test driving the mail order catalogs....

you know part of my role as a designer is to find furniture that not only looks good but is comfortable. this is very important, especially when most of the to-the-trade products that designers sell are ordered out of tear sheets from the companies. you have to know the companies that you are representing and you HAVE to have seen them in person, sat in them, pulled the drawers out, etc. well, part of my trip to atl was going to see some of the mail order catalog products in person. in charleston, we have a pottery barn but we don't have restoration hardware or crate and barrel. and you know, i was really shocked with what i concluded....

i was on the hunt of a "good looking" recliner. in the catalogs, restoration's cooper won me over hands down. i spotted it immediately in the store and thought, that's it. it looks great, worn/ aged leather and then i sat in it...oh my god, it was hard as a rock. i got so sad...thank goodness we didn't just order these w/out sitting in them!! the client would have been so disappointed (i really was b/c as far as leather recliners go, this one looked the best). so i ventured to pottery barn (kind of sadly) and checked out the Manhattan...its definitely "rounder", not as sleek and not an aged leather- but it did sit well. then the sales lady (loved her) brought to my attention that if you a tall, when you recline your head doesn't sit on the back of the chair!?? how sad is that...isn't that the purpose of the recliner??

so still disappointed, i headed to crate and barrel. now let me start by saying, don't you feel like crate and barrel really advertises for of its "kitchen products"? this store won hands down for the furniture quality. i really think that i need to speak to the marketing peps at this mail order catalog and let them know that they need to focus more on the "furniture" aspect b/c they do it VERY well. i think i may make another post just about this company....anyways- crate and barrel recliners are golden...high backs/ several leather options- aged or not aged, and several styles to choose from.

wow, this just got extremely long...maybe if there is someone out there looking for a recliner, this helped in some fashion!! but to make a long story short...you need, you MUST sit/ see these products in person if at all possible!