36 Cheap Sofas & Chairs That Look High-End! (Parts 1 & 2)

Hi Everyone,

As promised, I’m writing a bit more about the cheap sofas and chairs. There’s some very important info here, such as why reupholstering a tag sale find might not be a good idea. That is, if you’re looking to save money.

For those who are landing here for the first time, please begin from the top of the page. Otherwise, those who’ve already read part one, please click the link below, which will skip you ahead to part 2.

 

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Dear Laurel,

I have been enjoying your “cheap” series of home furnishings that look a lot more expensive than they are. But here’s what I’m wondering. I know your style is primarily traditional, and while I appreciate it and think your work is beautiful, I’d love to see some styles that are more contemporary in styling.

And I’d especially love to see more cheap sofas and chairs with more classic contemporary styling. However, what I love is so far out of my price range, it’s not funny. I had no idea one could spend as much money on a sectional as a small car costs. I’m more in the small bicycle range. Oh, and also, I like your colors, but I’d love to see more earth tones and warm colors.

Sincerely,

Sharon Hauspor.

 

***

 

Okay, I guess I’m not done with the “cheap furniture.”

You can see some of the older cheap furniture posts, here.

And actually, this began as a post on the same topic, from over three years ago, that is going through a heavy update.

And again, I’d love to recommend a place where one can find a lot of great furniture, and because I’m strongly in favor of shopping locally, this source satisfies both of those requirements.

 

 

Wayfair’s new corporate headquarters is on Boylston Street in the heart of the commercial area of Boston’s Back Bay. And, LIT-ER-AL-LY, around the corner from my home.

 

 

This is the main corporate headquarters on Boylston Street. Its western border is adjacent to Copley Square, which still isn’t finished. But that’s another story.

 

Please notice how they’ve played down the PURPLE.

 

Yeah, just my little local Ma and Pa general store. And, do you know what’s across the street from Wayfair? You’re not going to believe this.

Nordstrom Rack.

My neighborhood is full of quaint shops. Haha. Aside from the usually atrocious weather, which is either snot freezing cold or one degree cooler than Death Valley, Boston is a fantastic city!

 

Here, let me show you a little map I made of the ‘hood and surrounding territory.

 

(mostly landfill. Remember?)

 

Original photo by Bobak Ha’Eri via Wikimedia Commons- and labeled by me.

 

Sorry, some of it is a little difficult to read, so I’ll quickly go over the points of interest.

 

Here, you can see not only one but two Wayfair offices.

 

One is only a baseball pitch away, and the other is about a 6-minute walk away.

At the bottom of the image is the Bahston Public Library, The finish line of the Bahston Marathon. Copley Square, which they named after the Benjamin Moore paint color, Copley Gray, I guess. ;] ;]

 

Benjamin Moore Copley Gray

 

Mr. Copley before they decimated his beautiful park. 

 

 

To the left is my home. Beyond that is the Public Gahden. “The Hill.” (Beacon Hill) I realize that it doesn’t look like much of a hill here. Believe me, when I tell you that when you’re climbing it, it is definitely a hill.

 

At the top of the Hill are the Massachusetts State Government buildings, as Bahston is the state capitola.

 

Then moving over to the far right, I forgot to put Logan International Airport in between Bahston Habah and the Atlantic Ocean. To the far, far right is the Massachusetts Turnpike. (the pike)

As you can see, looking at the top of the map, the ocean isn’t really all that large, for just beyond the horizon is where the earth ends.

And, that is my paradise.

 

Okay, I hope you enjoyed that little introduction, along with another perspective of our lovely town.

 

Oh wait! I have big news! Yesterday, I noticed some new scaffolding over the sidewalk just outside the 1st Baptist Church. My house shares a wall with this church.

I looked up and to my shock and delight, I saw that there’s been major progress on the bell tower.

 

Late last winter, I took some pics of this eyesore. You can see more images here. 

 

But yesterday, when I looked up, below is what I saw.

 

 

Finally, we can see the beautiful bas-relief.

