Douglas Furniture Bankruptcy -How To Get Parts Now?

From thallam, 7/22/2015  5:56 PM

I have Douglas Furniture recliner. It needs a power cable that operates massaging for back and seat. Is this a standard power cable available in furniture stores or electrical stores? or an on-line supplier? If an online supplier their contact info, please.

Thanks.

Rao Thallam

From Sandy J, 12/30/2012  11:19 AM

I own a Douglas cherry dining room set and need a new leaf. Any suggestions on where/how to begin my search?

Sandy

From Chris Buckingham, 1/25/2012  12:21 PM

So I am trying to get some of these "J44" cables from Leggett and Platt and the person I talk to says they have 2 versions of the cable.  Anyone happen to know which version I need? 

Thanks in advance for the help,
Jamie

From Russell at Furniture World Magazine, 1/1/2012  12:13 AM

Susan, or anyone who could possibly help me,

We have a Douglas dinette set, leather with caster chairs. One of the chairs broke off the base and of course the metal piece is now bent.  Where do I find the metal piece, and how can I get the chair base fixed?  I think I need an upholsterer? It's such a beautiful set, I am so sad to hear they went under.

Also another chair has a loose arm, we keep fixing it but it keeps getting loose from the underside, I think that has broken there too.  Any info on that?

Thanks so much,

Carol

From Krissy, 6/13/2011  4:36 PM

Hi Sue, might you also be willing to offer some advice here, please? I'm beginning a hunt to find a replacement part for a side chair by Douglas Furniture (model LM0523-2300). The part I'm looking for is the little platic with felt tiny pad at the base of the metal chair leg, there to avoid floor scratches. Do you know where I could find one (I need 4) to fit these specific chairs? Replacement cups I've found at Home Depot did not do the job. Thanks!

From Susan Kaveny, 1/31/2011  6:54 PM

Hi Jim,
They are "J44" cables from Leggett and Platt. Whoever you talk to there should be able to get you the right part, as they are generic to all former Douglas models.
Name:
Leggett & Platt
Street: 16040 Stephens St
City of Industry, ca 91745-1721
Phone: (626) 330-4150
If they can't help you at that number, try contacting the main office in Carthage Missouri. They still make the cables, and the cables are used on some current Albany furniture models.
You will have to dump the piece over and release the mechanism manually to install it. Be careful not to have your fingers in the mechanism. You can do it by pulling the cable with a vice grips from near the hook or by tripping the lever with a screwdriver or your fingers. Do this with your body close to the piece so that the ottoman part hits you and does not extend all the way out. You can then release it slowly. The piece that goes through the frame isn't going to come off in one piece. Go ahead and rip it up. You're gonna pitch it anyway.
Good luck Jim,
Sue

From Jim, 1/31/2011  3:34 PM

Trying to find replacement cables for a Douglas Furniture sectional. The receipt from Levitz Furniture indicates the vendor stock number as "PEGGY RAFREC LS" and "PEGGY ARMLESS REC.". The handles of both release cables has broken off.
thanks.....

From Susan Kaveny, 11/22/2010  1:02 AM

The wedge doesn't come apart. In other words, the one piece that is a huge problem to get through a doorway, is permenantly assembled. The rest of it slips apart, as there is a bolt attachment where the head of the bolt sticking out of one piece slips into the slotted receptor on the other. Most of the backs just unclip, like you can see.

From Keith, 11/21/2010  11:44 PM

Sue, you seem to know what you are talking about. I have a Douglas 3 pc sectional and can't figure out how to take the pieces apart. We are moving and taking it apart would be helpful. The back to the wedge is not accessible, as it is on the two side pieces. Do you know how to take it apart, or where I can find the information? Thank you.

From Susan Kaveny, 11/16/2010  7:19 PM

"You can't" is the short answer. Maybe you can if you can either find a set that is used or is in the dungeon of some furniture store's warehouse, as you are looking for an out of production item. There's a nice link a few posts back from this one on how to replace the insert in one. Otherwise, you could have a leg welded or whatever else it needs. Really, you should look into repairing the one you have.

From shelly, 11/16/2010  1:07 PM

where can i get a repair or replacement of center post of a swivel and rocking type dinette chair? made by douglas furn.

From Harry, 11/13/2010  6:05 PM

Susan,
Thanks for all the reply and wealth of information. I need some of the "Parachute Pulls" and now know where to find them. It looks like you have been doing this a while here. I will say we have enjoyed our Douglas furniture a lot except the pulls.
Thanks again for the long time help to us in need.

Harry

From Shelley, 10/15/2010  3:48 PM

I purchased a dining table set that is manufactured by Douglas, that is now out of business. I need the tilt only part for the chairs, it is not a swivel one, just tilt, welded on the cross bar and attached to the wood side bars with screws. I'm checking with Chromcraft and Alfa but don't see the exact one I need online. Can someone help?

From Susan Kaveny, 9/18/2010  11:46 AM

A SKU number only means something to the store that is selling a new product. You are probably looking for a used product at this late date because the factory has been out of business for a long time. The sets all had names, which were all prople's names. figure out which one you have, and look like that, too. If one of your chairs is broken, there is a cut and paste link in a previous post that has repair parts. If the problem is with the upholstery, chromcraft sells their buckets under a separate SKU fromt he bases and replacing all the buckets might be the way to go if yours is unrepairable.

From Judy Aldrich, 9/17/2010  1:19 PM

Is there any way we can get Doug Bucket ped chairs with sku390132107

From Susan Kaveny, 8/29/2010  10:53 PM

This was posted earlier in this thread. If you go to this website and click on castors, you will probably find what you are looking for. I was amazed at all of the otherwise unavailable parts that they had when I went there a few months ago. The link is at the bottom of the webpage in small letters.
Sue

Reply from Transam11

2/26/2010 7:09:12 PM
Here's the link to the Douglas tilt/swivel chair mechanism:

www.swivel-chair-parts.com/kitchenTilter.html

It's $37 for regular strength and $60 for heavy duty

From Torney Irvin, 8/29/2010  5:58 PM

Looking for casters for breakfast set with rolling chairs imported by Douglas Furniture from Mexico.

From Susan Kaveny, 7/16/2010  11:35 PM

Sorry for the late reply. I am usually faster.
anyway, there is no more Douglas Furniture. If you need to replace them because the mechanisms are junk, you can have the mechanisms replaced. If you need to replace them because they are worn out all over, you will have to choose another brand. For the same amount of quality at a competitive price, I like Palliser, Lane, Flexsteel, and brands like that. Flip the sofa over if you can or look in it wherever there's a hole in the upholstery and make sure it isn't made of particleboard, and flex the recliner ottoman (footrest) off to one side a little and see how easily it bends. Just push it to the side, without doing any damage. There are some brands using substandard foreign steel to build mechanisms and you don't want one. You'll see the difference. It bends really easy. That's becasue it has a low carbon content and because the furniture store buyers aren't educated to look for these things.

From Colene, 7/14/2010  1:16 PM

I have 2 couchens that need to be replaced. I was wondering if I can reorder any seems how douglas furniture is no longer?

From LT, 7/3/2010  10:28 PM

I have a Douglas Furniture swivel seat part number 0831-3131.

I am looking for a replacement seat/seatback. I believe the part number is 3131 STBK.   It is upholstered with a green fabric.

Do anyone have a source for this?

From Catherine, 6/29/2010  3:56 PM

Looking for replacement seat & back pads for a Douglas Furniture metal & glass patio dining set. The chairs are similar to their SKU MO7-5554CLE.

From Formoulza, 6/29/2010  10:54 AM

Hello, Does anyone know the website TutoTop? Looking for a tutorial on usenet, they told me there was one interesting! Thank you in advance!

From Susan Kaveny, 5/22/2010  11:06 PM

I know that this is getting to be an impossibly long thread, but look back in it for information about leggett and platt, which is the company that made the part, called a parachute pull or mechanism release cable, that you're looking for.

From Robb, 5/22/2010  9:13 PM

I'm looking for a pully cable for my douglas furniture recliner. Does anybody have an idea of where I can get one or something else that will work.

From Susan Kaveny, 5/12/2010  8:54 PM

Sorry Ted, there is no Douglas factory to get factory parts from and hasn't been for a couple of years. there is a post a few lines up that tells you how to order aftermarket bushings, and it is the only place I know of anywhere in the world that sells them.
Sue

From ted, 5/12/2010  4:00 PM

I need a couple of nylon bushings for our dinette chiars bought in 03. looking for factory parts dept. and how to get in touch for douglas dinettes

From Susan Kaveny, 5/9/2010  1:04 AM

Reply to Deb:
Sorry for the late reply. I just saw this. I cleaned out my email box a while back and must have deleted it without looking.
OK, there is a connector on the transformer for the vibrating unit that is a hookup for the massagers. If you want to take the massager mechanism off and take it to your friendly neighborhood electrical parts store, you might have some luck finding a correct transformer, but you would have to make your own connections. There are other companies that used these vibrator units and it would be much simpler to either scavange a used one or buy a whole one. The massager unit is simply a little vibrator that attaches to the springs in the back of the chair and buzzes. There isn't much to it. The transformer is the main part of it.
Lane made them, for their recliners several years ago. You might contact them to see if they would send you one for a price. They have a wonderful parts department. One of the Chinese manufacturers who advertise on this forum might be able to hook you up with a complete unit also. Every one I have ever worked on was made in China, even when most of the furniture wasn't. Installing a complete replacement is lots easier than trying to hook up disparate parts that may have incompatible voltages or wire connectors.

