Former employee for both here, I find Ethan Allen and Arhaus both deliver on quality.

Both are handmade pieces with real wood and various techniques for cushion construction and fabric wrapping that really puts them far above.

I personally prefer Arhaus because of the transparency of the building process. You get to really see the way corners of the frame are knotched together providing solid construction that will last a lifetime, in addition to different wood frame materials - some is more layered mixing in I guess what could be compared to plywood which really makes it incredibly sturdy.

There's also different types of foams that go into cushions, some have spring bases, others don't, some combine a bit of a feather and foam fill especially for back cushions. This varies greatly from other stores that often use only one kind of cheap foam that loses its shape over time.

Theres also great care that goes into the fabric as well, it's all hand laid out and cut to size by hand, arranging to look best on your piece before being sewn. The fabric quality is very good, and so is the leather.

Another thing to consider with these brands and similar hand constructed/high end stores is how accessible and adjustable your pieces are. You're far more likely to get removable cushion covers and cushions that are not sewn to the frame in addition to fabric that wraps around the entire cushion not just visible parts. Other things of note with nicer pieces are simply in the care of design, appropriate footings underneath to support actual weight. No glue being the main support for where wood meets. Accents like nailhead and button tufting being even, carefully pleated, and/or assembled in a way that won't come off.

You do really get what you pay for - though take advantage of many of these stores additional services that their design centers off because some of the cost is absolutely commission as well.

I never hesitate to recommend either Ethan Allen or Arhaus to my clients - I also like pottery barn and restoration hardware but don't know their construction details to stand as confidently on them. Of course, these are lifetime pieces they cost more but on sales, they can fit in your budget.

I’m an interior designer and there are some good recommendations in here but I’d like to narrow this list down. If you can find a brand manufactured in North Carolina it’s probably going to be better than anything container shipped over seas. Here’s what I recommend:

• highest price point - Verellen, Thayer Coggin, Roche Bobois, Hickory Chair, Hickory White, Taylor King, Rene Cazares

• medium high - Century, Hooker/Bradington Young, Tomlinson, Lazar

• medium- Lee, Jessica Charles, Precedent, Vanguard

A lot of these brands are owned by the same company. Like Bradington Young is the leather version of Hooker. Century, Hancock and Moore, Hickory Chair are all under the same holdings company.

I would avoid article and room and board. You don’t pay THAT much more (if not the same price) for a brand with much more longevity and a reputation of products lasting. These newer direct to consumer brands aren’t bad - I spec them at work sometimes, I’m not against them. It’s just they don’t offer much in way of a price discount for the fact that they are not constructed in the same tried and true methods as those longstanding brands mentioned above. Since these are newer brands we have no idea how they will hold up in 15 years.

I am constantly reupholstering sofas from Hickory Chair that are 20 years old and just need a fabric refresh due to styles changing. That speaks volumes.

Edit: I feel I must again clarify because my maligning of room and board seems to have aggravated some of the apparent room and board sales reps here in the comments (jokes). There is nothing wrong with room and board. As a designer, I am concerned with both quality AND design. I personally think room and board is very utilitarian and not as aesthetically pleasing. The designs are simple and functional but there’s no elevated style to them. I understand this is purely an aesthetic complaint and not a quality complaint. In regards to quality, they are fine. But I personally believe, for the money, you can do better (like the brands I listed above). I think you can get more bang for your buck pick both in terms of construction quality AND design aesthetic from other brands.

I also personally think the leathers from room and board are no where near the quality of the Italian leathers that these other brands have access to. Purely based on the buying power of room and board, they don’t have access to some of these leather purveyors like say Hancock and Moore does.

It's a great starting place. The guy who made that website owned a furniture company for years before he retired, and seems to have done reasonably well. https://insidersguidetofurniture.com/about/

I’ve reupholstered quite a few Norwalk couches and they are supremely well made (I’m professional upholsterer)

This is what I used to get my Omnia sofa! It was a great resource and I was so excited to see someone post it again.