Below, if you look  on the left towards the bottom, you’ll see a heart where my house is. If you look at the L for Laurel, you’ll see half of the bell tower before they began the repairs. They began several years before I moved here, and guys, it’s going to be five years this December!

 

 

Okay, I do have some very cool, cheap sofas and chairs to show you.

Alas, it’s late and I will have to share the rest with you next time.

However, I will leave you with a few images.

 

This looks like a Donghia sectional from the 90s. Those were like the cost of a Tesla. haha This one is a lot less.

 

Above is a cool curved sofa in the manner of Vladimir Kagan.

 

Above, a Jennifer Taylor sofa that looks expensive, but it’s not!

 

More cheap sofas and chairs are coming very soon!

xo,

 

 

*********************************************************

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Hi Everyone,

Please enjoy the continuation of this post about cheap sofas and chairs that are not only great-looking, but in many cases, could pass for the expensive stuff!

 

 

If you have the budget for some gorgeous high-end upholstery, I very much recommend you check out the Serena & Lily custom upholstery on sale, and ending tonight at 11:59 PM PT.

 

Okay, time to focus on the main topic, which is cheap sofas and chairs. And, again, I am focusing on pieces that don’t look cheap.

 

But, Laurel– Aren’t these cheap sofas and chairs going to be uhhh– your favorite word, “ersatz,” or poorly made, uncomfortable, and fall apart?

 

Those are all great questions. And yes, there is a LOT of ersatz, ugly, amorphous, cheap furniture out there.

And, hang on, because I’ve rounded up a good ol’ mess of horror shows for you.

 

But, there is also a good amount of cheap furniture that’s surprisingly not only good-looking but great-looking.

 

And according to reviews, comfortable and well-made. Can I promise that it’ll be all of that? No, I can’t. But that’s one reason I love Wayfair. The reviews are so helpful, and if a number of people have the same complaint, it’s quite probable that there’s a problem.

What isn’t helpful is when someone gives one star because of something not directly connected to the piece of furniture. For instance, if they said, “The delivery guys were rude.” While that’s unacceptable, it has nothing to do with whether or not the piece of furniture they’re reviewing is everything they were hoping for.

 

However, I’ve had clients who, when their kids were little, didn’t want to spend megabucks on a piece that would get peanut butter and jelly and ice cream sandwiches smashed into it. And worse. But, they also wanted something stylish enough to look good for the time being.

Now, it is doubtful that you will get a spring-down luxurious seat. And it’s true. The cushions might not hold up so well over time. Plus, on occasion, on a cheap sofa or chair, the cushions don’t flip. However, they usually say if the cushions are reversible. So, it’s important to read everything before making a purchase.

 

Here are some more things to look out for.

 

• Like all upholstered furniture, we want its style to have good proportions. So, for instance, a mid-century modern piece might have a super low back, and that’s appropriate for that piece.
• Some cheap upholstery is boxy when it is not supposed to be boxy. Or, the back is attached strangely. So, be sure to look at your piece from all angles. The pieces I’ve selected, for the most part, have profiles that look high-end.
• If I were concerned about buttons falling off, I wouldn’t get tufted furniture. You might be able to krazy glue any buttons back on, or ask an upholsterer if it can be fixed.
• However, if it’s a piece that should have a pitched back, then make sure it’s not too straight up. Some pieces, like Tuxedo sofas, do have a straight back on the outside, but the inside upholstery is pitched slightly for comfort.

 

Do you know the biggest aesthetic problem I often see with cheap sofas and chairs?

 

It’s the legs.

The front legs, be they turned, tapered, or straight, look best when they are very close to the edge of the piece, unless it’s a mid-century style and the legs are meant to be set in.

Ideally, unless it’s a style meant to be otherwise, the back legs are curved back, which is visible from the side. These are not the same legs as in the front. However, with cheap sofas and chairs, you will almost always have to screw the legs in after you’ve received them.

For this reason, something you may not have considered is that if you don’t like the legs offered, as long as they are the same length, they can be changed.

 

Below, I made a graphic to show some leg issues that frequently occur with cheap sofas and chairs. But, thankfully, not all of them, as you will soon see.