Regarding the seat cores, the easiest and cheapest way to fix this problem is to open up a seam by ripping out the stitches one at a time and using spray adhesive to glue down the foam. It has a wrinkle in it and will get it back in a little while if you just straighten it and sew it shut. If you are talking about the foam in the part that goes between the seat and the footrest, it is accessable from a zipper in the back of the part, and you can choose: just straighten it, replace it with sheet foam that doesn't have a wrinkle, or straighten it and glue it in place.
Hope this helps. sorry again for answering so late.
Sue

From Susan Kaveny, 5/9/2010  12:45 AM

If you can get one directly from leggett and platt, that is the company that made the original. A furniture repair shop would be unlikely to have the right one on hand.
Although they look the same from the top, there are dozens of different cables in use. Each furniture manufacturer uses some proprietary cable and each one is different. some came from Leggett and Platt, and some are made in China. The difference is in the length of the cable where it stretches betweent the tab that goes into the frame and the hook on the end.
The kind you need is called a "parachute pull". It has to be that exact one, not just one with the same handle. Furniture repair shops may also be able to order one and either install it for a fee or send it to you. One that I know of that can is AmericanTV of Madison,WI. They can order one and mail it to you. Look them up on the web and send them an e-mail.
Where ever you wind up buying one, buy at least two. You will need one somewhere later on and shipping and handling charges are the same whether you buy one or two at a time. Also, they may go out of production at any time, so get one extra while they're available.
    

From Brandon, 5/9/2010  12:28 AM

I have a Douglas Sectional that I bought out of the paper. It has the added little recliner that was an add on. It has a pull cable that's on the side. Tonight I noticed the cable is frayed and will break at any time. I looked underneath and I can replace it but I would like to get the right one instead of making one myself. I have noticed all the posts about Leggett and Platt and was wondering if they would be the best people to contact, or would a furniture repair shop have one? If you have any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.

From Deb, 4/20/2010  6:25 PM

I have a Douglas Furniture Ardon collection Double reclining sofa with vibrating massager.I picked it up at a St Vincet Depaul trift store last Friday.The delivery drivers said when they picked up the sofa from the original owners they had the trasformer for the massager that came with the sofa but as yet they haven't been able to find it for me.
I was wondering if you could tell me what are the specifications on the transformer that came with this sofa such as voltage,amperage,positive or neg ground etc.
Also does this transformer have some kind of a pigtail eletrical cord coming off of it that plugs into the sofa...or how does the transformer connect to the sofa;any detailed description you could give me will help when I am looking for one as of now I am in the dark as to what exactly this transformer hookup to the sofa looks like.
Would you know where I could buy a compatable transformer for this sofa.....please give web address,address or phone number.

One other question I had about the sofa....the stuffing inside a couple of the seat cushions is all bunched up to one side????What is the best way to straighten this bulge so it is not so uncomfortable to sit on?

                       Thanks

From Susan Kaveny, 4/17/2010  7:02 PM

This was Douglas of California. They are indeed bankrupt. There may be some of their products left in warehouses and stores across the country. Their chairs were signed and usually dated underneath the chair seats.

From nelda, 4/17/2010  6:09 PM

Sorry Levan told me the dinette set is manufactured by Douglas furniture..Hard to believe if they are bankrupt several years ago. Did they get back into business or is sales lady incorrect?

From nelda, 4/17/2010  6:04 PM

I just went and looked at a dinning set at Levan furniture and they told me they are the manufacture. How can this be true if they are bankrupt and out of business. Something is wrong.

From Jim T, 4/12/2010  7:39 PM

I purchased a dinnette set mfg'd by Douglas about 11 years ago. The swivel part broke from the cross bar that attaches to the sides of the chair. I have welded it twice, but it broke again. IN ONE OF YOUR earlier replys, you mentioned SWIVEL CHAIR PARTS.com. I went there and purchased the most expensive tilt mechanism ($59.90 + shipping) I plan on removing the cross bars from the broken one and welding it on to the new one. Hope it works

From Gery M, 3/31/2010  9:34 PM

Sue, Thank you for getting back so quickly. I will pass this info along to my husband who gets the fun job of tackling it. At least we know what to do and what it involves. Hopefully we can get it done as the rest of the chair is like brand new. Thanks again for the help.

From Susan Kaveny, 3/31/2010  6:44 PM

This is called the front spring rail. Repairing it is a huge major job if it is splintered You will have to rebuild enough of the corners to hold the pull of the springs. As far as the warranty goes, you're on your own here. There is no warranty any more.

If you look at it closely, though it might not be as bad as it first seems. Every time one of these comes apart, it rips loose the manufacturing staples and this causes it to shed some wood.

Here's the repair technique:

Remove the springs from their clips on that side.

Remove the staples holding the upholstery on in the area that you need to work, and take it off.

If the wood is actually broken back past the joint, you will need to cut off all of the staples and screw and glue enough wood into the area to build a new joint.
You will have to do this while providing clearance for the mechanism and for the springs to move below the seat frame. The springs have to clear it on a vertical plane. That particular mechanism has very little clearance there, so screw everything in place and try the unit out before adding glue and making it permanent. When it's working, take it apart and use epoxy or gorilla glue to secure it and reassemble it just like it was.

If the wood is not broken, just detached, you still have to cut off all of the staples that are in the joint. You may then be able to reattach everything with glue and screws and a few metal repair plates.

Make sure you check the other side, because the springs that are used in recliners have a tremendous amount of pull and the likelihood is that the other side has been at least somewhat damaged. You should probably add some plates in there, too, and some glue wouldn't hurt.

Now comes the fun part. You have to pull the springs back. A large C-clamp helps with this. Also, most of douglas pieces had a little crink in the springs in the back that you can straighten with a screwdriver and that also helps to stretch them back to reattach them. Hook them in the front first and then pull them towards the back to stretch them. The amount of force it takes to pull them out is amazing. Some of the stuff made by the cheaper companies is just awful because they shortcutted the part where they put the thing in the springs that you straighten out to stretch them. Lucky for you you're working on Douglas.

When it is all back where it goes, staple the upholstery back in place.

Are you sorry you asked??
sue

From Gery M, 3/31/2010  3:23 PM

I purchased a Douglas Furniture recliner from Levitz (now out of business) in 2002. I have had to have several repairs done (cushion & mechanism) all of which I got from Douglas Furniture customer service. Now the frame across the front of the seat just splintered apart. Any suggestions since I can't talk to Douglas Furniture? The chair is supposed to be warrantied from the manufacturer for this for as long as the original owner owns the furniture. Now what do I do?

From Susan Kaveny, 3/31/2010  7:53 AM

Guardsman will do a good job. The serial number is under the footrest on a white paper tag, unless you have removed it. The people who worked for Douglas had no idea that the place was going to close and the stitching that has come loose could have been damaged in any one of a number of ways during shipping.
It only takes one thread to break, at one stitch, for the whole line to come undone over time. Had you caought it when it happened, or when it was small. and just replaced and tied off that one little stitch, there wouldn't be a huge hole. "A stitch in time saves nine."

From hapa07, 3/31/2010  1:33 AM

Hello everyone. I have a Douglas sectional I purchased one moth before the went out. It has been a little over two years and not I have problems with the cushioning and the stitching had failed. There is a huge hole in one of the cushions that is hardly used. I guess everyone working there knew it was about to go under so their quality went in the crapper. Does anyone know where to find the serial number? I purchased a warranty named guardsman but have no idea if they will cover it or even do a good job fixing it. please HELP!

From Sherman, 3/25/2010  3:45 PM

I have a kitchen dinette set made by Douglas Furniture of California, Redondo Beach,CA, which went bankrupt. I am trying to find the metal harware which connects the top of the chair to the base, which allows the chair to swivel and rock. The mechanism is broken and the chair is unstable. The chair model no. is N1915-9550. How do I get a replacement part?

From Susan Kaveny, 3/20/2010  9:47 AM

You can't order them from Douglas, which is gone. The link above, posted by Transam11, will bring up everything you need to either rebuild the chair's swivel mechanisms or replace the casters. For the casters, click on the link for "casters" at the bottom of the page. You will want to measure the shaft, but I think that the double wheel ones will fit. You may have to paint one to match. If you would like to replace the bases, Chromcraft ones will usually bolt straight up and they come in a large variety of finishes, are given a separate SKU from the buckets and are then sold separately. You can usually find ones to compliment your set.

From David Ewer, 3/17/2010  11:12 AM

I have a kitchen set that has chairs on casters. One of the casters is broken and I have been unable to locate a replacement part locally. Is there a place where I can order a set of casters? The chair is similar to the one on the company web site SKU N1697-9797QUK6

Thank you

From bob curran, 3/16/2010  2:47 PM

I have a douglas kitchen chair that has a very bad wobble is there any place to have it repaired or can i buy the pedestal assembly with the wheels etc

From Transam11, 2/26/2010  7:09 PM

Here's the link to the Douglas tilt/swivel chair mechanism:

www.swivel-chair-parts.com/kitchenTilter.html

It's $37 for regular strength and $60 for heavy duty.

From ron, 2/18/2010  8:13 AM

Need 2 small springs for a douglas recliner

From Susan Kaveny, 2/16/2010  5:14 PM

Run ads in the local papers and on Craigslist and offer some small reward for yours back. Matching the pieces with ones that are able to be broken up from the set is a very, very long shot. Keep an eye out for yours to be advertised in the paper and also let the local police konw.   

