Buying a sofa in Thailand

[Kenny202]

Been her about 6 years and 5 years ago bought a nice leather sofa from Index, about 45k baht. Was the only comfortable one we could find. They seem to like sleeping and sitting on cement here. Anyway, it has deteriorated pretty badly in 5 years with only fairly light use. the leather seems to be that thin glued onto a backing. So I have decided I wont be outlaying that kind of money again hoping for quality.

 

The vinyl sofas seems to be the go here but the vinyl while it does have nearly the feel of leather doesn't seem very strong. Has anyone had any experience with them?

I also could recover ours in vinyl at a reasonable price. It is still very strong and comfortable and we like the design. Recovering in leather seems to be out of the question.

We've had a look at a few upholsterers where we live and they do an ok job, looks strong enough but the workmanship isn't great. They just seem to cover like a big pillow rather that doing proper stitching. Any ideas? If the vinyl is strong enough to get another 5 years I may consider it

 

 

[CharlieH]

I had similar with a lazyboy style chair, I got it recovered for small money and better than was on there to start with ! Its been great ever since.

 

My suggestion, as you like everything elee, is go get it reccovered.

[Kenny202]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

I had similar with a lazyboy style chair, I got it recovered for small money and better than was on there to start with ! Its been great ever since.

 

My suggestion, as you like everything elee, is go get it reccovered.

 

Covered in Vinyl? It seems strong enough? Thing I dont like, is our back rests for example are now like a rectangular shape, done with stitching. They don't go to that sort of trouble. They just make like a pillow without stitching it into a shape

Edited December 2, 2020 by Kenny202

[Henryford]

Just buy a new sofa every 5 years easy.

[CharlieH]

Just now, Kenny202 said:

 

Covered in Vinyl? It seems strong enough?

Absolutely, take a look.......

[tonray]

If you're leather cracked...you didn't treat it properly. Must use 'leather creme' monthly.....if treated...leather will far outlast any vinyl or plastic covering

[1FinickyOne]

26 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

Been her about 6 years

hope you had no complications from the surgery... 

 

I guess as to upholstery, it will depend on the quality of fabric... I had an office chair that would peel off a piece every time I sat long enough... 

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

31 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

Been her about 6 years and 5 years ago bought a nice leather sofa from Index, about 45k baht. Was the only comfortable one we could find. They seem to like sleeping and sitting on cement here. Anyway, it has deteriorated pretty badly in 5 years with only fairly light use. the leather seems to be that thin glued onto a backing. So I have decided I wont be outlaying that kind of money again hoping for quality.

 

The vinyl sofas seems to be the go here but the vinyl while it does have nearly the feel of leather doesn't seem very strong. Has anyone had any experience with them?

I also could recover ours in vinyl at a reasonable price. It is still very strong and comfortable and we like the design. Recovering in leather seems to be out of the question.

We've had a look at a few upholsterers where we live and they do an ok job, looks strong enough but the workmanship isn't great. They just seem to cover like a big pillow rather that doing proper stitching. Any ideas? If the vinyl is strong enough to get another 5 years I may consider it

 

 

As you are in Bangkok and that is where most of the furniture is made you could talk to one or two of them. 
 

My personal opinion is that leather and vinyl are the worst coverings for sofas and chairs in the tropics and that the fabric finishes are infinitely more suited to this area, but the factories will use the material you choose and can give you a leather finish if you like that.

 

You are probably looking at a significant percentage of the original cost to get a top quality job as the sofa will have to be basically re-made with all new foam, to your softness spec. Pay less get less.

FWIW we have just contracted for a sofa to be built and supplied from Bangkok at a reasonable discount as we will wait and there was a furniture show in KK last week. 

Edited December 2, 2020 by sometimewoodworker

[Kenny202]

27 minutes ago, tonray said:

If you're leather cracked...you didn't treat it properly. Must use 'leather creme' monthly.....if treated...leather will far outlast any vinyl or plastic covering

I've had leather sofas for 20 years and I know how to look after them. This one is rubbish. The leather is micro fine, not much thicker than paper...glued onto some sort of backing.

[Kenny202]

23 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

hope you had no complications from the surgery... 

