Is $9000 too much for a sectional sofa ?

[JBTX]

As I've said elsewhere we are doing a major home remodel, and part of that is replacing our old nasty crappy furniture in a few rooms. The person helping us with all of this is a designer and a GC. She has been great in the remodel, steering us in a direction that we really like and hiring and handling trusted contractors to do the remodel. Now she has budgeted about $27k for furniture and decor, and the biggest chunk is $9k for a large sectional sofa. It is actually 4 separate pieces that go together. Kind of equivalent to having sofa, loveseat, corner piece and opposite end piece. The brand name is Century cornerstone. It is custom built to spec.

Ultimately we can afford it, and I don't mind paying a premium for quality (vs the rooms to go crap that we had and tears up in a couple of years )but my concerns are:

1. Is this a reasonable price to pay for a well made custom multi piece sectional
2. Is it prudent to spend $9k on something that our teenage kids could wreck in a second, spill chocolate milk, red koolaid, etc.

I know #2 is a subjective question but curious if anybody has similar experiences and insight.

[Marjimmy]

Is $9000 too much for a sectional sofa ?

Yes.

[BW1985]

There's no way I would spend that kind of money on furniture if I had kids, I probably wouldn't spend it anyways but definitely not if I had kids. I'm just picturing my freak out when the first food or drink is spilled, it ain't pretty.

Now whether that's a fair price for a custom sofa of this quality, I have no idea. I spent $1200 for a sectional at Ikea. If there's a stain the covers can be removed and washed, and also replaced when needed. That's more my style.

[Rupert]

Can you not find a non-custom sectional that meets your needs? Sectionals are expensive, in general, but you may find one at Pottery Barn, West Elm, etc., for half that price that is still good quality. Because of the kids and Kool-Aid, etc., I recommend a slipcovered one.

[jhfenton]

Can I drive it to work? If not, then it is too much.

[Masterblaster]

Is $9000 too much for a sectional sofa ?

That depends... Is the $9000 per section or for the whole sofa ?

[michaeljc70]

There's no way I would spend that kind of money on furniture if I had kids, I probably wouldn't spend it anyways but definitely not if I had kids. I'm just picturing my freak out when the first food or drink is spilled, it ain't pretty.

Now whether that's a fair price for a custom sofa of this quality, I have no idea. I spent $1200 for a sectional at Ikea. If there's a stain the covers can be removed and washed, and also replaced when needed. That's more my style.

I agree. "Quality" won't make much of a difference in stains and severe use. Rather than asking if $9k is a fair price for a custom sectional, I would be asking if I need a custom sectional. Is the space that unique that it has to be custom? How much does the designer make of this sectional?

[BW1985]

My parents friends spent 10k on a sofa. They're middle aged, upper middle class and have no kids. So not everyone thinks it's too much.

I would bet most Bogleheads think it is though.

[KlingKlang]

Is $9000 too much for a sectional sofa ?

Does it have a built in entertainment center, microwave, refrigerator, ice-maker, and toilet?

Our family room has two high end sofas with built in recliners and microfiber fabric that we paid about $3800 for and think was well worth it.

[SimonJester]

Wow what sort of materials is this sofa made of? It better be full grain Italian leather and full pieces, none of this bonded stuff.

[BogleMelon]

Yes, it is too much.
Not just the $9000 is the cost that you pay, but you will also get sold on insurance for it "AKA extended warranty" since it is expensive.
Even if it is just $9K the true cost would be about $20K over time! (the loss of opportunity cost of that money invested at an annual rate of return 4% for 20 years). By that time (20 years in the future), you would have a sofa that worth close to zero or an extra $20K. The choice is yours!

[Mintee]

Is this leather?

We bought some high-quality leather furniture 20+ years ago. When we moved, we gave it to a relative. It was still in wonderful shape. We paid a lot for it, but it was worth it.