From Jenna, 2/16/2010  2:04 PM

I bought a 4pc sectional off an individual unfortunately we only made it home with 2 of the 4pcs. Two smaller pcs fell off the trailer and we looked 2 days to try to find them. Is there anywhere I can the 2 smaller pcs. Its a Douglas sectional made in 2001. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

From Susan Kaveny, 1/29/2010  12:37 PM

You should be able to have this done by any good upholstery shop in your area. The original upholstery on your unit was probably done by the manquilladoro (sp.?) in Tiajuana. If there are any of those handles left, they are likely in someone's upholstery shop there. It will probably be easier to just have the shop you choose fabricate something. When choosing a shop, look for one that advertises that they do furniture work. While the sewing is the same for automotive work, there are some differences in the application. If you already have a relationship with an automotive upholstery shop, though, ask them what they think.
Sue

From Mary Eisterhold, 1/28/2010  12:22 PM

I bought a four piece sectional at Roomstore about 6 or 7 years ago. The part for the recliner that has a storage container attack the plastic handle broke. Is there anyway I can get a replacement part? The arms also need restuffed if you can give me a place im Houaton that can fix it I would appreciate it. Thanks

From Susan Kaveny, 1/25/2010  10:43 PM

BTW, I think that the service guys should have refunded at least some of your money, and also, all the addresses that I have for Leggett and Platt are in the earlier postings.

From Susan Kaveny, 1/25/2010  10:40 PM

Yes, Leggett and Platt is the company that made the mechanical unit. The company that guaranteed it for life was Douglas, not Leggett and Platt. Since douglas is done for that guarantee is no good. To replace the mechanism, you will have to buy a new one and what you will get are the sides. The crossbars and the drive bar for the mechanism will come off of the old one, they unbolt, and have to be installed on the new one. The springs will be, too.

This will all wind up costing you a few hundred dollars if you pay someone and buy the mechanism. You can save yourself the majority of that money by doing the job yourself. It's a huge pain in the butt and takes three or four hours to do the first time with a socket set in the living room, which is just to warn you. It's not that hard, it's time consuming and sorta frustrating

Each seat will unbolt from the bottom frame, so you unbolt the seat you're going to work on. It's a good idea to keep it close by the sofa so that the other one can be used as a model and you can see where everything goes and how it re-assembles.   

From Joe, 1/25/2010  6:29 PM

I purchased a Douglas sofa from Levitz in 2005. The sofa has recliners on both ends. Levitz Furniture went out of business a year or so later. Now I understand that Douglas is also out of business. My problem is that the recliner on the right side of my sofa is bent. I contacted a local furniture repair company who came out, charged me $45 to inspect the sofa only to later tell me that he could not get a replacement part. He did state that if I could locate the recliner part it would not cost me anything since the mechanical parts are warranted for life.

I can't afford to keep calling out repair men just to be told they can't get parts for my sofa. In several of these postings I see the company "Leggett and Platt" mentioned. Do they have the recliner mechanisms for Douglas sofa?

From Susan Kaveny, 1/21/2010  4:49 PM

This is what I heard; when Douglas closed their doors it was sudden and sly.

Apparently we had a shipment of furniture due and when it became way late, one of some other factory's reps mentioned that Douglas was under. They were delighted in a way that only a sales rep can be when a competitor dies off, and were in a hurry to spread the news.

My understanding is that Douglas walked away from their Tiajuana upholstery facility owing money to the workers. One day they went to work and the doors were locked. An email to a business group in Tiajuana turned up the reply that after the company locked the doors, the workers finally gave up hope of ever being paid in cash and then went back and took the equipment and fabrics, physically, which settled only part of what they were owed. These are poor, poor people who have probably still not been paid. Plus, a lot of them were not originally from Tiajuana and they were suddenly left high and dry with limited means to get back to their families.

Douglas' bankruptcy filing in federal court in California has definately left out the major group of folks they would owe money to, which is the group of prople who bought their furniture with their warranty, which was then not honored by them. I can tell you with some reasonable sureness that the federal court doesn't care much about the workers in Tiajuana, either.

OK, I ranted enough and hope you were kind enough to read it. Here's the warranty process:
1. The retailer sells some merchandise.
2. The merchandise is found to be defective in some way that is repairable, either by service on the spot or by replacing a damaged/defective part.
3. The customer reports said damage within the warranty period.
4. The store provides service and either orders the parts and repairs the unit later or repairs it on the spot.
5. The retailer then bills the factory for the repairs or takes the money from an established fund set up just for repairs from that vendor (the factory).
6. The factory provides the parts and pays for the repairs, if the defect is in the original factory labor or materials.
If the factory goes out of business after the sale of one of their products, the retailer must then decide if it is worth the goodwill costs to renege on the warranty if they are able to provide service. If the store provides a warranty, they must honor it if they are able. In the case of a split seam, they are able, because it should be an on the spot repair, simply restitching the open area. The only way it wouldn't be is if it involved topstitching that is ravelling and the thread is gone completely. Many service techs don't know how to make that repair.

A very small retailer with a very good delivery crew may not have known for months that Douglas was a goner because they may not have ordered anything or had any shipments due.

Douglas continued taking orders long after they were closed. Their website was open for custom orders for months. Somewhere back in this too-long string is a question from a woman who just HAD to have a piece from them and did we all think it would be OK to go ahead and order it? It was months and months after they had closed and they were apparently going to still take her money. No kidding. Sue

From Lisa Muller, 1/21/2010  11:34 AM

Susan, thank you for your prompt response. I informed the furniture company of the seam failure as early as May, 2009. The furniture store is claiming they had no knowledge of Douglas filing Chapter 11 and sold me a sofa set with an implied and written warranty. I filed a small claims case against the furniture company last year due continued delay and excuses. I am still battling the furniture company in court due to continued delay.

How did your store find out about Douglas closure? Did Douglas offer retailers any reimbursment for warranty issues up to a year after the July 25th filing?

From Susan Kaveny, 1/20/2010  7:34 PM

The store should have known about it quite a while before November. The place where I work found out about it in August. Even if the store had decided to honor the one-year factory warranty, the year would have been up in November of '09 and the damage would have had to have been reported before the year was up. Not happened before the year was up, but reported to the retailer.

Any time furniture is being sold as-is or with a limited warranty or none, there is a responsibility to disclose this to the customer. Most floor sample or discontinued merchandise is sold like this. Usually it will have a limited warranty, either 90 days or 120 days and cover only structural defects and not cosmetic ones.

I hope that the store has a good explanation for not telling you that the manufacturer was bankrupt. If you are just now reporting it to them, there is almost no way they can be forced to cover the restitching of a seam, and it is not worth your time to try to make them, really. Even if you bought it the last day of the month, you are now two months outside of the original warranty. If you asked nicely and they refused, I think it's time to run by the fabric store and get a good spool of meduim weight or heavy upholstery thread, a curved needle, a thimble (not plastic) and sew the seam shut.

From Lisa Muller, 1/20/2010  5:37 PM

How soon after Douglas furniture filed Chapter 11, July 25, 2008 did retailer stores find out? I purchased a sofa set November 11, 2008 with a attached warranty. my sofa set has seam failure and should fall under the year warranty. I am concered that the furniture company failed to disclose that Douglas filed Chapter 11. Is there some responsibility from Douglas to inform retailer stores so they can inform consumers that the furniture is sold "as is" or at a discounted price without the warranty? Consumers be aware and be informed.

From Susan Kaveny, 1/6/2010  2:12 AM

If the plastic handle came off in your hand, of course you have to replace it, but if the plastic plate that holds it to the side of the arm cracked loose around some of the screws, you can fix yours. If there are screw holes left, remove the screws and use those holes to re-insert the screws through, and tighten it back down. Since it's in a hard to get and hard to see area, you could replace the attachment with a strip of metal with two holes, like you find in the hardware store to hold down wires and thin pipes. Take the time to paint it black. Just go right over the top and tighten it really well. No one will ever know.

If you are convinced that you have to replace the part, it is a J40 Parachute pull and the place it came from is:

Leggett & Platt,
Home Office
Post Office Box 757
Number 1 Leggett Road
Carthage, Missouri 64836

If you have more trouble, write back. I'll be happy to explain how to replace the part. It's fairly easy.:)

From Sue, 1/6/2010  12:42 AM

Does ANYONE know where or how I can get the pull handles that came on the recliner couches that were made by Douglas Furniture. They were black plastic, and kind of an oval shape. Both of ours broke and now the sides will not recline. Thank you, Sue

From Susan Kaveny, 12/30/2009  11:42 PM

It may or may not be too late to find one. Start sending out e-mails to the local furniture stores, attn:Sales and see what comes back. Know, though, that right now is their busiest time of year. Getting the extra attention from a sale professional to look something up in the computer might be harder right now.
Usually in late January or early February, the stores start to clean out their one-of-a-kind inventory from the warehouse to make room for the latest stuff. Keep an eye on the fliers for one of these.

From Maria, 12/30/2009  10:54 PM

My son bought a Douglas sectional with chaise that is out of this world for comfort and upkeep. I have the model # and another # from the retailer. Is there any way I can search out a retailer (or wholesale) that has one?

From Susan Kaveny, 12/11/2009  7:12 AM

They all use the same cable. Read the earlier posts to find Leggett and Platt. It would be a good idea to order an extra at the same time.

From Greg Toy, 12/10/2009  9:29 PM

I have a sectional couch with (2) reliners. I am looking for the cable for the recliner in the middle of the sectional, the one without arms. Please advise

From Susan Kaveny, 12/8/2009  3:56 PM

Please read the earlier posts about how to get a mechanism and if you have any questions about how to replace it, write back. Douglas is completely out of business. You will need to order any cross pieces when you order the mechanism if any are bent and should also order a release cable as these are sold separately. When you get a mechanism, all you get are the parts on the sides that extend the forks. The rest is all separate and you have to build it from these parts and the parts from the old one and then install it in the chair.
You will almost never be able to remove the cable from the old mechanism in one piece, so assume that it will need to be replaced as part of the job.
This is a three hour job, or more. For the future, what crushes these is when you don't put the chair in a completely upright position before kicking in the footrest. sorry for the bad noews, but at least it's repairable.
Sue

From Nancy Youtzy, 12/8/2009  2:11 PM

Need replacement mechanism for a Douglas recliner. Are they still in business?