 

I guess as to upholstery, it will depend on the quality of fabric... I had an office chair that would peel off a piece every time I sat long enough... 

 

 

 

Haha mines like that exactly. It is so thin and fine, literally peels off. Its not like tough hide

[scorecard]

56 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Just buy a new sofa every 5 years easy.

Or fly to your home country, buy a perfect article and ship it here.

 

Easy.

[Tyler Visan]

I bought a recliner from a Lazada Shop, with leather on the parts contacting the body and vinyl on sides and back, all the same colour.

After 18 months the vinyl is turning from beige to blue !!!!!!!!  The seller said that from 10,000 sold, mine is the only one with this problem.

[Tyler Visan]

1 minute ago, scorecard said:

Or fly to your home country, buy a perfect article and ship it here.

 

Easy.

That will cost more than it's worth.

[Airalee]

12 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

I've had leather sofas for 20 years and I know how to look after them. This one is rubbish. The leather is micro fine, not much thicker than paper...glued onto some sort of backing.

What you got was bonded leather.  Next up the scale is “genuine leather”...then “top grain”...then “full grain”.  I too bought one of the 45k leather sofas at (insert big chain store here) and I’m sure that after 5 years it would have been <deleted> too.  Ended up leaving it with my landlord as I always intended when I bought a condo.

 

Top grain or Full grain leather is the only way to go.  Vinyl?  No way no how.  The problem with these levels...especially full grain...it’s gonna cost you.  Top grain will resist stains longer with that awful shiny outer coating but nothing beats full grain for a nice hand.  
 

When I recently bought my condo, I decided to pony up for a decent sofa from Studio 128 at the Crystal Design Center in BKK.  They have 3 different grades of leather and the sofas are much better made than all the other chain retailers.  
 

It was worth it, and will end up being cheaper in the long run because high quality leather will outlast by far the cheap bonded stuff.

 

 

 

[Dmaxdan]

People buy vinyl sofas here because they are mostly cheap. But one problem to be aware of is that if you sit on one for a long time, on a hot day, you will likely end up with a very sweaty back and derriere, which may result in damp under garments...not nice! 

Unlike fabric and good quality leather, vinyl sofas seem to really hold the heat. 

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, Kenny202 said:

Been her about 6 years and 5 years ago bought a nice leather sofa from Index, about 45k baht.

 

We purchased two vinyl sofa's about 5 years ago, brown with stitching throughout and long comfortable chases.

 

We went the Index Living to have a look couldn't find what we were looking for and as we had to go to Do Home for something else, stumbled on these two matching sofa's, I didn't know they had sofa's there, anyway 14,000 baht each plus 400 delivery I think it was as we are an hour out, could have been more, can't remember anyway with 4 kids they are still like new.

 

The above said, I purchased the most comfortable and most expensive leather office chair from Index Living for 20,000 baht, yes I did say expensive but my butt is in it all day and I need to be comfortable as opposed to suffering back pain, that was 3 years ago, the leather started peeling off of the arm rests just past warranty 12 months, so flimsy and it does sag a bit so a cushion under my bottom and at my lower back area does the job, and as it was a tax deduction it has been well worth the investment, but when comparing the vinyl sofas durability with the kids, they win hands down. 

 

I would go for a recovering if it is still comfortable.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[teacherclaire]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

If you're leather cracked...you didn't treat it properly. Must use 'leather creme' monthly.....if treated...leather will far outlast any vinyl or plastic covering

 

      

Not only leather. I even put creme on my bike seat from time to time, and it's not leather.

 

   OP should have used some leather creme, and it would still be useful.

 

  Leather is dead skin that dries out; that's why.

[Kenny202]

33 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Or fly to your home country, buy a perfect article and ship it here.

 

Easy.

 

Some of you guys obviously have a lot more disposable income than me. Have you any idea how much that would cost in shipping and another 30% customs, and that's a <deleted> shoot how they're feeling on the day how much they value it.

[phetphet]

21 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

People buy vinyl sofas here because they are mostly cheap. But one problem to be aware of is that if you sit on one for a long time, on a hot day, you will likely end up with a very sweaty back and derriere, which may result in damp under garments...not nice! 

Unlike fabric and good quality leather, vinyl sofas seem to really hold the heat. 

