denim; strong, cotton material. Yet soft. Even if they have changed the names since we purchased it in 2005 at a Macy's, they would likely know the current equal product available.
I would definitely get it again, (trying to) or even order covers in canvas or denim cottons, if they offer them. I'm looking into that myself. I use a stain spray on any spots (maybe test first for any fading) and have always washed in cold. (If yours are washable and not dry clean) As well, We dry them on low, and put them on when still barely damp, and the covers have never shrank. Though they are 11 years old- that's assuming they have not brought in cheaper materials in the last 10 years. Hoping any new covers wear as well for you and us too! :)

I'm with Nicole...We bought MM from Macy's in 2007...and we LOVE it...We did put extra stuffing in the back cushions last year (after 8 years of daily use)...but the fabric and the rest of it look brand new. Will buy another MM for our next!

That could be said of a lot of upholstery manufacturers before the 2008 Recession. Much has changed now, including MM. Your 2007 sofa is not the same sofa their building now.

I have just happened upon this decade old thread while searching for a McCreary Modern sofa for my son's home and I feel compelled to add my feedback. In 1999 or 2000 we purchased our MM sectional after I convinced my husband it was our best choice. He wanted a traditonal couch and loveseat and I wanted something that could accommodate the whole family. I couldn't resist the MM sectional at Macy's because I felt it would best fit our family of five with 3 kids, 2 dogs, a cat and endless company. My thought was we could all relax on it at the same time. We ended up selecting the large, 4 piece, U shape, very comfortable sectional and we have never regretted the decision and still LOVE this couch. Everyone we know loves our couch and asks where we bought it. It looks very much the same as the day it arrived. I did pick a different fabric from the one on the floor display. It's a dark green chenille with a faint floral paisley design etched into it. Never had a problem. We have used this couch everyday for 17 years and it's as good as new. It has been through 2 moves, countless kids sleepovers, movie nights, fort building, and whatever else I can't remember. I wash the slipcovers in cool water with woolite and dry on low heat. It hasn't even faded! We couldn't ask more from a sofa/sectional. Based on what I'm learning about couches after reading through these threads, thankfully, I didn't know a thing about couch construction or I may not have purchased this fabulous piece of furniture! We will never give this sofa up until it collapses :-) and I can only hope that the new one my son purchases will last him as long.

I used to work in the furniture business and have 2 McCreary Modern pieces. Both are slipcovered (great for keeping clean), purchased more than 15 years ago and are holding up fine. I live alone, with pets, but my life is pretty casual, Myself or my guests plop down on my furniture on a regular basis. I did spring for a Mitchell Gold 8 way hand tie sofa about 20 years ago. Although the fabric and cushions wore out, I paid to have it recovered and re-cushioned this year because the frame and structure were still in terrific shape.

comfortable sofa bought it at macys springs started to break down after about 12 years but soft and comfortable

I've had my McCreary sofa since summer 2000 (It's June 2022 as of this writing), purchased from the now defunct Innovations in Atlanta. I'm single but I've had at least two pets in my household (dogs and cats) every year since I bought it. It is amazingly well built: No sagging of the seat cushion (still great to cat nap on) or the 5 back/side pillows, and two decorative pillows. The only reason I'm searching now is I need a smaller couch for my new place, it's faded in places due to indirect sun exposure, and the cats have done a number on both arms (the fabric never tore). I know they've changed owners since 2000, but I'm still gonna check out retailers offering sofas made by MCreary.