When we tried to replace the furniture at our new home, we could find nothing similar. After looking for months, we found two sofas and two chairs. We paid less--and got less. I'm guessing we will be replacing this stuff in a few years.

So, $9K doesn't strike me as too much, if the quality is good, if you like it, etc. I assume that includes a mark-up for the designer, so you might try to negotiate a little reduction.

Good luck!

[FeesR-BullNotBullish]

#1 - Yes I think it's reasonable. This is a beautiful piece that is likely a focal point of your home and something you may enjoy for a long time to come. You should probably make sure that you are able to sit on and test drive a similar sofa because it needs to be supremely comfortable for this kind of dough.

#2 - Plastic. haha, not in a million years would I do that to such a wonderful piece of furniture. Seriously though, spills will happen. It's not just kids because everyone is prone to accidents. Will you enjoy buttered popcorn while watching a movie? Maybe you'll eat an occasional meal on the sofa.

Ask yourself the following: Will you constantly worry about spills to the point where you won't enjoy the sofa? Or can you just roll with the punches when spills happen (because they will)? Will you be able to enjoy this couch like you do your beater couch, or will you treat it like a museum piece and never really be at home with it?

My parents bought a custom sectional 25 years ago that might be similar caliber the one you're looking at. It survived my middle school and high school years. I'm sure if you look close you'll see a few stains, but it still looks pretty great overall. It's worn and could probably be replaced or refurbished but it suits them just fine and they still love it.

What color is the sofa, btw? If it's white I probably wouldn't do it because everything white shows dirt and just won't look great in a few years imo.

[rxtra8]

You could spend $14K at Design Within Reach (should be design out of reach) for their designer, gorgeous, top quality, butter smooth sectional ...design really knocked me out and so nice to the touch that it will seduce you.... designer stuff is so expensive.

But note that we still have my 20+ year old setup; could never justify that sectional price, no matter how much I WANTED it plus I would not allow myself to sit on the thing with a glass of red wine... WANTS can get you in trouble. But if you really wanted it and you can truly afford it, then why not? You may have to move your sleeping and office work to the sectional to get your money's worth...I am still not buying the Design Out of Reach sectional though....did look at Ikea.

[bluebolt]

As I've said elsewhere we are doing a major home remodel, and part of that is replacing our old nasty crappy furniture in a few rooms. The person helping us with all of this is a designer and a GC. She has been great in the remodel, steering us in a direction that we really like and hiring and handling trusted contractors to do the remodel. Now she has budgeted about $27k for furniture and decor, and the biggest chunk is $9k for a large sectional sofa. It is actually 4 separate pieces that go together. Kind of equivalent to having sofa, loveseat, corner piece and opposite end piece. The brand name is Century cornerstone. It is custom built to spec.

Ultimately we can afford it, and I don't mind paying a premium for quality (vs the rooms to go crap that we had and tears up in a couple of years )but my concerns are:

1. Is this a reasonable price to pay for a well made custom multi piece sectional
2. Is it prudent to spend $9k on something that our teenage kids could wreck in a second, spill chocolate milk, red koolaid, etc.

I know #2 is a subjective question but curious if anybody has similar experiences and insight.

#1 is a subjective question also. If you have all of your financial ducks in a row regarding emergency fund, investments, education, etc., then it's purely a personal decision as to whether it's worth it to you.

Some people who have lots of money or are FI would never pay $9K for a couch. Some people who are on solid financial footing and could afford to would. The only case where it's objectively a wrong decision is if you can't afford it or have to trade off other higher priorities to afford it.

[bottlecap]

Whether it's too much depends on your options. But $9,000 seems very pricey.

A couple of things to note:

1. Are sectionals considered high fashion these days? We had a designer come in from the local upscale furniture place to help with rugs and paint color schemes and when we mentioned a sectional, you'd have thunk his argyle socks flew right out the window. He was not a fan and discouraged us from committing such a faux pas in our living room.