 

 

More spark plug legs and in the back, too. I don’t know who created this turned leg design, maybe a former auto mechanic? But, they are horrible. And too bad because they are ruining an otherwise lovely chair.

Well, guess what? I don’t know if they read this, but they did change the leg a year or two ago. You’ll see the updated version in the widget coming up later on.

 

And, below is another widget of chairs with strange arms, legs, ugly backs, and one that looks like it’s made of cement.

 

Most of these are cheap and look cheap.

 

 

I think they look poorly designed and, therefore, look cheap. There’s no need for any of that.

 

However, the following chairs are all expensive. I mean, super expensive and IMO, even more offensive.

 

 

The widget below is entitled: I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY ANYONE WOULD EVEN THINK OF DOING THIS.

 

Oh, one more. Pretty Please?

 

What is with that small chair with the ’50s hair-do flip arms? Bizarre, to say the least.

 

Okay, what do we need to look for when trying to find some great-looking, cheap sofas and chairs?

 

• Design. Is it classic? And by classic, it could be modern, mid-century, or traditional. But, it is a classic design, not some weird made-up shape.
• How are the proportions? You can see when something is horribly misshapen. Great cheap sofas and chairs are beautifully proportioned.
• Also, look, as mentioned earlier (except for a Tuxedo or Chesterfield), for a decent pitch. You don’t want to be sitting ramrod straight. And, you also don’t want to be leaning back against an amorphous amoeba-esque thing that’s threatening to swallow you whole.

 

What are the best sources for cheap sofas and chairs?

 

Some of my favorites are:

Wayfair

Joss and Main – They have a great selection of cheap sofas!

Pottery Barn

West Elm for more contemporary/modern pieces

Overstock

 

Before we get to the widget, a few important things.

 

Some may think that getting a trainwreck of a sofa and then getting it reupholstered will be a great way to get a bargain.

No.

Not unless you do the upholstery yourself with inexpensive fabric.

If you have a sofa professionally reupholstered, depending on where you live, expect to pay from $1,500 – $4,000 just for the upholstery. What folks don’t realize is that reupholstery is just as much work as creating a new sofa. It’s not a matter of replacing only the outer fabric. Usually, the piece is stripped back to the frame.

 

However, the upholsterer doesn’t need to purchase and put together a frame.

 

Otherwise, it would be more expensive than that.

Then, there’s the fabric. Well, you can spend anywhere from $5 to $500 for fabric. And, the average sofa requires about 16 yards of PLAIN 54″ wide fabric. If you have a repeat that requires matching, it could be several more yards.

So, no. You buy a vintage sofa because it’s very cool and impossible to find in today’s marketplace.

Like mine, below. The upholstery happened to be in perfect condition.

 

 

This reminds me.

 

Some of you may know that the lovely brand, Arianna Belle I’ve featured on the blog a number of times, is going out of business. So sad. They are closing their doors on November 17, 2025. The pillows are quickly selling out, but what’s left is at a tremendous savings, so if you need some gorgeous custom pillows, please head over there.

Note: unless it’s for a very small settee, I’ve never done pillows less than 18″ square or 12″x 20″ for a lumbar pillow.

Please go here to shop the pillows at Arianna Belle.

 

And now, please find the widget of 36+ beautiful budget sofas and chairs.

 

(Please click on any image for more information.)

 

And below is a graphic to pin to Pinterest for reference.

 

 

 I hope you enjoyed these cheap sofas and chairs, and are proud of me for supporting our neighborhood furniture store. haha

xo,

 

 

***Please check out the newly updated HOT SALES!

There is now an Amazon link on my home page and below. Thank you for the suggestion!

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To facilitate this, some readers have asked me to put

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Please click the link before items go into your shopping cart. Some people save their purchases in their “save for later folder.” Then, if you remember, please come back and click my Amazon link, and then you’re free to place your orders. While most vendor links have a cookie that lasts a while, Amazon’s cookies only last up to 24 hours.

Thank you so much!

I very much appreciate your help and support!