The Guide

Everything you want to know about design and fine furniture.

Straight answers from a family that has furnished Kansas City homes since 2000, on what design costs, how it works, and how to buy furniture worth keeping. So the big decisions feel a lot smaller.

Buying Furniture That Lasts

Buying Furniture That Lasts

The Best Sofa Fabric for Kids and Pets

How to choose a family-proof sofa fabric that survives kids and pets: performance finishes, rub counts, tight weaves, cleaning codes, and protected leather.

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Buying Furniture That Lasts

Eight-Way Hand-Tied vs. Sinuous Springs: What the Difference Means

A plain-spoken guide to the two main sofa suspension systems, how each feels and lasts, what it costs, and how to choose.

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Buying Furniture That Lasts

How to Tell If a Sofa Is Well Made: 7 Signs Before You Buy

Seven signs of a well-made sofa you can check in person, from frame to fabric, at the Seville Home showroom in Leawood, Kansas City.

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Buying Furniture That Lasts

Leather Grades Explained: Full-Grain, Top-Grain, Aniline, and Nubuck

A clear guide to leather grades and finishes, so you know what full-grain, top-grain, aniline, and nubuck actually mean before you buy.

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Buying Furniture That Lasts

Leather vs. Fabric: How to Choose the Right Sofa Material

Leather or fabric sofa? A balanced guide to durability, cleaning, feel, color, and cost to help you match the right material to how you live.

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Buying Furniture That Lasts

Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Sofa

A room-tested checklist of questions to ask any furniture store about how a sofa is built, covered, sized, and serviced before you buy.

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Buying Furniture That Lasts

What Double Rubs Mean: How to Read Fabric Durability Ratings

A plain-spoken guide to double rubs, the Wyzenbeek test, and how to read fabric durability ratings without being misled by the number alone.

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Buying Furniture That Lasts

Where to Splurge and Where to Save on Furniture

A practical guide to where furniture dollars do the most good: splurge on daily-use anchors, save on trend pieces, and build a room that lasts.

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Buying Furniture That Lasts

Why Quality Furniture Costs More (and When It's Worth It)

What you are really paying for with quality furniture, the cost drivers behind a well-made sofa, and how to know when it is worth the investment.

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Still have questions?

The best answers come from a conversation. Every project begins with a complimentary consultation, in the Leawood showroom or your home.