So the recommendation from the designer for a sectional surprises me. But it is $9,000 - does she get a commission?

We didn't get a sectional, but spent about $3,000 on a living room set at Costco. That probably would have made our guy sick to his stomach, too, but his stuff was twice as much.

2. If you think there is any chance your kids would damage it, then the answer is a clear no. Wait until they're old enough to pay you back for any such damage...

JT

[sambb]

Seems pricey to me but one could make the same argument about a 250 dollar dinner or a 45k car. Or a college that costs 50k a year. The real issue is not the cost. It is whether or not you want to spend the money. If your retirement and expenses are controlled and in target go ahead and spend your money on anything you want.

Some buy their fiancé a 30k ring and others buy a 500 dollar ring. To each his or her own.

[8foot7]

Yes, it is.

[pshonore]

Check out the Comfort Square line at Pottery Barn. Roughly 3K depending on fabric chosen and on sale every 90 days or so.
https://www.potterybarn.com/products/pb ... lipcovers/
We bought one about 5 years ago and are happy with it

[mouses]

I don't think much of sectionals. Why buy a giant cumbersome piece of furniture that will dominate a room instead of several pieces.

Especially if you expect it to be permanently stained from day one, don't buy it. Buy something that can be cleaned in some fashion. Some claim to be stain resistance, but I don't know if that is true, nor if what those are treated with is hazardous.

[Ninnie]

Yes, it's too much. For comparison, we paid $5000 for a sectional from a very high end locally made furniture store. We paid a bit too much as well, but we had some very specific difficult to find requirements. If it had worked for us, the Arhaus sectional we liked was very nice and I think ran about $4000.

[Rupert]

I don't think much of sectionals. Why buy a giant cumbersome piece of furniture that will dominate a room instead of several pieces.

Designers often recommend sectionals for smaller spaces because, if well-designed, a sectional can make a smaller room look less cluttered than a bunch of smaller pieces. Some people just don't like them, which is fine. It's subjective.

[blueman457]

What's the next best option?

I'm not a sectional person per se, but $9000 on customized high quality furniture does not sound outrageous to me. Assuming all your other financial ducks are in a row and you've thought through other options, go for it.

Blue Man

[LawyersGunsAndMoney]

After looking at the manufacturer/fabricator that your designer listed, I would not pay $9,000 for a custom sectional from them.

That isn't a knock on the company, but their styles and options appear to be pretty traditional and standard, and unless the dimensions of your home are particularly unique and require something truly custom, I would instead explore stock/catalog options from Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams, etc. You'll likely be able to find comparable options ranging from a bit less to a lot less.

If I were going to spend $9k or more on a sectional I'd want it to be a truly unique designer piece, the centerpiece of the room and a conversation starter. For more conventional purposes, I'd go with something less expensive.

[BogleFanGal]

I'd definitely go with Pottery Barn or another quality, but reasonable option -- then splurge with that money I saved on a signature piece of art I fell in love with or that meant something special to me emotionally vs spending it on something I'm sitting on.

Bonus: a gorgeous art piece is far more likely to survive the teen age years!

[surfstar]

You're using a "designer." That's to be expected.

We use IKEA

[JupiterJones]

I think all sectional sofas should be at least $9,000, if only to discourage people from buying them.

But, like most things, whether they be cars or watches or vacations, tastes vary. We all derive value differently. What's "too much" for me might be a bargain for you.

In the end, my rule of thumb is this: If you, personally, reasonably expect to derive a measure of value from the product or service that is commensurate (or higher) than the cost of it, and if you can afford that cost among your other financial priorities, then go for it and don't look back.

[edge]

At that size, is this even leather for that cost? I am guessing fabric. I would upgrade to leather. Especially with kids.

[lazydavid]

Seems pricey to me but one could make the same argument about a 250 dollar dinner or a 45k car. Or a college that costs 50k a year. The real issue is not the cost. It is whether or not you want to spend the money. If your retirement and expenses are controlled and in target go ahead and spend your money on anything you want.

