Lee Industries (or other High End) Sofa-How Much?!?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I am getting crazy annoyed. Please, can someone tell me the price range of a Lee Industries Sofa around 90 inches.
I hired an interior designer at $220 an hour for a six hour consult. I wasn't crazy about her ideas, but she did put the idea of getting a higher end sofa -- eight-way hand tied, double doweled corners, whatever. BUT she wouldn't tell me how much such a thing costs. Fair enough. But not even a range. Lee won't tell me how much. They referred me to another local designer who also wouldn't give me a range, but would meet with me at the store for an hourly fee. More than happy to pay someone for their time...but doesn't it make sense to give me a range. If it's not in my budget, it's better for all to know that upfront. So please, in short, how much for middle of line/non custom/upholstery fabric on a 90 inch sofa? |
Anonymous
|
Lee Industries makes a LOT of sofas. They make their own on their website, you can get them from higher end stores (like the Design Center retailers), and they produce items for places like Crate and Barrel. As such, you'll pay retail at some places, and sometimes those places will have sales, but you can also purchase through designers or dealers that have tiered pricing or trade pricing and therefore you're subject to mark-ups. So the range is huge, and this is why no one can or will give you a price.
I am a designer, and I often refer clients to Room and Board for quality, custom sofas. Their sales people work without commission, so they're friendly and knowledgeable without pressure. I also like Vastu, which carries custom and well-made brands (Steven Anthony) is a favorite. And you can always go to C&B and ask for a Lee Industries frame; this will be a "lesser" frame than their higher-end line, which means it will last you 15 years and not 100. Fine by most people. At any of the places I mentioned, look to pay about $3000 give or take a few hundred for fabric selections. Add $1-$1.5K for leather upholstery. |
Anonymous
|
So do you think 3-4k for a sofa through wash design center is doable? This is where both designers shop.
What do you think of Mitchell gold? Thank you for cost info. Sounds like lee is in budget if I read this right. |
Anonymous
I just bought a sofa from Urban Country for $4000. It is beautiful! Sounds like Lee is in budget. |
Anonymous
| I'm an interior designer and the cost of a sofa from Lee can vary greatly. It depends on the style and what fabric you want to put on it. If you choose a $2000 frame you might put a cheap fabric on it or an outrageously expensive fabric on it. Clients always think you can just throw out a number but you can't. There are many different variables. And what' I've learned is you might give someone a range of $3,000 to $5,000 but all they hear is $3,000. So if anything comes in a dollar more than that they think you are taking them for a ride. Soooo it really, really depends. |
Anonymous
| Lee is not high end. It's middle to low middle. All of Crate and Barrel sofas are made by Lee. |
Anonymous
right, and a benz is a poor man's rolls royce. 
|
Anonymous
Yeah, I guess it depends. But I sell houses for a living. If someone tells me they want a 6,000 sq ft house in a close-in suburb next to the metro, I can give them a ball park of what that costs. If they tell me they just want to live near the metro in a SFH, well, that's a bigger range. But I can still tell them that a 400,000 dollar budget won't cut it. It seems to me like there's a communication issue with some designers and clients. Sure, there are jackass clients who think you're taking them for a ride. However, there is also a way to communicate nuance to price. At some point, you do have to talk price. It's such a cop out to say "it depends" all the time. yes, it depends, and here is what it depends on... FWIW, PP, I think my Mitchell Gold couch is okay. Not great. |
Anonymous
|
I have a Mitchell Gold sofa in my living room. It's about 5-years old and still looks like new. Very comfortable. We searched all over before we bought it to find a comfortable sofa that we thought was attractive and would go with the rest of our furniture.
I have a Crate and Barrel sofa in my family room. I don't know who made it for Crate and Barrel. It's about 10-years old and still looks and feels good. Crate and Barrel has a custom upholstery sale every fall (September or October). If you are going to buy from Crate and Barrel I recommend waiting for their upholstery sale unless you happen to like the standard fabric that they are showing the sofa in. My sister has a Room and Board sofa that she bought used off of Craig's List about 5 years ago and it also still looks and feels new. I think by the time you get up to Mitchell Gold or Crate and Barrel or Room and Board you are getting a sofa that will last for a long time and continue to look good. I have bought cheaper sofas in the past and after a year or two the fabric looked bad and people starting sinking when they sat on them. I don't know if Mitchell Gold/Crate and Barrel/Room and Board sofas will last for 100 years, but I don't plan to be around myself in 100 years anyway. I figure by the end of 20 years or so I will probably be tired of any sofa and ready to buy a new one. |
Anonymous
No. Their markups are going to be more. Just order yourself thru Crate and Barrel. They have several manufacturers (not just Lee as a PP said) but they will order any Lee frame. No mark up. Easy. |
Anonymous
My Urban Country sectional is a Lee. Got it a while ago for $3k. |
Anonymous
| I had a sofa by Lee from Urban Country, too. Gorgeous sofa, but sagging in the middle (showroom sale). Can't complain, it was $4000 marked down to $900. I would buy another Lee sofa but not a showroom piece. |
Anonymous
|
We have a Lee, and no complaints so far (been about a year).
I do find the designer stuff somewhat annoying. We spent $50k on furniture, and only about 10% could we actually see/try in person (at Wash Design Center). The rest we had to select based on a catalog photo and just trust the designer. What other industry do you drop serious amount of cash but you can't actually look at the product before you buy? I sure wouldn't buy a car that way. |
Anonymous
|
This is exactly my problem as well. I don't want to spend $$$ on a sofa or chair that I can't sit in. We bought a Lee Sofa from Urban Country b/c I could sit in it and (somewhat) knew what to expect.
I am struggling with other furnishings b/c I don't want to order out of a catalogue. BTW, my Lee Sofa was in the same $ range. |
Anonymous
| I have two Lee sofas, each around $3k. I ordered them custom through Crate & Barrel at their 20% off custom sale (October, I think). Urban Country was quoting me similar prices at the time. These were purchased 4-5 years ago and have held up beautifully. C&B can also easily tell you which models in their showroom are from Lee. |