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Home Furnishings/Furniture/Questions Answered by Expert Duane Collie
| Subject | Date Asked |
| HM Austin slipcovers | 1/20/2012 |
| Q: Duane, based upon your response it is cost prohibitive to recover the leather on an AUSTIN sofa, ... A: Sorry, I don't. Slipcovers are usually done locally as they will need to take measurements for the ... | |
| HM leather repair | 1/20/2012 |
| Q: Duane, I have an HM Austin Sofa and Chair/ottoman set with numerous tear in the seat cushions and ... A: Unfortunately there is no way to repair these cracks, the leather has failed. The only way to fix ... | |
| 3032 H&M Austin Wall-Hugger | 12/30/2011 |
| Q: Just read about some of your internet comments to others. Do you have a retail store and are an ... A: Yes, I have a brick and mortar store and am one of the larger dealers for Hancock and Moore. H&M ... | |
| Leather furniture/odor | 11/8/2011 |
| Q: Good evening Duane, We recently purchased a used Italia leather sectional. Within 2 hours of having ... A: That's a tough call, I can't say what might be causing that to occur, especially on a pre-owned ... | |
| Leather couch touch up...... | 10/4/2011 |
| Q: Duane: I bought a leather couch set from Raymour and Flannigan about 5 years ago and the black ... A: Best thing to do is contact Leather Magic in North Carolina (they have a web site) and either get ... | |
| Cleaning H&M leather | 8/30/2011 |
| Q: What do you recommend to clean 1986 Hancock & Moore 3 sofa cushions(3 buttons each in center of each ... A: You can use any of these methods as an approved cleaning regimen: * Club Soda on a clean, white ... | |
| How to clean my table top | 7/24/2011 |
| Q: I have a 12 year old solid oak dining table (factory finish whatever that is that has areas of ... A: Wipe it down with Mineral Spirts, that will remove everything atop the original finish. Yes, it ... | |
| american made recliners | 5/2/2011 |
| Q: Are there any truly american made recliners? Not just assembled in the US, and can you give me some ... A: Sure! Ones that I happen to have in my store alone: Hancock & Moore Leathercraft Bradington Young ... | |
| Sofas | 4/22/2011 |
| Q: Looking for a good quality made in USA sofa (need 2). Comfort, style and durability all important. ... A: That's too broad a question to answer completely because there are MANY good makers out here and ... | |
| leather sofa reupholstering | 12/2/2010 |
| Q: I have a Hancock and Moore leather sofa that is approximately 15Yrs. old. The seating surfaces have ... A: Cracking of the hide is due to failure to keep it clean and conditioned. Leather furniture should ... | |
| H&M 5501 Tavern Chair ... Mohair Velvet | 11/19/2010 |
| Q: Without supplying COM, Is it possible to order the Hancock and Moore 5501 Tavern Chair in a Mohair ... A: Yes, Hancock and Moore does have mohair fabrics in the line, but they do not generally swatch them ... | |
| Colonial Reproduction: Gallery Table | 10/29/2010 |
| Q: I have acquired a pierced mahogany gallery table, or silver table, or china table -- I'm not sure ... A: This is pretty common with CW pieces, suppliers come and go for a particular series and then the ... | |
| Colonial Reproduction: Gallery Table | 10/29/2010 |
| Q: I have acquired a pierced mahogany gallery table, or silver table, or china table -- I'm not sure ... A: Very nice! Beautiful table and you are exactly right in your theory. Kittinger when through a lot ... | |
| dining room table | 9/5/2010 |
| Q: I have a small room that is 9 by 11 approximate. I need to buy a wood dining table with 4 ... A: A good rule of thumb is to allow 24" of space per dining guest, and an additional 24" 'swing out' or ... | |
| seat foam needs replacing in leather sofa | 8/9/2010 |
| Q: my leather sofa is only 3 years old but the foam has totally gone on one side of both the 2 and 3 ... A: That's a tough one, the only way to fix this is to take it to a professional upholsterer. He will ... | |
| H&M Austin Sofas | 3/3/2010 |
| Q: We are considering 2 Austin Sofas 8134 for our family room. We are looking at Cavalier Leather Grade ... A: That's a good sofa and a durable hide, as tough for family living as anything they offer. Standard ... | |
| Leather couch repair | 3/1/2010 |
| Q: I have a leather couch and sofa and the seats are worn down and the arm it doesn't have any foam in ... A: The obvious answer is to replace the furniture, but you qualify that option by saying you have no ... | |
| Stacked Drawer End Table | 2/8/2010 |
| Q: I wonder if you can help. I have asked a 'Frasier' expert, who has been unable to help, so referred ... A: That table can be easily made as a custom by virtually any trained cabinetmaker. You have plenty of ... | |
| reproduction Connecticut Valley style furniture from Habersham Plantation | 1/1/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to price a bedroom set of early 1980s reproduction Connecticut Valley style by Habersham ... A: Habersham is not considered to be collectible, so realistically its worth what you can get for it. ... | |
| How to put new cushion core in | 12/12/2009 |
| Q: I need some guidance please...before I take everything out. I have purchased from Broyhill new ... A: This is a 'strong arm' job. The replacement cores will look far too large for the covers, but ... | |
| Legacy Leather | 12/5/2009 |
| Q: I've been hunting for a pair of quality contemporary leather sofas and wondered about the quality of ... A: I'm not familiar with out-of-country furniture makers, sorry. I can't comment on the quality of ... | |
| Leather sofas | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: I have been looking at the Violino sofas and like the Cologne range for the very soft comfort. I am ... A: Sorry, my area of knowledge is in the USA only. I can tell you that if you want to buy a single ... | |
