Is Castilla A Reputable/reliable Brand For Sofas?

[musingaway 0]

Hi fellow readers, can you give me your expert advice? I will appreciate if you can give me your 2 cents worth on my purchase, for my piece of mind.

-L-shape sofa

-"full cowhide leather"

-one part of the sofa is a mechanical recliner (don't know what brand of mechanical parts)

-1 year warranty on structure (didn't know how that I should check what materials are the frame made of)

-0.8 to 1.1mm thick leather

-"second grade leather"

I asked if this was Top-grain leather, and she said no, her top grain anilene leather was 20k above. so she said this is her second grade leather. From this, I can only imagine she is saying "top grade" instead of "top grain", so "top grade" usually = full grain, so my purchased sofa "second grade" = top grain?

Or else she was really saying top grain, so my purchased sofa "second grade" = corrected/split leather? Am i confusing myself?

Lastly, it was "retailing" at 6980, but for weekend sale, so at 2680.

Any advice will be much appreciated! Thanks!

[musingaway 0]

Hope some forumers can share their thoughts.

This is a genuine purchase and I want to know if it's value-for-money, or have I been taken for a ride?

Thanks!

[Executiveliving 0]

Hi fellow readers, can you give me your expert advice? I will appreciate if you can give me your 2 cents worth on my purchase, for my piece of mind.

-L-shape sofa

-"full cowhide leather"

-one part of the sofa is a mechanical recliner (don't know what brand of mechanical parts)

-1 year warranty on structure (didn't know how that I should check what materials are the frame made of)

-0.8 to 1.1mm thick leather

-"second grade leather"

I asked if this was Top-grain leather, and she said no, her top grain anilene leather was 20k above. so she said this is her second grade leather. From this, I can only imagine she is saying "top grade" instead of "top grain", so "top grade" usually = full grain, so my purchased sofa "second grade" = top grain?

Or else she was really saying top grain, so my purchased sofa "second grade" = corrected/split leather? Am i confusing myself?

Lastly, it was "retailing" at 6980, but for weekend sale, so at 2680.

Any advice will be much appreciated! Thanks!

Hi Musingaway

You have not mentioned the length of your sofa, maybe you can share with us so that we can gauge from there.

[musingaway 0]

Hi EL,

Thanks for replying.

The length is 2.4m.

It is L-shape, and the longer side is 1.6m depth.

The other corner of the sofa is a recliner.

Here is a not-to-scale drawing, view from top.

________2.4m length________

| 1.6m | | mechanical |

| depth | | recliner |

| |______|___________|

| |

| |

|_______|

[SamTheMan 7]

Hi EL,

Thanks for replying.

The length is 2.4m.

It is L-shape, and the longer side is 1.6m depth.

The other corner of the sofa is a recliner.

Here is a not-to-scale drawing, view from top.

________2.4m length________

| 1.6m | | mechanical |

| depth | | recliner |

| |______|___________|

| |

| |

|_______|

What brand is it?

[Executiveliving 0]

Hi EL,

Thanks for replying.

The length is 2.4m.

It is L-shape, and the longer side is 1.6m depth.

The other corner of the sofa is a recliner.

Here is a not-to-scale drawing, view from top.

________2.4m length________

| 1.6m | | mechanical |

| depth | | recliner |

| |______|___________|

| |

| |

|_______|

Hi musingaway

From your descricption, I can think most likely you are getting a top/split full leather sofa. Price is quite reasonable. However if its an electrical recliner then I would say its good value for money.

Edited October 29, 2011 by Executiveliving

[musingaway 0]

What brand is it?

Hi SamTheMan,

I have been waiting for you to chance upon this thread, because I have seen your replies and I believe you are an objective and experienced forumer.

The brand is Castilla, bought from the bukit timah outlet. The sofas there are made in Malaysia I think, so specifically the brand of my sofa should be CASTILLA DESIGN.

Please see my first post for the details of the sofa.

I am concerned that I am getting split leather sofa (even if it is full genuine cowhide leather) and my intent was to get a durable and long-lasting sofa actually.

Thanks in advance!

[musingaway 0]

Hi musingaway

From your descricption, I can think most likely you are getting a top/split full leather sofa. Price is quite reasonable. However if its an electrical recliner then I would say its good value for money.

Hi EL,

Thanks once again for replying!

As mentioned my concern is that it could be split leather, and that is not what I wanted, even if it is full cowhide leather.

So there is a chance that it is split leather, at the 2680 price tag?

Thanks once again.

[SamTheMan 7]

Hi SamTheMan,

I have been waiting for you to chance upon this thread, because I have seen your replies and I believe you are an objective and experienced forumer.

The brand is Castilla, bought from the bukit timah outlet. The sofas there are made in Malaysia I think, so specifically the brand of my sofa should be CASTILLA DESIGN.

Please see my first post for the details of the sofa.