Some buy their fiancé a 30k ring and others buy a 500 dollar ring. To each his or her own.

This is pretty much it. It's all about what enriches your life, and that's an entirely personal thing. We recently ordered an $1800 sectional to replace the $1400 sectional we bought 13 years ago, and would not have considered spending a whole lot more, because the incremental value is low for us.

That said, we do occasionally go out for expensive dinners, which we get a lot of enjoyment from, and my wife is starting to make noise about "upgrading" her engagement ring again. Those things have more values to us than spending 5x as much on a sofa.

[KyleAAA]

Am currently sofa shopping (not for a huge sectional as our living room is on the smaller side) and $9000 doesn't seem out of reason for something that large. You could easily spend $5000-6000 for a good quality regular-sized leather sectional.

[Watty]

nd part of that is replacing our old nasty crappy furniture in a few rooms......


2. Is it prudent to spend $9k on something that our teenage kids could wreck in a second, spill chocolate milk, red koolaid, etc.

The reason that your old furniture looks so bad may have been as much due to the hard use than the original quality. This may be a time when getting "disposable furniture" makes sense than you could get good furniture in five or ten years.

If you do decide to by "leather" furniture then take the time to educate yourself about the different grades that can legally be sold as "leather". Some it it is highly manufactured and only vaguely resembles something that came from a cow.

[staythecourse]

My view on any large purchases is like investing. I am only going to pay more then the default options if there is definite advantage. So the question back is this $9k sofa any better then a $6k sofa? I know someone who just had a 6k sectional custom made and it is nice. Of course, after seeing it 6 months later it looks like any other sectional.

Don't buy the new car smell. Just because you can spend the money doesn't mean you should. That being said this reminds me of the time I was at Arhaus (high end furniture store) with a couple friend and sat on a sofa that LITERALLY felt like I was sitting on clouds. Almost fell asleep until I realized it was $10k. That would have been worth it, but I am too cheap to spend that kind of money.

Good luck.

p.s. With kids in the house I definitely would not spend that much. Your kids won't appreciate it and I am assuming your social circle are other folks with kids so they won't appreciate it either.

[stoptothink]

p.s. With kids in the house I definitely would not spend that much. Your kids won't appreciate it and I am assuming your social circle are other folks with kids so they won't appreciate it either.

With our kids, and even more so the neighborhood kids, there are days when I regret spending $1600 on our sectional. As you said, they will not value it. They will eat food on it, jump on it, walk on it with dirty feet; it isn't going to have that new couch smell for very long.

[sasquatch12]

Century cornerstone quality is not worth $9k, it is overpriced versus the quality of the furniture, like restoration hardware. I would go with something from Hancock and Moore or Theodore Alexander. Both companies allow you to customize the leather or fabric and are excellent quality. I have found that you can usually get 40% off the msrp from many furniture stores. We have several pieces from both manufacturers and you can really see the quality in them.

[celia]

...The person helping us with all of this is a designer and a GC. She has been great in the remodel, steering us in a direction that we really like and hiring and handling trusted contractors to do the remodel. Now she has budgeted about $27k for furniture and decor, and the biggest chunk is $9k for a large sectional sofa.

It is obvious you are paying a middle man to take care of things for you so you don't have to. She is getting a cut from every dollar you spend on this home remodeling project. After this project is done and the kids are gone, you can probably get the same furniture for half the price without going through her.

2. Is it prudent to spend $9k on something that our teenage kids could wreck in a second, spill chocolate milk, red koolaid, etc.

Ahhh, the age-old problem of food migrating around the house. Are you willing to enforce a "food only in the kitchen and dining room" policy? It will have to apply to you and your spouse too. If not, then the money will be wasted.