I agree. Vinyl is this hot sticky climate is not a good idea.

I even had the back cushions on my leather sofa recovered in Sunbrella fabric because after a while my back would stick to the leather. Now I can just unzip them and stick in the laundry.

[KC 71]

2 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

Been her about 6 years and 5 years ago bought a nice leather sofa from Index, about 45k baht. Was the only comfortable one we could find. They seem to like sleeping and sitting on cement here. Anyway, it has deteriorated pretty badly in 5 years with only fairly light use. the leather seems to be that thin glued onto a backing. So I have decided I wont be outlaying that kind of money again hoping for quality.

 

The vinyl sofas seems to be the go here but the vinyl while it does have nearly the feel of leather doesn't seem very strong. Has anyone had any experience with them?

I also could recover ours in vinyl at a reasonable price. It is still very strong and comfortable and we like the design. Recovering in leather seems to be out of the question.

We've had a look at a few upholsterers where we live and they do an ok job, looks strong enough but the workmanship isn't great. They just seem to cover like a big pillow rather that doing proper stitching. Any ideas? If the vinyl is strong enough to get another 5 years I may consider it

 

 

I have got through a couple of them  

(i dont know if its the humidity or material or what)

but they end up peeling.In the end my wife said sod this and bought wood instead.uncomfortable ,but stops me slouching for too long i guess !????

[OneMoreFarang]

I don't want to hijack this thread but I guess it's better than opening a new one.

 

What are quality criteria for sofas and other furniture?

Obviously good quality must often be more expensive than bad quality. But I don't think everything that is expensive is also good. And I don't want to find out a year or two after the purchase that I bought bad quality.

I am not a big design fan. I definitely don't need the latest design and also nothing special. Basically I am looking for "simple" design in good quality.

What are the criteria? Where to find such things in or around Bangkok?

Or is it necessary to go shopping together with a furniture expert?

[Airalee]

4 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

People buy vinyl sofas here because they are mostly cheap. But one problem to be aware of is that if you sit on one for a long time, on a hot day, you will likely end up with a very sweaty back and derriere, which may result in damp under garments...not nice! 

Unlike fabric and good quality leather, vinyl sofas seem to really hold the heat. 

 

[Airalee]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I don't want to hijack this thread but I guess it's better than opening a new one.

 

What are quality criteria for sofas and other furniture?

Obviously good quality must often be more expensive than bad quality. But I don't think everything that is expensive is also good. And I don't want to find out a year or two after the purchase that I bought bad quality.

I am not a big design fan. I definitely don't need the latest design and also nothing special. Basically I am looking for "simple" design in good quality.

What are the criteria? Where to find such things in or around Bangkok?

Or is it necessary to go shopping together with a furniture expert?

Since I helped you on furniture joints...might as well help with sofas.  You want a hardwood frame and if you can get “8 way hand tied” (google it) you’re golden.  I bought the “moon” sofa myself...and no...I have no financial interest in any place I recommend but searched far and wide for everything I purchased.  I’ll see you in your upcoming “I want to remodel my kitchen” and “where do I go for hardwood floors” threads ????

 

http://www.128studio.com

 

It’s not cheap, but it will outlast the chain store sofas and ultimately cost you less.  This is what I bought...

 

 

 

 

[Greenside]

Ah yes, bonded leather, your sofa experience brings my own to mind...

 

25 years ago my company started distributing a mini business card case which was sourced from a US supplier but drop shipped from China.  At the time we were the only people in the UK with it and it sold like crazy.  People fell in love with the product and invariably asked if it was real leather (it smelt, looked and felt great, by the way).  We assured them that it was since that's what we had been told and no-one ever commented otherwise.  Sales boomed.

This is exactly the same product I just found on Amazon.

 

 

One day I got a call from an well known international company, huge in the in the party plan business (Home Party in the USA) and, after showing them the range, they placed a very large forward order for Christmas, which we in turn ordered to cover it.  About six weeks later when the goods were on the water came the call: "Our testing lab says it's not real leather, it's made from sweepings and glue!".