| Leather furniture and sensitivity to dyes/preservatives | 11/14/2009 |
| Q: I'm hoping you can help me out as I navigate through the world of leather furniture! We're ... A: You may want to navigate to a forum I run where there are in-depth answers to your questions on ... | |
| Verifying Manufacturer | 11/13/2009 |
| Q: Duane, I recently bought a very nice Hancock & Moore "Sterling" bustleback recliner at a warehouse ... A: I can't say for sure, but my guess is this is not a Hancock and Moore. There are a lot of makers ... | |
| Couch Cushions and re-ordering cores?? | 10/28/2009 |
| Q: First, thanks for taking the time to read my question. My husband and I have a couch and loveseat ... A: I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it sounds to me like your sofa needs replacement. Cushion ... | |
| Foam Couch Replacment | 10/14/2009 |
| Q: One of my puppy's tore up the inside of the couch cushion. I wanted to know where I could purchase a ... A: Most modern upholstery pieces have engineered cushion cores that are considerably more complex than ... | |
| Sofa Cushions | 9/19/2009 |
| Q: I have a Hancock and Moore leather sofa that is about 10 years old. The leather is in great shape ... A: H&M has a lifetime cushion core warranty to the original owner. If you have removable back cushions ... | |
| leather lazy boy dark brown leather chair | 9/14/2009 |
| Q: Duayne, My Lazy Boy dark brown leather chair, (3years old) is losing the color where the head ... A: Leather must be cleaned periodically otherwise it will deteriorate. On your chair, its either ... | |
| recliner for tall (but not large) man | 9/11/2009 |
| Q: I would like to upgrade my husband's recliner. He currently has a Lazy Boy. I would like something ... A: Those are both good mainstay recliners, and very similar in build. Quality is superior to La-Z-Boy ... | |
| Violino sofa | 7/29/2009 |
| Q: I'm interested in buying a leather sectional manufactured in China by Violino from their dealer in ... A: I'm not familiar with this brand but from reading their specs, I'm less than impressed. New ... | |
| Dying clipcovers | 7/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a kid-stained, older sectional covered in 100% cotton canvas slipcovers. It needs to be ... A: I personally would wash it well, and then buy some packet dye and take it to a laundromat and dye it ... | |
| Hancock and Moore replacement cusion covers | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: I have a ten year old Hancock and Moore leather couch and I am looking into replacing the three ... A: They are loose cushion covers that are tufted? Are you sure? I don't recall seeing anything like ... | |
| furniture for sun room | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: Is leather furniture OK for Sun room. We have a two story great room with adjoining Sun room 10ft ... A: The UV rays from the sun will fade the color in anything, regardless of what its made of. However, ... | |
| Please help ID these chairs | 6/9/2009 |
| Q: I recently came into possession of a set of 8 of these dining room chairs. They were my ... A: Those are simple, factory-made chairs with little resale value. Most likely the needlepoint was ... | |
| Couch | 4/22/2009 |
| Q: Duane, I will be brief so to take up a lot of your time. I am looking to buy a couch. I want a ... A: Micro-fiber material by definition won't be 'nicer' as its nothing more than polyester that is ... | |
| Matching browns? | 4/4/2009 |
| Q: I bought a sectional that is micro fiber tan, beige,and has a very dark chocolate leather base and ... A: I don't think that's an issue at all. Exact matching of colors is old-school, and somewhat boring ... | |
| Kitchen Cabinet | 2/27/2009 |
| Q: Good afternoon, I've selected an OMEGA Cherry cabinet set from a dealer based on the show room ... A: Cherry is one of the few woods that will change color with exposure to direct sunlight. In the trade ... | |
| veneers | 1/17/2009 |
| Q: We recently bought some bedroom furniture and I assumed it was solid wood. I should have done my ... A: Veneers can be done over very inexpensive pieces as well as expensive ones. It can be a sign of ... | |
| Williamsburg replica? | 12/21/2008 |
| Q: I bought a table/nightstand at an antiques mall and later discovered the pictured mark stamped on ... A: The form is good on the nightstand though the legs are a bit heavy. The brasses are incorrect for a ... | |
| Williamsburg replica? | 12/20/2008 |
| Q: I bought a table/nightstand at an antiques mall and later discovered the pictured mark stamped on ... A: It would be more helpful to see a photo of the entire piece to look at the lines and form of the ... | |
Home Furnishings/Furniture
Answers by Expert:
Duane Collie
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I have in-depth knowledge of home furniture, particularly higher quality leather upholstery and American period reproductions. My store specializes in hand-made custom wood furniture and Hancock & Moore upholstery. I do not answer questions on decorating, or paint colors, etc., those will be returned to the question pool.
Experience
Owner/operator a retail home furnishings store (The Keeping Room) in Alexandria Virginia since 1978.
Organizations
National Home Furnishings Association
Publications
www.myfurnitureforum.com,
Garden Web Funrniture Forum
Education/Credentials
B.S Graduate, 1977 Florida State University
Past/Present Clients
The White House
Sony Studios
Historic Mt.Vernon
Gatsby's Tavern, Alexandria
Carlyse House, Alexandria
Walkerton Tavern, Henrico County VA
Pequot Indian Museum, CT
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