From Barb, 11/29/2009  3:46 PM

Looking,also, for casters for a dineete table chair. Ivory colored,short,fat cylinder! Who can help?

From Susan Kaveny, 11/14/2009  10:05 PM

What do they look like? I have a couple and I think they're interchangeable with some Chromcraft. Most, or many service techs who have been doing this for a while prob'ly have at least a couple of them around somewhere. The thing is, there are several different ones, particularly in that time period, and some different colors.

From Greg, 11/14/2009  8:21 PM

Looking for replacement casters for dinette chairs which were manufactured in 1998.

From Susan Kaveny, 11/13/2009  12:35 AM

Your chances of finding it are incredibly slim at this point. You should contact the local stores that have the largest inventory and try to find out if one has one stashed in the warehouse somewhere. There's just about no where where you will find one in common stock this long after the company tanked. Good luck, Sue

From cy johnson, 11/12/2009  4:06 PM

looking for a part for a swivel chair. The cylinder

From Susan Kaveny, 11/3/2009  2:30 AM

HUH?

From MAX V R, 11/3/2009  12:21 AM

KITCHEN CHAIR PARTS

From Guest, 10/20/2009  11:28 PM

Only I can post the word scum. We have had problems on occasion with people posting "bad" words to the message boards. Since I sometimes am able to check them twice a day, our solution is to activate a "bad word" filter on the site. Unfortunately it can't differentiate between real bad words and good words that have the exact same letter combinations within them. Sorry for the inconvenience.

-Russell

From Susan Kaveny, 10/20/2009  10:08 PM

The other issue I guess I didn't get on the original post is that sometimes, and it's rare, the stain resistant spray itself would react with either the fabric or the person who uses the furniture's body chemistry. The spray plasticizes the fabric slightly. This is a huge waste on microfiber because polyester is already plastic. It was worse than useless on silk.

The s(deleted) thing is something this forum does automatically. It deleted a furniture parts company, and I'm spacing this wrong and adding a period, named VanD. ykes Restorers. Rhymes with Yikes.

Sorry about the abuse comments. I actually see a lot of it. I was guessingm and didn't get it that it was spontaneous spotting. That's what the insurance companies do too, and since it's in their favor to do it, that's the answer they come up with, with an all over problem of any kind.

Good luck with the new set,
Sue

From Sandy, 10/20/2009  9:34 PM

It is merely another form of the word spillage. Strange that it was deleted. I just didn't want you to think I was swearing.

From Sandy, 10/20/2009  9:22 PM

S(deleted) is apparently a bad word? Why won't it post? I'll try one more time

From Sandy, 10/20/2009  9:20 PM

that deleted word said "s(deleted)" Not sure why it got deleted

From Sandy Ireland, 10/20/2009  9:18 PM

Susan-
Thank you for your prompt reply and I appreciate your input on the pressed microfiber fabric that is most likely on the Berkline.
I just wanted to clarify that we do not abuse this sectional at all. In fact, noone is allowed to eat or drink on it and none of these stains are caused by any "s(deleted)" that we can actually put our finger on. That is what has made it so baffling and frustrating for us. In fact, we have another set of furniture that is in our living room that is almost 13 years old, a much lighter color, and has no stains at all! Our old family room set is in the basement, is over 11 years old and takes a great deal more "abuse" and still does not have visible stains like this sectional.
That is why I had the question about the microfiber on the new Berkline set, because if this is an issue that tends to be common with microfiber materials, then we were going to steer away from it. From what you're telling me, it sounds like it should be just the opposite, and easier to clean when stains happen. Believe me, when I found out the stain guard warranty wouldn't help, I tried all sorts of things to clean it-most of them made it look worse, leaving a visible ring afterward like you mentioned.
We are just to the point that we aren't comfortable in our own family so we have decided to replace it. I really appreciate your input. We like the look of the brown pressed microfiber-stylish yet comfortable. I hope this will be the winner for us.
Thanks again for your help!!

From Susan Kaveny, 10/20/2009  5:42 PM

OK, I guess the first issue is the staining. Any sofa that keeps getting things spilled on it will pick up stains. Period. The stain guard company you used has a typical gaurantee and a typical time to report stains. It was an insurance policy more than anything else. Had you reported individual stains within the prescribed time frame, they would have replaced the fabric or at least cleaned it for you. Almost all of them consider an all-over pattern of staining to be abuse of the product. This then voids their warranty.

None of the stain guard products is a magic carpet that keeps stains from forming, they just make the fabric easier to clean, if you do it immediately. If you come back later, and the spill has dried, it will have adhered to itself within the weave of the fabric and will be more difficult to remove.

I have some favorite cleaners that are often successful at getting even vintage stains out of fabric like that. Almost every fabric Douglas used was 100% polyester, which is the easiest fabric made to clean.

Most furniture stains are organic. This is like, milk, food, dog spit. If the stain is organic, try "Oxy", which comes pre-mixed in a blue plastic bottle and is sold in Dollar stores and I think Walmart and some hardware stores. It's usually found in the laundry section. I'm not talking about the powder you mix yourself. Saturate the area, mop it back off. If it leaves a ring, you either have to blend it out with more of the cleaner and water or just more of the cleaner. This indicates that there is all-over dirt, though.

If the stain is grease or ink, use spot shot, which is available at most stores that carry carpet cleaners and is in that section. It's in a blue aerosol can and has an orange dot on the logo. It smells kinda like gasoline, though.

These products work and work better than most of the commercial cleaners out there, although any stains that are two years old may take some effort. They work on carpet, too.

I am assuming that you're talking about buying Berkline's brown pressed microfiber that looks like suede. Again, any fabric that gets subjected to repeated spillage will eventually pick up stains. If most of the stains are dark colored, though, this stuff won't show them as much. Most of them will be invisible.

The little old lady cure I've seen, which works, is to go buy a set of cheap towels that match the furniture and put them over the messy person (kid's) seat. You can wash them in the machine and throw them in the laundry or under the sofa when guests arrive. Look under it once in a while, though, because kid stains go through the terrycloth and into the seat. This just catches the main parts and helps. It is also handy to mop up the stain with when it happens.

For the sliding issue, look for a piece with metal brackets. That said, if you're hitting the furniture with enough velocity to slide it when it's on rubbery grippers, you're likely to have an issue with the entire sectional sliding at one time. You may wind up buying a strip of carpet with a rubber backing to go under the whole piece or using an area rug.

I'm sorry for you that you hate your furniture. I wish my 20 year old flexsteel sofa would just finally die. I loved it when it was new, but now it's in perfect shape and is laughably out of style, with it's skirt and outdated other features.

I'm sure that the salesperson at American thought that you would be happy with it when they sold you the Douglas set. I hope for you that you are happy with the Berkline. A lot of companies are using that brown pressed microfiber right now, and that's a sign that it's not especially problematic, because if it was it would have disappeared with a quickness right after it came on the market two years ago. Make sure that you bring up the issues that you are having with the set you have and that will help a knowledgeable salesperson stand some sort of a chance of steering you towards a set that you will like for a long time.

From Sandy Ireland, 10/20/2009  3:21 PM

I just came across this page doing a search on Douglas furniture, because I just found out they went out of business last year. We bought a sectional from American Furniture and appliance in Nov 0f 2007. It is the worst piece of furniture I've ever seen ,let alone owned. It is a sectional with a chase on one side and a recliner on the other. We noticed problems right away with staining, even though it had been treated with stain guard. We were told there was nothing we could do because warranty would cover only accidental stains and you would have to report them within 5 days of occurance. I'm telling you, I've never seen anything like this in my life-I think the thing attracts stains. We don't eat or drink on it at all, and it is just covered with stains and marks. It is a microfiber that resembles suede, cocoa color.

The other problem with the sofa is that the sections do not meet. It is actually quite ridiculous the way it is constructed, with strips of Velcro that are supposed to meet and stick together. But the couch is overstuffed and cushions project out over the seat, so it is physically impossible to ge the velcro to touch-there's at least 2 or three inches in there. Now this didn't become a huge problem until about a year ago when we got our floors redone. We had carpet which sort of helped keep them from sliding (wasn't great, but somewhat stayed in place). Now we have laminate and the slipping is terrible. We've tried every gripper imaginable-the kind you use in cupboards like you mentioned in another post-nothing helps. WE HATE THIS COUCH!!!
Sorry, just needed to vent. I can see why Douglas went out of business with this sort of craftmanship. One should not have to replace furniture every two years, but it seems we have no choice. My question to you is about the fabric. We're looking at a reclining sofa/love seat set by Berkline and the fabric I like is a soft microfiber that resembles leather-chocolate brown. How common is the stain problem as far as you know? I don't want to go through this again.
Your input is appreciated, you sound knowledable.
Thanks,
Sandy Ireland

From Susan Kaveny, 10/10/2009  7:13 PM

No. sorry. Those bushings are not replaceable.

From Terry Fornash, 10/10/2009  1:58 PM

Hi! I also am in need of the plastic bushing that the top of the swivel chairs slide into for our Douglas 5-piece kitchen dinette set that we bought at Value City in Covington, KY on 12/28/2000. Stock number is 599433-914 Oaktilt-G. This bushing is in the base of the swivel chair leg section. We need 4 of them.

Can you help?

Thanks!