 

After a very stressful period of back and forth negotiations, during which we debated the exact meanings of "real", "genuine", "leather-like", "leatherish* ", "leather-look" and "leatherette" I believe they finally went for "Real Bonded Leather", probably on the basis that it sounded sort of scientific and anyway the product was good enough to survive the question should it ever come up.

 

Those were the days.
 

* OK, I made that one up.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by Greenside

[MarkGM1957]

isnt Ikea any good? At least you know the level of quality....

[tpkhk]

9 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

Been her about 6 years and 5 years ago bought a nice leather sofa from Index, about 45k baht. Was the only comfortable one we could find. They seem to like sleeping and sitting on cement here. Anyway, it has deteriorated pretty badly in 5 years with only fairly light use. the leather seems to be that thin glued onto a backing. So I have decided I wont be outlaying that kind of money again hoping for quality.

 

The vinyl sofas seems to be the go here but the vinyl while it does have nearly the feel of leather doesn't seem very strong. Has anyone had any experience with them?

I also could recover ours in vinyl at a reasonable price. It is still very strong and comfortable and we like the design. Recovering in leather seems to be out of the question.

We've had a look at a few upholsterers where we live and they do an ok job, looks strong enough but the workmanship isn't great. They just seem to cover like a big pillow rather that doing proper stitching. Any ideas? If the vinyl is strong enough to get another 5 years I may consider it

 

 

 

If you like the existing couch, and want a quote, try Peter and Sons.  They should be able to refoam/reinforce, stitch, maintain the design etc.  Their showroom is along Sukhumvit Road, close to On Nut station.  

 

We replaced the original Fabric with leather (he advised us not to), started peeling off after a few years (in part due to zero maintenance) .... got it redone in vinyl (disaster) and then got it redone in a Velvet type fabric.  Unless you run your aircon throughout, the vinyl we selected was way too hot. 

 

If velvet, have a look at Acacia Fabrics (Malaysia) has a commercial range, and so does Pasaya (TH).  

 

You'll find Peter and Son's on Google.  Kind of slow to respond via mail, so you may need to go in (measurements etc) to get an accurate quote.  They'll pickup the sofa and return it.  

 

A friend got 2-3 cloth sofa's and individual chairs made from scratch .... someone on a freelance basis.  About the same as what it cost me to re-upholster (~15K material +5K work).

[OneMoreFarang]

4 hours ago, Airalee said:

Since I helped you on furniture joints...might as well help with sofas.  You want a hardwood frame and if you can get “8 way hand tied” (google it) you’re golden.  I bought the “moon” sofa myself...and no...I have no financial interest in any place I recommend but searched far and wide for everything I purchased.  I’ll see you in your upcoming “I want to remodel my kitchen” and “where do I go for hardwood floors” threads ????

 

http://www.128studio.com

 

It’s not cheap, but it will outlast the chain store sofas and ultimately cost you less.  This is what I bought...

 

 

Thanks for all your advise. I have a long learning curve in front of me.

I had a look at the sofa website. They look nice but I didn't see any prices. Can you give us an idea how much such a sofa cost.

 

I leave the kitchen to the experts. My gf is the cook, I only eat.

And about the floor: In the moment I have terracotta tiles on my mind. But that is just my first idea.

 

 

 

[Freigeist365]

Sofas are very rare in Thailand - I heard they mate only every 6 years or so... 

[newnative]

7 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

I've had leather sofas for 20 years and I know how to look after them. This one is rubbish. The leather is micro fine, not much thicker than paper...glued onto some sort of backing.

     I agree. You can get 'rubbish' leather and also vinyl.  My partner and I bought some vinyl bar stools with a suede look from what we thought was a higher-end furniture store. We liked the style, they were comfortable, and the height was right.  Even with fairly light use the vinyl tore rather quickly. 

     We took them to be reupholstered here in Pattaya and the shop owner told us they were covered in cheap thin vinyl from China. You could tell he had seen the problem before.   He recovered them in a thicker, better quality vinyl, at a very reasonable price.  Sometimes it's hard to tell how well something will hold up.  

[bangsaenguy]

I  bought a La-z-Boy sofa covered in fabric about 15years ago from the shop near Emporium. Still looks and sleeps great. Not cheap but....

https://www.lazboythailand.com/product/category/14/sofas