(We’ve only had the sofa a few months so I can’t comment on its true quality yet but it’s been good so far. Comfortable, too. But crazy that a $5,000 sofa is “mid-range”)

Ikea is fantastic for new at that price point. From there, you will pay twice the price for 20% better. Room and board is my favorite brand. 3x the price, maybe 50% better than ikea

Started over after divorce, Thuma, Article, Burrow, West Elm, Crate and barrel, for most of the stuff, wanted a little nicer than IKEA without breaking the bank, even Wayfair for some odds and ends

I check Article before anywhere else. Macy's will occasionally have some great deals but most of their stuff is pretty dated. Urban Outfitters has some really cool mid century bohemian furniture and decor, I recently bought some bamboo blinds from UO and love them. I like CB2 a lot but never actually bought anything from them, plus they're getting more and more expensive. Crate & Barrel and West Elm are obviously great as well but both get pretty pricey. Valyou Furniture is some weird Chinese website I want to try some time. They basically make cheaper knock offs of other classic Knoll pieces, best selling West Elm pieces, etc.

If we’re talking about affordability I’d recommend Facebook marketplace or Craigslist

Gus modern, menu and blu dot.

If you’re open to a higher price point: ligne roset, bonaldo, midj, billiani, cassina, gubi, &traditjon, stellar works, normann Copenhagen, moooi, capellini, saba italia

I love the styles of Maiden Home! Here’s a list I found of American furniture designers: USA furniture

I have a Joybird sofa but currently looking to replace it with one from Inside Weather which are a bit more affordable and nicer in some ways. Both made in the US.

A classic, but timeless Herman Miller if you’re into the mid century modern pieces!

How high end?

I would look at it like this:

HIGH END LUXURY: Baker, Holly Hunt, Hellman Chang, Quintus, Lewis Mittman, Allan Knight, Jonathan Browning (lighting), Allison Berger Glassworks, Gregorius Pineo, Apparatus Studio, Herman Miller, Knoll, Bernhardt, Waterworks, Henredon, Kelly Wearstler, Thomas O'Brien, NicoleHollis, Vladimir Kagan, Fine Art Lamps, Donghia (now Kravet), Rocky Mountain Hardware, Ann Sacks, Porcelanosa (not sure if made in US), Philip Jeffries (wallcovering), Maya Romanoff (wallcovering), Speakman Faucets, Juin Ho, Dennis Miller, Palecek, Barbara Barry, Porcelain Bear, Sutherland (outdoor furniture), Janus et Cie (outdoor furniture), Christopher Guy

If you expand to non-US, then there's a ton of furniture designers that specialize in super high end like: Timothy Oulton, Armani Casa, Fendi Casa, Lalique, Poliform, Minotti, Giorgetti, Ligne Roset, Terrence Conran, Brizo Faucets, Kelly Hoppen, Zaha Hadid, Christian Liaigre, Gilles et Boissier, Lee Broom (lighting), Tom Dixon, Michael Anastassiades, Beaumont & Fletcher, Bentley Home, Jean-Louis Denoit, Chahan Minassian, Jacques Grange, Herve Van Der Straaten, Casamance, Rubelli, Paolo Castelli, THG Paris, Pinto Paris, Fromental (wallcovering), Loloey (carpet), Sarah Richardson, B&B Italia, Poltrona Frau, Kettal, Hermes

PREMIUM BRANDS: Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams, Rejuvenation, Urban Electric, Restoration Hardware, Crate+Barrel, West Elm, CB2, Walker Zanger, Emser Tile, DalTile, Delta Faucets, Alder & Tweed, Arteriors, Visual Comfort, Currey & Company, Z Gallerie, Mark & Graham, Ethan Allen, Bassett

(generally the difference between Premium and Luxury is that luxury tends to be hard to come by. handmade and very often only featured in showrooms and not in stores. There's typically a bespoke quality to true luxury goods. If a true luxury brand has an actual store, it will likely only be found in the highest end neighborhood in a town, and there may only be one store on an entire continent, whereas premium brands will be found all over the place sometimes more than one store in a city. Hellman Chang for example is exorbitantly expensive but all their stuff is handmade and their clients are people like The Zuckerbergs. Restoration Hardware being made mostly in Chinese factories, is by definition not luxury, but a premium brand masquerading as if it was a luxury brand).

CONSUMER BRANDS: Ashley Furniture, Living Spaces, IKEA, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Target, Macy's, Mathis Brothers, Overstock, AllModern, Thomasville, Jerome's, Floor & Decor, Amazon -- these would be your basic run-of-the-mill where everyone goes to get furniture type places.