Terry Fornash

From Susan Kaveny, 10/8/2009  11:42 PM

You're prob'ly going to be out of luck at this point finding replacement Douglas bases. The part you describe (That plastic bushing?)is not a replaceable part in any case and the chairs would have been out of the warranty coverage period by now. Chromcraft bases usually fit Douglas chair buckets, and they have a lot of styles that are good matches for vintage Douglas sets, as well as the newer ones. Their bases have a separate SKU from the buckets, so can be ordered and purchased separately from the buckets to replace what you have.
That said, be prepared that if you special order a product, and it has a problem, it may be hard to get the store to replace it. Custom orders are not special quality, they are just different from regular stock. Parts for Chromcraft are available from the factory, though. Douglas is done. I'm just saying this so you know to give special consederation to what a store has in stock, rather than ordering if there is something there that will do. Good luck, Sue

From Jim, 10/8/2009  10:47 PM

Hi, I have set of 4 douglas leather swivel caster chairs. They are like new however 2 of them have the swivel mounted to the bottom of the chair rounded out. Can anyone tell me if this part is made still? It is connected to the bottom of the chair and then to the riser post coming up from the casters. It is screwed on to the bottom of the chair with 4 phillips head screws.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Jim

From Susan Kaveny, 10/1/2009  8:17 AM

You have three choices. One is to find a better welder. Two is to call all the furniture stores in your area and ask them to check for this base in their inventory. It may be that a larger furniture store would have an extra one, still. Three is to try to match it from the chromecraft line.

From Ed Duncan, 9/30/2009  3:33 PM

i need the bottom of a sierra base arm chair part sku 612216019 I need the bottom that rolls on the floor and the chair sits on the ony I have is broken and cant be welded please advise thanks

From Susan Kaveny, 9/24/2009  10:58 PM

A queen mattress for a sectional unit is a generic part. Pretty much any one should fit as long as it is the proper thickness, that is to say, thin. You can order a mattress for any sleeper and it should fit. Go to the furniture store and measure, just to be safe, though, before you order it.
"Fabric issues" is such an amazingly vague description of whatever the problem may be that I am afraid I can't help you there without a much more detailed description.

From Tina, 9/24/2009  6:07 PM

I need a replacment mattress for sectional fullsize.
also have so fabric issues

From tina, 9/24/2009  6:06 PM

need replacemet mattress for sectional fullsize and some fabric issues.
please help
thanks

From Susan Kaveny, 9/20/2009  6:24 PM

That's a tough one. It kinda depends on what the fabric is. Some of the fabric that is out there was out of production before douglas shut down, but they had some of it for repairs. If that's the case, you're out of luck. If it's vinyl, you might have more luck by either going to the fabric store and trying to match it or going to the furniture store closest to you that does custom orders and see what they have. I wish I could be more help on this, but that sounds like a final deal for the chairs if they are unrepairable.
If it's just a matter of rips, you could take the seat off and go to the local drycleaner who does fabric restoration or reweaving and see if they could help it enough to make it invisible. Leather and vinyl can be repaired. Google "Leather Restoration".

From darrell moore, 9/20/2009  4:59 PM

Is there away to match the fabric that the kitchen chairs are made of. And or get the whole bottom cusion for the chairs.

From Susan Kaveny, 8/18/2009  10:42 PM

Hi. I know that this is a very long thread, but the cables are available from Leggett and Platt, who's addresses and all are in the thread on a couple of earlier posts. It's called a J40 cable. Installation instructions are in here, too. If you have trouble understanding them, write back. Changing a cable is easy for anyone handy, and they're available, so don't be too disappointed.
Sorry for not writing it all over, but it's been a kinda long day. If you have other problems with it write back, Sue

From sheryl mayfield, 8/18/2009  9:34 PM

we have a douglas sectional 2 yrs old only very dissapointd the cable that recline my husbands side has broken we need to know how to get another

From Susan Kaveny, 8/14/2009  6:24 PM

See back what I posted to "Heather". You need stove bolts, quarter/twenty bolts. You have to leave the head sticking out enough to meet up with the slot in the other piece. These are easy to replace, which is good because people take them off to move them so they don't tear up whatever is in the truck with them and then they get lost. Let me know how this works out.

From jennifer, 8/14/2009  2:28 PM

You are correct. One side has a slot and the adjoining side has a screw-in looking hole. do you know what kind of bolts to use? thanks for your prompt response. i appreciate it :)

From Susan Kaveny, 8/14/2009  2:09 PM

Some of the pieces were made only to be used as sectional pieces and some were made to be convertible from individual pieces to sectionals.
If yours was one of the sectional only pieces, then there should be a piece on the side that looks like a plate with a slot in it. If there is, there should be a hole on the adjoining piece that one would screw a bolt into, and the head of that bolt would slide into the slot on the other piece and tie the two parts together.
If your floors are slippery and the sections slide, and they were never made to be joined at the factory, the best bet is to use caster cups under the feet and rubbery shelf liner from the discount store that is cut to fit the bottoms of these. This is the stuff that comes in rolls for a buck a roll. You have to cut it up, but it's great for keeping stuff from sliding around.
You could also buy some cheapo clamps from the local discount tool store or big box and use them to hook the pieces together from one base to the other, but then you will likely have an issue with the whole unit sliding at once.

From jennifer, 8/14/2009  12:47 PM

I bought a 4 piece sectional sofa with the corner wedge and recliner on both ends. Since purchase, I have put hardwood floors in and now need the parts to connect the four pieces to keep them together. Would these be the stovebolts that were mentioned in a previous post? Any help would be great :) Thanks so much

From Susan Kaveny, 8/10/2009  8:44 PM

To Donieta;
Look on Craigslist in the nearest large city to your home. If you're going to buy something with no warranty, you might as well buy gently used merchandise and get the huge discount. A scan of Craigslist in St. Louis brought up a huge number of very nice swivel dinette chairs ranging in price from about $25 to $100. The lower price was the going rate. Look very day and use a few different search phrases, like "swivel chairs" or "dinette" and you will likely come up with something.
If you're adamant about buying new furniture, look in the bargain centers of the local stores or in the closeout places. As I mentioned earlier, Chromcraft makes pieces that match nicely.
Burgundy is generally a couple of years out of style, but it's still out there because it's such a nice rich color to decorate with. Happy hunting, sue

From Susan Kaveny, 8/10/2009  8:17 PM

To Frederick:
If you could even get those bushings out, they're bad. They were pressed in. They were really not replaceable when Douglas was still in business. Your best bet in my opinion is to try to buy some Chromcraft bases that match your set and just replace them.

If you are determined to replace these, though, there is a poster much earlier in this thread who had offered to see if her company could make a different part or had it and either try her or contact Chromcraft and see if their bases use that part and they would send you one. Either one is not likely, but COULD happen.

Whenever Douglas was still in business, they would occasionally send someone this part. Once it was replaced, it usually failed again rather quickly. it's very difficult to re-install perfectly and anything short of perfection is failure, in this case.

From Donnieta Beekman, 8/10/2009  6:27 PM

We are looking for 4 Douglas swivel chairs in burgundy fabric. Can anybody help us with any info ??

From Frederick, 8/10/2009  4:48 PM

Requirement: Trying to purchase three polyethylene swivel inserts for Bar Stools manufactured by Douglas Furniture. The polyethylene swivel inserts are tubular in shape with an outer diameter of two inches to connect to the 24" base, and an inner diameter of one inch to connect to seat. The swivel height is four inches.

From Heather, 8/9/2009  12:15 PM

I will try that. Thank you so much. i will let you know if it works. Thanks again

From Susan Kaveny, 8/9/2009  12:11 PM

The pins you lost can easily be replaced with stovebolts, if they're the one's I'm thinking of. If the kid at the hardware sotre doesn't know what you're talking about, tell him or her "Quarter inch bolts with 20 threads to the inch" or "Quarter/20s" Then just screw them in.

From Heather, 8/9/2009  11:43 AM

We purchased a sectional from levitz before they went out of business. When we moved we lost the medal pins that hold it together. How can i get replacements now.

From Susan Kaveny, 7/30/2009  4:08 PM

Could you do a better job of describing "coming apart"?
Douglas was already out of business and had been for 3-4 months when you purchased your group. Some warranties are for as little as 30 days, so it being less than a year old doesn't mean anything unless the store offered to gaurantee it for you for a year or more, themselves.
If it's out of warranty, and it sounds like it would be to me, look at what coming apart means. If it's a loose seam, restitch it. If it's an unglued joint, reglue it. If it's a loose screw, tighten or replace it.

From daisy brown, 7/30/2009  11:16 AM

i puchased a dinnette set back in november 2008 and the chairs are comeing apart and need some parts for my chairs i took it back to the store they told me they could not get any parts for my chairs so i decided to seach the wed and find you all can you please help me my dinnette set is not a year old
                               daisy brown 773-622-9613
                                     

From Susan Kaveny, 7/26/2009  7:38 PM

Leggett and Platt, OWNS super sagless, I think and if it were me hunting parts, I would try them first. Unless the power cords involve an unidentifiable transformer, and they probably do, maybe you could get a good kid at the electronics parts store, ie. Radio Shack, to fix you up with something that would work.

From Rhauny, 7/26/2009  11:34 AM

I bought a sectional made by sagless which has heat massage in them but we did not get the power cords to make them work, where can i purchase these.. desperately seeking help

From Sue, 7/10/2009  7:14 AM

Those sets are chromcraft, not Douglas. They're really, really close, though, aren't they? Chromcraft has a website, too.

From sandy, 7/9/2009  8:15 PM

I have found a website that will sell the tilt and swivel for dinette chairs and it is available for Douglas furniture. The website is www.alfadinettes.com.
You can buy a whole new base or just the parts.

From Susan Kaveny, 7/7/2009  6:18 PM

Do the love seat cushions lift off? If they do, adding padding or replacing it is easy. Unzip the cushions and put new ones in.
If they don't it's still not difficult, but is time consuming and a big job. If you think that love seat is a pain in the butt with the old seat cores, try changing them.
Once you have measured and bought the seat cores, and I mean the bottom ones, here's how to change them, though:
1. Remove the backs of the seat sections.
2. Turn the piece upside down.
3. Remove the feet and any other bolts that hold the bottom rails on to the seat sections. Put them in a cup or a jar.
4. Remove the machine threaded bolts that hold the arm frame to the seat by way of the mechanism, so you can get into that area. If the arm doesn't come loose with these loosened, there is a regular screw hidden up in the front. If there is, and there only is sometimes, remove it too.
5. Remove the staples that hold the seat fabric to the seat frame.
6. Lift off the seat, fabric, cores and all.
7. remove and replace the seat cores.
8. Reassemble the whole unit opposite of the way you took it apart.