I am concerned that I am getting split leather sofa (even if it is full genuine cowhide leather) and my intent was to get a durable and long-lasting sofa actually.

Thanks in advance!

Actually, it sounds like a good deal. Just make sure they write down top-grain leather on the order and you should be fine.

[Executiveliving 0]

Hi EL,

Thanks once again for replying!

As mentioned my concern is that it could be split leather, and that is not what I wanted, even if it is full cowhide leather.

So there is a chance that it is split leather, at the 2680 price tag?

Thanks once again.

Hi musingaway

Looking at the pricing, yours is likely to be top/split full leather. Nevertheless you can always go back to the sales person and confirm what kind of leather that you are getting, if they says its Top full and you can make them commit in black and white then it would be good, I would say you got a very good deal for this unit. I am more concern about the sofa that you will recieve, in other words if they were to deliver a top/split sofa to you would you be able to differentiate?

[SamTheMan 7]

Hi musingaway

Looking at the pricing, yours is likely to be top/split full leather. Nevertheless you can always go back to the sales person and confirm what kind of leather that you are getting, if they says its Top full and you can make them commit in black and white then it would be good, I would say you got a very good deal for this unit. I am more concern about the sofa that you will recieve, in other words if they were to deliver a top/split sofa to you would you be able to differentiate?

Top/split actually not big deal lah. If visually cannot tell the difference then top split as good as 100% top grain.

[Jeanius 0]

Top/split actually not big deal lah. If visually cannot tell the difference then top split as good as 100% top grain.

musingaway

Agreed with the above answers. No matter which company you purchased from, get it written in black & white in your Sales Order what was translater between you and the Sales person. Top Grain / Split or Bovine or Cowhide leather, if it is Bovine, which animal? Thickness of the leather, which tannery is the leather from? Verbally the Sales people can say anything to close the sale, so buyers beware. The company history is also very important, they can promoise you 5 / 10 years warranty, but will they still be around in that period of years. If the company has not been around for 5 years, what makes you think that they will around the next 5 years.

i am sure people who post here are internet savvy, just google the words and terms and you get all the answers from the www. Why listen to another Sale person answers here. This forum is supposed to be for consumers to share and not another Sales person whom to what i have read, not very knowledgeble about mid-high end furnitures to tell you what he thinks.

GOOGLE FOR YOUR ANSWERS

[musingaway 0]

Hi musingaway

Looking at the pricing, yours is likely to be top/split full leather. Nevertheless you can always go back to the sales person and confirm what kind of leather that you are getting, if they says its Top full and you can make them commit in black and white then it would be good, I would say you got a very good deal for this unit. I am more concern about the sofa that you will recieve, in other words if they were to deliver a top/split sofa to you would you be able to differentiate?

Hi EL, what do you mean by top/split? Do you mean it's a mixture of top grain and split grain?

Obviously I am not able to differentiate between full grain, top grain, top/split. I am the average consumer who knows only enough that leather has different types of grains.

Thanks.

[musingaway 0]

Top/split actually not big deal lah. If visually cannot tell the difference then top split as good as 100% top grain.

Hi Sam,

Thank you for replying, appreciate it. Are you saying that if I cannot tell the difference between top grain and split grain, then it's ok?

As mentioned to EL, I don't know specifically what the term "top/split" means...

I am trying to find out if, worse case scenario, my sofa is fully split-grain leather, is it still worth the 2680?

Thanks Sam.

[musingaway 0]

musingaway

Agreed with the above answers. No matter which company you purchased from, get it written in black & white in your Sales Order what was translater between you and the Sales person. Top Grain / Split or Bovine or Cowhide leather, if it is Bovine, which animal? Thickness of the leather, which tannery is the leather from? Verbally the Sales people can say anything to close the sale, so buyers beware. The company history is also very important, they can promoise you 5 / 10 years warranty, but will they still be around in that period of years. If the company has not been around for 5 years, what makes you think that they will around the next 5 years.

i am sure people who post here are internet savvy, just google the words and terms and you get all the answers from the www. Why listen to another Sale person answers here. This forum is supposed to be for consumers to share and not another Sales person whom to what i have read, not very knowledgeble about mid-high end furnitures to tell you what he thinks.

GOOGLE FOR YOUR ANSWERS

Hi Jeanius, thank you for replying.

I am internet savvy, and that is why when I google Castilla, the amount of relevant search results compared to other brands are not a lot. So that worries me... that I committed to a (somewhat rash) purchase from a company that is not so reputable or well-known?

Apart from that, I am concerned that if my sofa is fully split-grain leather, that it is not worth (by standard market prices) the 2680 pricetag.

Lastly, from my limited research online, I read that full grain leathers are thicker, and also the thicker the leather, the less likely to tear or flake.

My sofa is supposedly 0.8-1.1 mm thickness only, so naturally that worries me as well!

I posted here with the hope that forumers will take some time to reply, and from there I will sift through and get a more balanced view.

Thanks Jeanius for replying!