Keeping my Bum Happy! (DFS Linea Leather Corner Group)

Member Name: wendybull

Product:	DFS Linea Leather Corner Group
Date:	24/01/08 (940 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks amazing

Disadvantages: Pricey but worth it

Having moved into our lovely new house we needed to buy a new settee to compliment the new shaped lounge we had. Our old sofa was past its sell by date and we didn't even bother bringing it with us to the new house.

Visiting DFS on a week day we browsed the many sofas and chairs they had on display, sitting on many and laying on a few as well. I find it incredibly hard to visualise pieces of furniture in a room until I actually see them there and this was no exception. I struggled to imagine what the various styles would look like in our lounge and was thankful that we had decided before leaving that we wanted a corner suite and nothing else.

This helped narrow down our search and in the end we settled on the Linea Corner Group in leather. We had flirted with the idea of cream again, even though I had vowed never to have a cream settee and kids in the same room again; however we decided that because it was leather and not materiel it would be easier to keep clean if we went for a lighter colour and so we opted for "stone" coloured leather.

The process was pretty simple - the salesman arrived and informed us it was an 11 week wait until we could have our new sofa. This seemed an enormous amount of time for delivery but we were informed that each sofa was made as it was ordered, otherwise they would not have enough storage space to have them all in stock, and that because of this, if we were ever to order additional items to match the Linea suite, it may not be exactly the same colour leather as it would be made from a fresh "roll" of materiel. We accepted this however and having done our calculations knew we could never add any other pieces in the room we had anyway.

So 11 weeks and 2 days later the deliverymen installed our lovely new corner group, after we had slaved away decorating and having new carpets laid ready for the final piece of the puzzle. I was massively impressed when they had finished. The corner group we chose was huge and looked amazing. Being a family of six we plumped for a corner that was four seats along one side, then a corner seat, and then two along the other side. Each seat is more than ample for someone to sit on and as it is rare that we all sit down at the same time, we usually have enough room to have our feet up if we so desire. It is interesting to know that this range is made up from separate pieces so you can have all sorts of options on the number of seats and the right hand or left hand corner which is fabulous in making something to really fit your room well.

My favourite seat is the corner. I can stretch out with my feet up in either direction if I choose, but the best way to enjoy this seat is with a couple of large cushions behind your back and your feet up on the seats to the side. Heaven! The back cushions are high enough so you can just rest your head on them if you lean right back. We were conscious of choosing a settee that was high enough in the back to be able to do this as the thought of not being able to rest your head was a horrible one.

Another aspect I love is the arms. Obviously there are only two places on the sofa where you get the benefit of these and that is either end. My daughter especially likes this seat as she can rest her head on the arm and watch TV. Each arm is quite flat and about 30cm across, so there is lots of room to rest your arm or head.

We have found the leather to be incredibly soft as well. We were told in the shop that this was a soft leather as opposed to a coated leather, which meant that it felt much nicer to sit on and touch but would be more susceptible to absorbing stains if anything was ever spilt on it. Needless to say all food and drink has been banned from the lounge by anyone under the age of 16! However we have found three little scratches in the leather since delivery which weren't there before, so I know it is from my brood. I imagine it is from the studs on jeans or belt buckles and it has ripped into the leather following a bout of play fighting or some such activity. I was obviously livid but there is nothing I can do, but it is an area I need to be aware of for the future, as the leather is so soft that it obviously makes it more prone to this sort of thing.

Speaking of the leather, we were also sold a cleaning pack with which to treat the leather every six months. It basically consists of cleaning cloths and creams which you systematically work into the leather. This keeps it supple and soft and also cleans off the normal dirt and grime that can become embedded on leather.

Putting it together was incredibly easy as well. Each seat of the sofa comes in a separate piece and simply clips into the seat next to it via a large hook and eye type device. I was really impressed with this because it means if we ever move or decide to change the house round, we can make the sofa larger or smaller with relative ease, by simply removing or adding a seat. The fit between each seat is very close and it does not look as if they are separates once they are all fitted together. It also means nothing will be lost in between seats like the remote control which is a bonus. All the cushions, seat and back, are also fixed to the base. This is a huge plus ion my eyes. We had removable cushions before and they were constantly slipping down and the kids would pull them off so to have static cushions is a blessing.

Even though we can change it if we need to, I love the size of it at the moment. It looks really stylish with just the corner group in the room and no other seating areas and the colour is amazing. For comfort and style I am happy with every part of the £2,100.00 we spent on this and am confident that it will be a settee that we can use as a family for years to come.

Summary: RECOMMENDED