A quicker alternative is to rearrange the furniture and use the sofa more.
Replacing two cores takes an experienced technician several hours, and we know every shortcut that works.
You can also get some extra oomph from adding a few thick layers of foam rubber sheeting between the springs and the bottom of the seat cushion.

I know this isn't what you wanted to read, but I wanted you to know what the deal is if you take the whole thing to an upholstery shop and get sticker shock from the price you get quoted. It's because the big job is the disassembly and it takes many times longer to replace the seat cores than it did to install them and the upholstery over them originally at the factory.

From Tina, 7/7/2009  1:29 PM

Looking for help - I purchased a crescent-shaped 6 piece sectional and ottoman from Room Source before they went out of business (Manufactured by Douglas). Needless to say, any warranty I may have is now useless. The sofa has to end recliners, two arm rest/storage wedges and a love seat in the middle. The love seat cushioning is completely deflated and it hurts to sit there. Any ideas on how I can get the cushioning fixed?

From Susan Kaveny, 7/4/2009  1:43 PM

You have a few options:
1. Find a store that still has some new old stock douglas bases and hope that they will sell you the base only. Do this by phone or e-mail, because they won't have the base on display. It'll be shoved in the back of the warehouse. It isn't likely that you'l find a matching one, but it could happen.
2. Assess the one you have and try to repair it or have it done. The only non-repairable problem on them is if the bushing, the black plastic piece in the top of the base in between that and the stem for the top plate, is bad. Metal can be welded, wood can be filled and finishes can be repaired.
3. Try to find a real close match in Chromecraft's lineup.
4. Replace all the bases with Chromecraft, or all of the chairs. Donate the used ones to charity, or sell them.

From bette coughlin, 7/3/2009  2:44 PM

I have 4 casual dining room chairs with wheels and a swivil base. The last replacement base I bought was from Douglas Furniture. Where can I buy a replacement base?
Thank you,
Bette

From Susan Kaveny, 7/2/2009  5:12 PM

Ok, the warranty you purchased would be a stainsafe, global or similar warranty that is for accidents that damage the fabric. The warranty that covered factory defects, like that run of badly designed parachute pulls that Douglas used for a while, would have been through the factory that made the furniture.

Since the Douglas Company bit the dirt at the very beginning of the recession, there is no warranty. That said, it doesn't mean that the furniture is worthless or unrepairable. It isn't. Not all retailers are willing to mess with out of warranty work, but yours is, just for a price.

American TV will order the parachute pulls for you for about $20 each, plus a shipping fee, then for another fee, send the service technician to your house to install it. If it were mine, I would order at least an extra cable and get the service person to show me how to install it. It's pretty easy. That way if another one breaks, you're set.

BTW, I'm assuming here that the handle is pulled completely off the wire, and at some point you were left holding a little circle of plastic. If that's not the case, it's just that the cable is detached from the sofa or chair arm, look down in there and you will see part of it still hanging on to two little screws in a awkward spot on the arm frame. Take those two screws out and put the thing back on through different holes in the attachment pad and save yourself the money. You'll see what I mean when you look at it.
Similarly, if there is just no tension on the cable, it's intact but it is unhooked, dump the whole piece of furniture upside down and you will see how it is attached on one side, and just copy that to attach the side that came unhooked. Watch your fingers. You'll have to flip the footrest out by hand with the piece upside down to do this. This is also a fairly easy do-it-yourself thing, though.

From trish, 7/2/2009  2:56 PM

I bought some furniture form America TV in June of 2007, a sofa and over sized chair....both recliners.

the chair recliner cord broke recently and now the couch cord is brocken. The warrenty i purchased does not cover that and now i find out the Douglas is closed

From Dean, 6/15/2009  10:19 PM

I have 4 swivel arm chairs that has 4 black caster wheels that someone gave me that i would like to find 4-6 more. It has a tag on the bottom on the chair that said - ou r15/Rustic Oak    ou r1515/9550/top6/top t 6505-0061   Chair base Rustic Oak Chair Top Bar 33    if anyone knows where i can find 4-6 more chairs like i have if they are still available

From Susan Kaveny, 6/13/2009  10:26 PM

Read the post prior to yours. That plastic bushing is what I was talking about when I said that the swivel assembly was pressed in at the factory. Even if you can get the old one out, which is a bad sign for sure, you would be hard pressed to get the new one in (couldn't resist) and get it in straight. The bushing being pressed in ever so slightly crooked is the reason that the original one failed. The is a very slight chance that the place you bought the set may have an odd one is stock in the back of the warehouse, still, but it isn't likely.

From Barb, 6/13/2009  12:25 PM

We purchased bar stool #716 43815-3 Peggy 30" - and need to replace the plastic mechanism inside that swivels the stool. Does anyone know how to get these or what company can provide these parts?

From Glenn, 6/7/2009  9:24 PM

Thanks for your response and help. The search is on.

Glenn

From Susan Kaveny, 6/5/2009  4:33 PM

By the swivel assembly, I am guessing that you mean the bushing at the top of the pedestal stem. The bad news is that this is machine-pressed in there and without the specialty setup that the factory was using, it just isn't able to be replaced. The only good news is that Chromecraft makes bases that are pretty much interchangeable and makes a variety of them. You won't exactly match your Douglas set, but should be able to find something complimentary. The factory sells the bases separately from the buckets and most of the stores who sell chromecraft can order the bases for you.

From Glenn, 6/5/2009  2:06 PM

Thank you Susan. Now if i could find out how to tighten or replace the swive assy. everything would be fine. Any ideas?
   Thank you,
   Glenn   cityman4@aol.com

From Susan Kaveny, 6/5/2009  6:53 AM

There's only one Douglas furniture company. They made kitchen furniture, mostly laminate top tables and swivel caster chairs and they made reclining living room groups.

From Glenn, 6/4/2009  8:27 PM

HELP ! Not sure if this is the right place to be. We have a Douglas kitchen set with swivel chairs that need repair. But do I know if this is the right Douglas Furniture Co?.

       Thanks for any help I can get--Glenn   If there is a reply,E-mail would be be best. Thank you very much.

From Susan Kaveny, 6/2/2009  8:06 PM

Yeah, unfortunately for you, the store never was the responsible party. It's like this; If the store goes under, the warranty on a piece of furniture is still good because it's through the manufacturer. If the manufacturer goes under, no such luck. They were the provider of the warranty. Electronics and appliances are like that, too. For some reason, a lot of people think like you did that it's the store's responsibility if it's furniture.

When you buy a new thing, there is always a time period to return it or have it serviced and 3 days is just about unbelievably short. I worked for a store before that sold almost exclusively Asian, mostly Chinese, furniture and they were like that.

That doesn't mean that you're out of luck , though. The clunking sound you describe is probably from a loose bolt somewhere. You just have to find and tighten it. You'll need a 1/2" wrench, and to go over all the bolts, especially the ones that hold the springs in place, and tighten anything that will turn until it won't, anymore. Then tighten it some more.

With the chair upside down, try moving the rocker base with your hands. About 1/3 of the time, that will find the squeak. If it does, grease it and that should fix it. If not, spray an area at a time with WD40 in short bursts until it fixes it.

On some leather chairs and sofas, the leather itself is the culprit. That's kinda the nature of the beast. Some squeaks I've looked for have come out to be the floor, which didn't squeak when the customer was walking on it, but with the added weight of the chair or sofa, did. Fixing the chair itself is a whole lot cheaper and more efficient than going through everything you have. Anyone who can sew can reattach a button. and if you can't, most women over 50 can.

From melb, 6/2/2009  5:18 PM

Dear Susan, I just came across this website and I am hoping that you can be of some assistance. In January 2008 I purchased a Douglas Furniture rocking recliner from a local furniture store. I made the purchase for my daughter's nursery. We didn't use the rocker until one month later when my daughter was born. We instantly had problems with the rocker. The buttons were loose and fell off within one week of use. But even more importantly, it squeaked and made a loud clunking sound. Long story stort, I have tried to contact the store through phone, email, certified mail, the BBB, and the WA State Attorney General's office. No response. It has now moved on to small claims court and this morning, after 14 months of trying to get this issue resolved, a representative from the furniture store came to the court hearing and basically said that because Douglas has filed for bankruptcy that there is nothing he can do for me and the only thing he can offer is an employee's discount on a future purchase. That's right, he wants me to spend another $250 with his store. I spent over $500 on the defective chair I already purchased and I've been trying to get the store's help for over 14 months now. I did not accept the offer. Is it true that the store has no responsibility here? They said that because I didn't contact them with 3 days of purchase, they have no responsibility. What happened to doing what's right? Is there anything I can do? Is it true that Douglas is still accepting warranty claims until July 2009? Thank you so much for your help!!

From Susan Elizabeth Kaveny, 5/19/2009  7:21 AM

Don't do it. The springs haven't lost their tension because if they had they'd be bowed down, not up. If the seating is not as firm as you'd like or as firm as it was when you got it, the problem is the seat cores, not the springs.

You're talking about adding more spring pressure to an already stressed plywood frame that has hundreds of pounds of pull on it from the existing springs and if you add one in, the likelihood that it will break from it goes way up.