Oh, Rogerandchris.com !

Franciscanware for dishes specifically starburst, oasis, Autumn, echo

Lisner, Kramer, for vintage jewelry

Dansk for cutlery and pots

Kromex and Lincoln beautyware for kitchen canisters. The latter for bread box, cake take a long, wax paper dispenser etc

Sunbeam for small kitchen appliances

Kohler for vintage bathroom fixtures. they even have a few of the old favorite colors in reproduction right now if you need that yellow mid century bathroom of your dreams

Evergleam, royal pine, pom pom, for aluminum Christmas tree. Evergleam has a tribute in their hometown every year with all the gorgeous trees. Pink, green, blue gold....so many beauties

Shiny Brite for Xmas ornaments Radco is doing reproductions

Illinois moulding company, belart, witco, jonero, Miller studios, and Sexton for wall art. Popcorn art, still life, chalkware, wood carvings, cast metal art.

Modeline and wollums for lighting. Along with PH lighting. Ph5, ph artichoke. Ph lights are still in production.

So many more.

Here is my Christmas setup with an evergleam tree, shiny Brite ornaments, knoll chair, Illinois moulding company popcorn art, wollums lamp, random kinetic sculpture on a lane acclaim table.

https://preview.redd.it/p7x50dag08ze1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e1d29a6d672e5e6d3e24a326de8e8ad98167ad2

Flos as well

EDIT: Really? Got downvoted for Flos, that released all of Castiglioni's iconic lighting and lamps of the 50s and 60s. They released the Snoopy lamp. smh

Guzzini, although more 60s

Welcome to your kitchenware: Pyrex, Fire King, Glasbake, Hazel Atlas and Arcopal bakeware and glasseare, Blendo glassware for summer, Dansk, Catherineholm. Lincoln Beautyware and Lustroware for canisters and storage, and don't forget your Tupperware.

Arabia, Gustavsberg, Iittala, Rorstrand for dishes, ceramics

Dansk, Hackman, Fiskars, Lauffer, Gense, Georg Jensen for flatware

Dansk, Cathrineholm for metal pots, pans, dishes. Dansk also for teak objects, like serving & cutting boards, pepper mills, ice buckets etc

Orrefors, Kosta Boda, Iittala, Holmegaard for glassware, glass / crystal vases, candleholders, etc

Marimekko for textiles

A lot of famous mid-century designers worked for these companies, some with multiple media. The list is heavily Scandinavian ))

Also, Louis Poulsen, Ateljé Lyktan for lamps, and a whole lot of Italian designers (someone more knowledgeable may comment)

Amish

Vintage solid wood. Brand isn’t Super important - but well made solid wood that’s already 60+ years old will last another 60+ years.

Stickley.

They style isn’t for everyone, but I recently bought a Stressless recliner. I was on the fence about them until I attended a party where the host had one. It was 28 years old and was obviously used constantly but in very good shape.

The leather had extra markings at the common touch points with skin. But it was still well padded, and fully functional. When asked about it, the owner loved it so much he talked to me about 20 minutes and demanded I try sitting in it. 😂

Go second hand for high quality hardwood/metal furniture as their is usually no difference between a table or a dresser that is brand new vs well kept used. It is understandable to go new for anything with fabric, springs, or inner layers as those wear down with use and can potentially hide bedbugs, mites, and other nastiness.

Highest quality for most seating is going to be Hancock & Moore. Expect 3-4k for a chair or ~$8-10k or more for a couch from them though; but it will still be looking great and sitting great in ~20-30 years. Bradington Young, Leathercraft, Classic Leather, etc would be a small step down in quality & price typically. My value pick would be McKinley furniture. Around half the price of H&M and nearly just as well constructed; only difference would be fit & finish not nearly as perfectionist.

For hardwood furniture Henkel Harris is my pick for highest quality. Downside is they pretty much exclusively stick to classic American 18th/19th historical reproductions (and do them extremely well); that style fits me and my house and while I could never afford any of it brand new the used stuff fits into my budget. You may want something more modern though. Stickley, Baker, Henrendon, Kittinger, etc would be some other the high end & high quality brands for tables & casegoods.