[adamthesmythe]

>1. Is this a reasonable price to pay for a well made custom multi piece sectional

Even for high-quality custom I think it's on the high side. Your designer must be an upper-end designer that makes money on the specified furniture. A designer from a furniture store usually does not have any extra cost (yes, I know it's built into the furniture price).

2. Is it prudent to spend $9k on something that our teenage kids could wreck in a second, spill chocolate milk, red koolaid, etc.

Nope. Maybe after they're gone. If you have any money left then.

[IMO]

Couple thoughts on your question:

1. Is this your forever home? I ask because sectional sofa's often are very specific for the space. You spend $9K, move in 5 years and it's likely this sectional won't fit right in your next home. The resale on used sectionals and couches isn't great in general. Sectionals tend to be something that while sometimes extremely functional, are probably not the top couch choice for many people's taste.

2. What's the material? I personally don't think non-full grained leather couches hold up as well over time. Do you have kids, dogs, or thinking of these in the future. Often on non-leather furniture after awhile, people end up using slip covers because stains, etc just happen. I saw a post about leather couch scratches from a dog recently on this forum, and I suspect that person's couch was that leather that has a kind of coating. We have the same full grained leather sofa/loveseat that I bought at Sam's Club 20 yrs ago for $1400, been through multiple large dogs, a kid, multiple moves to houses with various layouts, and lots of regular use. Honestly, it still looks great. Also have a $500 full grained leather sofa from "Big Lots" of all places, in another room of our house now that we had orignically bought to cheaply furnish a rental that got about 8 years of renter use (with dogs) and it looks great also. We have another set that cost $2500 that is full-grained leather (couch/loveseat/chair/ottoman) in a 2nd home that's 13 yr's old that also looks great still.

However, my elderly parents have a cloth sofa in a room only used a couple times per year, that still looks great (and ironically style still works well) from about 50+ years ago.

So is $9K too much? Personally that's more than I'd spend, but everyone's salary's/finances/life/preferences/priorities are different. Many on this site will buy things like cars for $20K more than another reasonable car option, etc. So it's a personal choice, period.

[mancich]

If it's made of 24 carat gold, then no, it's not too much. Otherwise, it is grossly too much.

[cheapskate]

Just as a datapoint, we got a nice custom sectional (microfiber) 4 years ago (from a local furniture store, the sofa was put together in San Jose, CA), and I think we paid something like $3K. It has held up very well over the past 4 years, under constant use.

Something around $3000 is my upper bound for a piece of furniture (especially since we have cats and dogs). I would not want to stress out about an expensive piece of furniture.

[barnaclebob]

Watch this SNL skit and then ask if you even want a sectional:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Sjy5DF28s

As for your question, $9k wouldn't surprise me for a large custom high quality piece of furniture.

[JBTX]

Is $9000 too much for a sectional sofa ?

That depends... Is the $9000 per section or for the whole sofa ?

Whole thing. All 4 pieces

[JBTX]

There's no way I would spend that kind of money on furniture if I had kids, I probably wouldn't spend it anyways but definitely not if I had kids. I'm just picturing my freak out when the first food or drink is spilled, it ain't pretty.

Now whether that's a fair price for a custom sofa of this quality, I have no idea. I spent $1200 for a sectional at Ikea. If there's a stain the covers can be removed and washed, and also replaced when needed. That's more my style.

I agree. "Quality" won't make much of a difference in stains and severe use. Rather than asking if $9k is a fair price for a custom sectional, I would be asking if I need a custom sectional. Is the space that unique that it has to be custom? How much does the designer make of this sectional?

She makes 20% commission. So obviously her incentive would be to upsell. Normally I'd choke on a 20% commission, but given all the effort she has put into this whole resdesign I don't have a big issue with it. I suspect if we don't spend that money on the couch the budget will go elsewhere. It's not just me driving this bus, but my wife also.