If that seat frame breaks at the corners, you are going to have a real serious problem on your hands because when they break, they break so that the corner splinters and shreds and there's nothing to rebuild it with. Sometimes an existing one can be rebuilt, but the solution often has to be to remove all the upholstery, the mechanism, the springs, and the back and make a new one and replace all that. You'd be cussing yourself if you did that, especially when you had to R&R those "weak" springs.

To replace the foam cores, you will have to remove the upholstery and replace the old ones with new ones and replace the upholstery. The new ones will look surprisingly large compared to the old ones.

My guess, though, is that you'll read this and walk away convinced, still, that it is a problem with the springs. If you want to beef up the spring area, you don't do it by adding in springs. You add in Jute webbing that is four or more inches across. You want the really heavy duty kind. Run it over the frame and triple fold it and screw it down underneath. Pull it very tight, as it will stretch as it gets used. This will allow the springs to flex just a little and then stop the bow in them from going the other way. Go from side to side and weave it through the springs.

All this will do is make you realize that the seat cores are the trouble.

From jim m, 5/18/2009  5:35 PM

Dear Susan:
I have a Douglas 3 seat sofa 4 years ago with recliner at each end. I have the SKU # and other numbers
The serpantine springs in the seat and back have lost their tension. The ones in the seat run front <> back. I bought a 9 guage coil from WSUSOL but I can see the springs in my sofa are heavier guage. Probably 8 guage. I can also see the springs in the sofa are hardoned in an arc to push up on the seat cushion. Well they have lost most of their tnesion to do that. Do you know of another manufacurer that uses a serpantine springs that are arched to push up of and of heavier guage?

From Lawrence, 5/10/2009  9:42 PM

need the 2" plastic bushing for three bar stool

From David, 4/26/2009  11:56 AM

Did anyone ever come across a source for Douglass "19PED" pedestal chair bases? We just need one. Any help is appreicated. Thanks!

From Susan Kaveny, 4/19/2009  5:11 AM

If it's black, no problem. You can do it yourself easily enough with one of the leather repair kits found online. If it's one of those odd light brown or beige group colors that Douglas made, you should try to find a professional in your area. Leather repair may be done by a professional for automotive upholstery, shoe repair, or furniture upholstery.

From djames, 4/18/2009  9:48 PM

I purchased a leather sectional sofa 9 years ago. the leather is wearing on two of the pieces and I would like to replace them or get it fix. What should i do? This is a Douglas sectional.

From Susan Kaveny, 4/9/2009  11:00 PM

For the fabric, a good cleaning is usually the answer. Microfiber absorbs dust and other things and it goes down into the fabric and doesn't show. Usually the first time you notice it is when yo attempt to clean a spot with water and it leaves a ring. After you clean it, when it's almost dry. rub dryer a sheet on it to bring back the texture. It originally had some fabric softner in it, but it goes away with time.
For the loose recliner, make sure that the back is attached all the way, as it is removeable and has just two big clips holding it on. Most reclining pieces are made that way now so that they're easily moved and will go through doors and down stairs.
If that fixes it, great, but if it doesn't, turn the piece over so that the bottom is showing and very carefully recline the mechanism with the piece upside down and tighten every bolt and nut. Keep your fingers and everything else away from the recliner mechanism as you flip it open with the release on the side of it. When you're done, push the footrest back in and close it and stand it upright. Then, relaease the mechanism and close it again with the recliner in an upright position.
If the "looseness" remains, then there is not a problem, other than normal wear and tear.
What wears the mechanisms out real quick is if you use the ottoman part to straighten the seat back up when you get out of the chair. You have to sit up straight and put the back of the piece straight and then close the footrest, in that order.

From Stephanie, 4/9/2009  6:55 PM

I Bought a douglas sectional about 7 months ago. the recliner side is wobbly and was wondering what i can do about it? also the suede/micro fiber fabic is losing texture. it is not soft and smooth anymore, but kinda rough to the touch what can i do about that? i would use the warranty but they went out of business so it does me no good.

From Susan Kaveny, 3/29/2009  1:21 AM

Assuming here, but is it the sides of the seat that are cracking? That's the common issue, anyway. Take a piece of vinyl or leather that is in an unobtrusive spot and is a big enough size and stitch it into the cracked area, either covering it or replacing it. This takes some sewing skill.You have to flip up the back cover base and it will reveal a pull strip for the seat case that is made of matching vinyl, but doesn't show. You have to remove that and replace it with something that will take the stress, a fairly durable fabric. Cut the pull strip piece to fit the area. You may have to piece it, but what the heck? It's on the side. the seam won't show and if someone notices it and says so, don't invite 'em back. Now stitch it into place.
The other option is to go to a large fabric store and try to match the piece and do the same thing. The last two options are to ignore it or to pay someone else to do it.

From John Bell, 3/28/2009  11:32 PM

We own a Douglas Sectional set.. Left Recliner, Right recliner with seat section, and 90 degree corner seat section to make an L shaped unit.

We had this made for us in Beige Leather which a was to cover all front and arms with the back and side in matching vinyl.

The top seat pad however has a wedge section on the front which in turn is attached to the seat base.. sort of like this where the < is stitched the other lines...

-----------
           <
           |
__________|

Problem is that we now find the wedge section < is vinyl not leather and it has cracked from constant flexing and needs to be replaced.

The seat on the recliner can be removed however the corner is one huge unit and not easily moved.

I would appreciate your advice as to the practicality of removing the recliner seat and having an upholsterer remove the cracked vinyl wedge and sewing in a matching leather wedge. Also you thoughts on fixing the corner unit where the wedge is only about 14" long.

Thank you.

From Susan Kaveny, 3/27/2009  9:36 PM

Look, that's kinda the issue here. Since Douglas is out of business, the affiliations that they once had are gone. I hope you didn't pay for them yet. Not only is Douglas out of business, but no hungry attorney has ever filed a class action lawsuit to try to make them honor their agreements with customers regarding their warranties.
That said, I think but am not sure that chromecraft bases fit douglas sets. I do know that chromecraft sells their swivel bases separately. It would be worth going to anyplace that sells chromecraft sets to see if they can hook you up with another set of bases or if, for a price, they can order a matching caster for you. Go ask the person in the service department. Most of them are happy to be helpful to anyone who appreciates it.

From Edward Sedory, 3/27/2009  7:32 PM

MY LAST NOTICE DIDNT SEEM TO GO THRU. I MENTIONED I HAVE BROKEN CASTERS ON MY DOUGLAS DINNET CHAIRS AND PREVIOUSLY ORDERED SOME FROM KATZ-AFFLILIAE OF DOUGLAS FURNITURE CO. AND THEY DO NOT RESPOND. CAN I EITHER SEND THE BROKEN CASTER AS A SAMPLE OR MAIL IN PHOTOS OF IT WITH DEMENSIONS? IF SO, WHERE WOULD I SENT THE INFORMATION TO=ADDRESS,ETC. PLEASE REPLY THANKS

From Edward Sedory, 3/27/2009  7:29 PM

I have a Douglas Furniture kitchen table and chairs set and ordered replaceable chair casters that broke. i bought them from KATZ that was affiliated with Douglas Furniture and tried to contact them to no avail. Wondering if I might order 4 repolaceable casters and I could send the broken one or take photos of it and sent that in If I had the address for replaceable casters. PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS

From Gerry Edie, 3/24/2009  8:50 PM

I have a Douglas Furniture sofa that I bought from The Room Source that has gone out of business. Three out of four of my release cables have broke on the recliners. I have been reading everyone's posts and have found out Douglas is out of business as well. I tried to go to the Leggett web site and see if I could order the cables but there is no where I can see where I can actually order the part. Can anyone help me out in finding these cables. My husband has no problem installing them, but I can't find them.

From Susan Kaveny, 3/22/2009  6:50 PM

There never was any warranty when the furniture was sold and your mom's company knew it. If they presented the furniture as having any kind of warranty, then so sad, too bad, give that lady her money back. If she never asked and they never offered, then that might be another story, but it's still kinda deceitful.
Every furniture store has this type of issue come up and for some of us, it's a year later. It comes up a lot on custom ordered merchandise. The customer has a problem and wants to return it, and it's just not going to happen.
Most businesses have a printed sheet that goes out with the sale documents that describe whatever warranties are available and who they're from. That's because you can't really trust the salespeople to accurately describe the warranty. They'll typically say things like, "The frame is guaranteed for life." when in fact the parts are but the labor isn't so that if a problem develops later, the manufacturer will mail the customer a frame piece that the customer will have no use for or knowledge of how to use. Sometimes the warranty is for 60 days or less and the sales staff will not even mention it. When the mechanism then dies after four months from latent shipping damage or damage that occured at the factory before it was even installed, and then the customer finds out about all this, that person is sure to absolutely freak out.
Another question is, is the item able to be repaired? Not neccessarily repaired to the customer's satisfaction, but honestly repaired to factory specifications? Once this kind of situation occurs, the customer is likely to feign dissatisfaction, no matter how great the repair is.
Lastly, the question arises, what condition is the furniture in? Does the customer have pets or smoke in the house? What are the costs in actual money of taking the furniture back and re-selling it out of the store's bargain center? Give the lady her money back, if at all possible and send her to a competitor and let her cost them money. Some customers are problem people and will cost money to do business with. There are professional victims out there who cost all their shopping places money. If you can politely get rid of them, do it.

From Calvin, 3/22/2009  4:33 PM

My mothers company is being sued because of Douglas' furniture. Lady wants her money back after 2 months use, but Douglas is no longer in business. Which means no warranty. Any tips?

Thanks

From Susan Kaveny, 3/10/2009  7:17 PM

You should be able to use one out of any vibrating sofa if you get the entire unit. Other companies that have made or do make vibrating sofas ought to be able to supply the whole unit. It is a little motor with a mounting plate that attaches to the springs inside the back with plastic wire ties (cable ties) and has two wires coming out. One wire goes to the remote control and the other goes to the transformer. You will probably have to replace the transformer, too, for it to be compatible with your new unit. The commonest problem with any electric motion furniture is the wiring. The wires get caught in the mechanism and unplugged or cut. If the wiring is damaged, cut out the damaged part and replace it with good wire and use wire connectors and a lot of electrical tape. After that route it as far away from the moving parts of the mechanism as you can get it.