Unfortunately, a lot of the new furniture out there today is at best of mediocre quality. And it costs a LOT. I’d think hard about not looking at used furniture unless you are quite wealthy. I’ve spent years now shopping on Craigslist, etc., and learned much about furniture along the way. I understand being leery of upholstered pieces (although I have bought some with no problems), but for all the other stuff, old pieces are usually much better in construction and materials.

The response that mentioned Hancock & Moore is excellent and unfortunately correct about the prices.

A good thing to try is ask around on Craigslist, Marketplace, or your city’s Reddit to see if there are any local carpenters. As long as you find a professional, hand made is going to be higher quality and longer lasting. Then if something does end up getting scuffed or damaged, you know exactly who to ask about repairing it

That's the one area where I love to save, furniture prices are ridiculous. A good couch is worth good money, but the ikea shelves hold books the same way a more expensive would. I have never broken ikea or other cheap furniture, and I move way more often than the regular guy.

Stickley, American Leather, Charleston Forge

I have a crate and barrel sofa that I wish I could throw into the fires of hell. Don’t waste your money! We just bought a lovesac to replace it and I hope it isn’t shit after a couple years. It hasn’t arrived yet lol.

I really like my sofa from CB2, the sister company of Crate and Barrel. Super durable, functional, and stylish.

Go to a real furniture store that’s sells quality furniture from different makers. Have something made to order. A lot of the furniture makers like Lee make stuff for big box stores like C&B etc but they make the lower cost stuff. They also make custom pieces that are their brand and high quality. If you want to drop that money get something made for you. Direct from the maker. Exactly what you want. Custom. Worth it.

We are looking at Roger and Chris for a leather sofa. You should check it out.

Mitchell Gold Bob Williams

Caracole

Roche Bobois

Baker

Holly Hunt

Armani Casa

RH Modern (your mileage may vary with RH)

A Rudin (if you can get ahold of a sales rep)

Christopher Guy (maybe too fanciful)

Giorgetti

DWR

Minotti

Poliform

Ethan Allen

Groms Furniture

Artefacto Miami

Interior Define (crazy long lead times though)

A bunch more I can't think of off the top of my head.

I would classify What A Room into Tier $$. What A Room have customizable sofa & sectionals similar to joybird but at a much higher quality. Since their frame is American made of solid wood they are backed by lifetime warranty. Also their cushion has a high resilient foam core with a density 2.2 so it lasts much longer than the normal 1.8 density foams.

Also they have a lot of customization by the size width/depth, configuration, a lot of fabric colors and textures, cushion firmness and more.

https://whataroom.com/

Do you know which brands use solid wood (vs. veneer or composite) and looks like higher quality (not a super slim sheet of wood)? I'd like to look at the least expensive solid wood options available that look sturdy, and am not sure the best way to do so without going through each link to check details.

I have brought hamost sofa 6 months ago and I happy with my choose so far

Great list! Thank you. Just make sure to cross-shop at Spoken.io

I would put Wh'at A Room Sofas in the Tier $$ list, they have great amazing custom sofas made in the USA. Really high quality furniture.

Quality furniture is expensive. I've been looking through old posts on this sub and doing a lot of research to buy a sofa and I have a few takeaways.

La-Z-Boy is basically the lowest cost "decent" furniture brand out there. Anything cheaper is going to be much more cardboard and particle board, cheaper fabric, and you'll get fewer years out of it. Don't bother with Ashley's made in China crap, don't even look at Ikea.

If you want a thirty year sofa, you either need to be looking to drop $3-6k right now, or willing to spend a full year closely inspecting every consignment shop, estate sale, and marketplace listing you come across. If you google 'site:reddit.com BIFL furniture brands' or 'site:reddit.com best furniture brands' you'll find specific brand names that match up with that price range. At this precise moment in time, you're probably looking at massive delivery wait times on those.

Lovesac seems to be a nice starting point based on the info I've gathered.

Ive found some really nice pieces at furniture consignment stores.

I recommend What A Room custom sofas, they provide a great selection of sofa designs and are very customizable by the size (4 inch increments), depth, 150+ fabric colors, seat cushion firmness. Their custom made in the USA so quality frame and cushion quality.

https://whataroom.com/

Room & Board, Crate & Barrel, Arhaus are definitely up there. Avoid Ashley, Article & Joybird at all cost