One of the things I teach my clients when discussing the varied price range for upholstered furniture – is to buy the very best they can afford. A sofa or chair which will be used daily, will really hold up well if made properly, with solid construction and upholstery weight fabric with stain resistant quality.
If you buy cheap furniture – then that is what you get – poor construction, flimsy, unstable fabric – which is what I refer to as “throw away furniture”.
When you pay top dollar for an item, you only cry once… when writing the check. When you buy inferior, cheap products – you cry every time you pay to replace it.
In Danbury, CT, you are so fortunate to have a wonderful furniture manufacturer and showroom in Ethan Allen. I was certainly familiar with the brand when living in California, there were stores throughout Southern California. To be honest, I did not source furniture from Ethen Allen as a designer in California, because I had the impression the entire line was early American design furniture (that was the case when I was growing up in Chicago).
The company of Ethan Allen is so named for its early-American furniture introduced in 1939, after the Vermont Revolutionary leader Ethan Allen, who was born in 1738 in Litchfield, CT.
However – since moving to Connecticut from California in 2017, I quickly learned that Ethan Allen flagship store in Danbury, CT is a tremendous resource for my clients, on the West Coast, East Coast and in between. There are so many design styles represented, and with customizable options from dozens of fabric options, to cushion density, to frame finishes on legs and arms — each piece will be uniquely tailored to my design specifications, to suit the client’s desired end result.
With a recent Danbury, CT client located at Rivington by Toll Brothers – I informed the client during our initial consultation that I will source upholstered items from Ethan Allen. Her first response was an objection, as she too was concerned that the furniture would all be Early American and not suit her clean and contemporary design style. She said “I get overwhelmed when I walk in a big furniture store”. I assured her Ethan Allen now has many styles, and what you see on the floor, is not what I would propose… I would be able to make a piece entirely customized.
One of the benefits of hiring Tami Smight Interiors for an interior design project in your Danbury home, is that I identify my client’s design style, then pre-shop the furniture; selecting the fabric, finish, cushion and get a price quote on those options. Then when I present to the client, she/he is looking at the specific design elements and it is so less overwhelming, rather than walking into a furniture store with NO PLAN, and walking right back out because of indecision and “too many choices”.
The photo represents the family room sectional in place. The client absolutely LOVES this room and said I showed her fabrics she would not know existed. She went on to say that I really tapped into her design style and expressed it throughout each room.
What do you think? If you want a room or an entire home of furnishings, please consider hiring an experienced professional to be your trusted guide and advisor through the process. I am here to help, it all starts with a phone call – or fill out my contact form on my website!
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