Buying a sofa in the Furniture Capital of the World

As part of my December living room makeover, I spent a good bit of time shopping for a new sofa. Sofas range in price from less than $500 to over $5000 (and some sectionals can be upwards of $10,000!). After doing some research, I set my budget for a high-quality sofa at $1500, and scheduled a trip to Hickory Furniture Mart, about 2 hours west of the triangle, with my sis.

Before the trip, I scouted the furniture in the triangle area.  First stop: Whitley Furniture Galleries in Zebulon.  There I learned that a great name brand for my price point is Rowe, and the sister brand Robin Bruce.  The customer service was very good, and they are willing to price match any competitor.  They do not have many floor samples for sale or even on display, so it would have been a special order situation (and not ideal for me, since I was hoping to have a new couch by the time we hosted the Koonce Family on Christmas Eve).  My next stop was Heavner Furniture Market.  They have an enormous selection of market samples ready for immediate purchase, and there were two or three sofas that caught my interest, including a Rowe “Berkeley” sofa for $1095 (below). Heavner is able to special order Rowe and Robin Bruce furniture and has a design center with all of the fabric samples.  I learned later that they do not price match (and their prices aren’t quite as good as those I found elsewhere), but they do have good customer service and the location is convenient for Triangle-based shoppers.

Rowe “Berkeley” at Heavner Furniture Market

After doing my local research, my sis and I headed out for our shopping extravaganza – an overnight trip to Ikea and Hickory Furniture Mart.  A quick note about the Mart: among the 4 levels of shopping there are both Showrooms and Outlets.  The Outlets sell their overstocks and market samples at a big (often 50% or more) discount from their usual prices; what you see is what you get, and you buy it on the spot.  The Showrooms sell custom-order furniture at a 40%(ish) discount off of “retail price.”  For the Rowe showroom, I found that their prices on custom order furniture were about 5% less than Heavner Furniture Mart…not much savings considering the 2 hour trip.

We started bright and early on Monday morning at the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Furniture Outlet.  (Take note: the Mart is closed on Sundays.)  I love their mojo – the furniture runs from contemporary to mid-century modern – and it is a true outlet, with outlet prices.  Fans of The Good Wife might be interested to know that MG+BW is responsible for much of the furniture on set.  We scoured their large showroom, which houses everything from sectionals to beds to credenzas, and ultimately found The One (found here as a sleeper sofa).  Initially, I didn’t think I wanted a slipcovered sofa because they typically have a casual feel and I was looking for something more formal.  But, this sofa has very straight lines and it was the perfect color (charcoal) and fabric (tweed-ish).  And the price? $989.  After checking it out for napping comfort, I made the purchase.  With my Shop and Stay Discount Card, I got an extra 10% off, bringing the entire purchase to $961, more than $500 under budget.  Shipping was going to be $150, but my mom and step-dad graciously agreed to pick it up on their way from Asheville to the Triangle on December 23.  Perfect timing!

The big purchase in my living room.

One last piece of advice: At any price point, it is a good idea to comparison shop for special order furniture.  Find the make, model and fabric you want, either online or at a showroom, and then make some phone calls.  With each contact, ask for any special offers, and get a price quote that includes tax and shipping.  In addition to Hickory Furniture Mart, I would call:

• Whitley Furniture Galleries: located in Zebulon, this is a good choice for Raleigh-based shoppers.  They price match, and depending on delivery costs, it may be cheaper to rent a uhaul by the hour and pick it up yourself.  They are a family-owned store.
• Furnitureland South: located in High Point, this is a good option for Chapel Hill and Durham-based shoppers.  They also price match and actually had the lowest price on Rowe furniture when I inquired.  They have an enormous showroom, and my buddy, Jill, swears by their Outlet Center, located on-site.