[123]

I'm joining the chorus, $9000 is too too much. I suspect your designer may be adding in some overhead to the price as well. For fun you might want to see what other retailers in your area carry century furniture (www.centuryfurniture.com) and what kind of deal they might be open to. If you GC and designer knows you've got deep pockets I'm sure they are not giving you a discount.

Go to a Macy's, Room and Board, and other furniture places (or even online) to see what they've got. You might see something you like better.

[IMO]

Watch this SNL skit and then ask if you even want a sectional:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Sjy5DF28s

As for your question, $9k wouldn't surprise me for a large custom high quality piece of furniture.

That's hilarious!

Those are all very functional, especially the recliners, but ugly as hell . . .

[JBTX]

Watch this SNL skit and then ask if you even want a sectional:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Sjy5DF28s

As for your question, $9k wouldn't surprise me for a large custom high quality piece of furniture.

Excellent !!

[Dottie57]

If you can keep the sofa looking good for 15-20 years it is fine. Make sure the fabric is tough and sturdy. No thin cottons or sleezing twills.

Put some money into a rec room for the teenagers and banish them and food/drink from the room with sectional couch.

[blueberry]

Watch this SNL skit and then ask if you even want a sectional:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Sjy5DF28s

As for your question, $9k wouldn't surprise me for a large custom high quality piece of furniture.

Hilarious skit!

Some think we spend the first half of our lives acquiring things and the second half getting rid of the stuff. I'm happily in the second half. My last living room furniture purchase was a used full grain leather couch, loveseat, and oversized chair, $375 on craigslist and looks exactly as I bought it 7 years ago. Maybe that is an extreme datapoint.

I also wouldn't do a $100k remodel on my house unless maybe my house was worth a million, but it's all about what you personally enjoy and I personally stop seeing new furniture or remodeling (unless there's new functionality) after about 2 months. I would probably by another car that I don't need, that is one of my weaknesses.

-bb

[ResearchMed]

IF you can really afford it...?

First, can you SIT ON AND RELAX FOR A SHORT TIME on the SAME style (including all features, perhaps except covering)?

We've searched for some furniture (both low cost for rentals, and higher cost for "us"), and there were some that were gorgeous (style, amazing fabrics, etc.), but when we sat on it... something just felt "off".

Things like, the thigh distance was too long for average height, or something was just "wrong" about how the back felt.

And then there was a magnificent down sofa. Nice fabric.
And then we sat on it. HEAVEN. Amazing.
Nope, we were looking for a rental cabin, so that wasn't happening, and we didn't need something at home.
Not sure we would have spent the money anyway, but we never thought a sofa could be *so* comfy. There's no way to describe it.
But buying by spec? Who knows about the "feel"?
And a sofa isn't a designer piece like artwork or a vase, where seeing it is sufficient.

And with children?
Spills, rips, etc... that would be a real concern.
Could the "fine furniture" wait a few years?

RM

[JBTX]

Great responses! I read through them all. Thanks for the input.

I will be going to place with designer to see it and sit on it. I have really tried to stay out of this process as I'd more enjoy a root canal, but ultimately I will be the primary user of this thing. It is where I watch TV. My wife usually goes to the bedroom and watches her own god awful shows.

At the end of the day we will probably do it. It is more than I want to spend, and I have wear and tear cocnerns with kids and dog. Dog is not allowed on furniture but she sneaks on sometimes. Bottom line if I veto this #### thing then figuring out the alternative is on me. We hired the designer to do thus stuff and overall we have been extremely happy with the result so far. We lived with cheap crap that has never really held up or matched for 2 decades.

The money is an irritant but I will get past that if it truly is a quality product. I'm most concerned with it getting wrecked. Wrecking our $1700 rooms to go sectional was one thing (even then it lasted 10 years ) This is quite another.

[JBTX]

Watch this SNL skit and then ask if you even want a sectional:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Sjy5DF28s

As for your question, $9k wouldn't surprise me for a large custom high quality piece of furniture.

I forwarded this video to designer. Let's see if she has a sense of humor.