From alex, 3/10/2009  5:51 PM

Does anyone know where to get a replacement for the sofa vibrating motor in a douglas couch sectional unit?

From Jeff Slusher, 3/3/2009  10:15 PM

Susan, no one has the plastic glides i am looking for, they are plastic and measure 1/2" X 1 1/4" any other info is appreciated.

From Susan Kaveny, 3/3/2009  6:44 PM

Hey, Jeff, you can buy those slides at the hardware store, or if they don't have just what you need, go to Vandykes, which if the name doesn't come through right, is in a previous post.

From Susan Kaveny, 3/3/2009  6:36 PM

First, see the post from "Bob", on 2/26/09 ?   Maybe the same store has a couple or one of the pedestals you need, in which case, they could just send it. I know he said they had chair pedestals, but it's worth a look.

Otherwise, dump the table over and look to see how the top is attached to the base. It will likely either screw directly to it or have a board that attaches both to the top (or to the slides under the top) and the base. If it screws directly to the top, you can use just about any base with any table. If it screws to the slides or to a board, you have to take that board off and attach it to the new pedestal, then put the top back on. MAKE SURE YOU USE SHORT ENOUGH SCREWS THAT THEY DON'T PENETRATE THE TOP!! My caps lock isn't stuck, I just wanted to make sure you read that part.

From Nancy Adamcyk, 3/3/2009  10:48 AM

I purchased a Douglas pedestal wood dining table and chairs 18months ago from Martins Furniture they have just informed me that Douglas went out of business and the pedestal wood is split and the table cannot be used they gave me a repair man's name but I have to pay for this all from my own pocket which there was supposed to be a lifetime guarantee. Are there any pedestal's out there that can be replaces?

From Jeff Slusher, 3/2/2009  8:32 PM

I am really needing plastic glide inserts for douglas kitchen table, chairs, and bar stools... please help

From Susan Kaveny, 2/27/2009  6:56 AM

Get some of that cheap rubbery shelf liner, cut out a few circles and fit them under the feet. If it still slides, get some of those furniture coasters, put them under the feet and the rubbery shelf liner circles under those. If that still fails, lock it together with woodworking clamps or c-clamps.
Rubbery shelf liner is great stuff for furniture. I use lots of it. It keeps chairs from sliding, keeps box springs from sliding and making noises, keeps chair and sofa cushions in place and is a buck a roll.

From John, 2/27/2009  12:07 AM

I have a sectional sofa & the connecting arms to connect the pieces together are missing. Any suggestions on how to get connecting arms or an alternative solution. I have wood floors & the pieces are constantly seperating. Very annoying to say the least!!! Thanks in advance for any solutions.

From Bob, 2/26/2009  4:02 PM

Local store going out of business and may have some 32PED replacements. I bought a couple there 6 months ago. Anyone interested?

From Susan Kaveny, 2/25/2009  9:42 PM

Oh, yeah, just read that. Look, I mean to get the handle only, not the whole bar. The handle is what has a set screw on the bottom of it opposite the part that sticks out, on the bottom of that rounded part. Just get one of those.

From Susan Kaveny, 2/25/2009  9:39 PM

Yeah. First of all, those drive bars, which is the part that the lever locks onto, are about all the same size. Any furniture store with a good sized furniture repair department ought to have one lying around somewhere. Ask them to give/sell you one. Otherwise, you can get one from Leggett and Platt or attempt to rescue one from any lever action recliner that has seen better days. You may also be able to order one from Lane. They're the same. Even the ones that are fabric or leather covered have the same wood-grained plastic handle underneath.
Directly opposite from the lever part, on the hub, on the bottom is a set screw that tightens and loosens and that is all that holds it on. Sometimes they're jammed on there really good and you have to get very aggressive to remove them. Other times they almost fall off when the screw's out. If the broken one is really difficult to remove, saw it off in pieces. You're going to throw it out, anyway.
After you put the new one on, look at the recliner springs. There will be two symmetrical springs on it. You should do this with the chair upside down. Recline the chair while it's still dumped over. The springs are adjustable. If the lever broke, maybe the cahir is reclining too hard. Adjust the springs looser. A little adjustment matters a lot.

From jeff, 2/25/2009  4:06 PM

I have a rocker recliner [Douglas Funiture} the arm to kick out the footrest is broke. Got any suggestions where to get a replacement or if even possible??
thanks-jeff

From Susan Kaveny, 2/24/2009  8:10 PM

Try www.vandykesrestorers.com and keep in mind that you'll likely have to paint them. they have the largest selection I know of. Some of the furniture stores may have a ittle bit of stock in the parts department. You will have to find a local outfit with a technician running it who doesn't think throwing parts in the dumpster is a good thing. Good luck with that one. Most places are either run by a warehouse manager or a furniture repair manager who acts like last year's parts are going to run down off the shelf and eat his lunch out of the ice box. Then when the same parts become unavailable or take six months to get, the easily available ones are out in the trash, compacted into dime sized scraps. Sigh.

From Jeff Slusher, 2/24/2009  6:07 PM

how do you get parts for douglas dining, i need plastic glides, sizes of 1 1/4" x 1/2" and 1" x 1" these are OD sizes.

thanks

From Pam Gaines, 2/19/2009  4:45 PM

I am looking for 30" natural oak bases for 4 Douglas Bar Chairs which had 24" bases. Today I found out about there bankruptcy. Any advisement would be appreciated to direct me on my search.
Pam

From wkbarnes, 2/15/2009  1:30 PM

How can I obtain casters for beige 301 pedestal chairs?

From Susan Kaveny, 2/8/2009  12:00 AM

Yeah, sure. They made overall good furniture, but just had some management problems. Since this is going to be an as-is deal, though, get the details nailed down in case it develops a problem in between the store and your house. Find out in advance what will happen if a piece arrives damaged or there is latent damage that develops later, if they'll fix minor damage or not, and get it in writing.
With that company out of business, there are likely some good deals sitting around on showroom floors. If you get a good deal on one of those pieces, you're likely getting a god deal on a nice product. I just meant to say earlier that it would be a big mistake to send money to douglas' factory directly even if the case is that there is someone there to take it. That goes for any bankrupt outfit or any that doesn't look in good financial shape. If you don't get the merchandise right away, you might never get it and your money could disappear.

From Cecilia Key, 2/7/2009  6:49 PM

I just looked at a Douglas cafe height table and swivel barstools at a local store. The salesman told me the company had gone bankrupt. My question is: would you consider buying this if the price is right? They have some Douglas sets at 1/2 off, but this one is only discounted from 1499 to 1099. What do you think?

From Susan Kaveny, 2/4/2009  7:12 AM

Douglas is out of business. If you send them money and they do anything other than just return it, you will never see it again. Although they are officially in Chapter 11, at least one of their creditors was asking for a quick liquidation of their assets as of August of 2008, saying that they would only be burnig through assets owed this other company if allowed to stay in chapter 11, trying to find a buyer.
Douglas' sectionals were nice, but run-of-the-mill. Lane, Klaussner, Flexsteel and others all offer similar pieces in a wide variety of fabrics. Find a piece that is a normal production piece, in other words, not a custom order and buy it. Should you choose to custom order a piece or buy a closeout and there's a problem, it's YOUR problem. That includes ordering a regular piece in a different fabric.
In every one of those cases, the quality was as good as or better than Douglas. When you buy a sectional that is a motion piece, flip out the mechanism, and if it says, "Made in China" on a little tag on the left fork as you're facing it, that's a bad sign as is any particleboard anywhere in the frame. Stay FAR away from any pieces that have both of those things. Otherwise, you're good to go. Even if you found the sections you want in the Casino design, it would be just a terrible idea to buy them.

From Mrs. Smoke-Davis, 2/4/2009  5:30 AM

Hi, I've been reading the post and see that Douglas has gone out of business. Their website is still up, so does anyone know if another company took over. I'm badly wanting to purchase the "casino" leather sectional and tables. Does anyone know of any company that still may be carrying it? The item # is C346 (C316/CHT6).

From Susan Kaveny, 1/6/2009  5:19 PM

I am sorry, but have no idea where to get the bushings for those chairs. Having said that, it would be a waste to replace all of them. While the company had an occasional whole bad run, the usual problem with them was that they were inserted crooked and that caused unusual wear. It was a rare, but recurring problem. BTW, trying to remove one from an old chair and use it in yours is a waste because they're in there so tight, they'll never come out in one piece. I tried it before, several times, and it doesn't work. A machine shop might be able to fix you up, though.

From Susan Kaveny, 1/6/2009  5:12 PM

The t-nuts and all of the hardware on all of their stuff was all quarter/20 thread, also known as "Stove Bolts". The hardware is pretty widely available at big box hardware stores. Just go in and ask for a t-nut that will fit a stove bolt. Try to ask someone over 30, or you'll walk out frustrated. Most of what they used on kitchen furniture was threaded inserts, which are a little different. They have spikey things on the sides that twist down into a hole and tighten up and then accept a machine bolt. You use an allen wrench to put them in place.   Sometimes it's a good idea to twist them into the hole and try the bolt to make sure the hole isn't stripped. If it is, epoxy the insert back in with the bolt in it so that epoxy doesn't get on the threads.

From Susan Kaveny, 1/6/2009  5:01 PM

Hey, I'm not the "Susan" who called the room full of furniture junk. So from me to that Susan, what can you do? Calm down for one thing. In my world "broken" equals "needs repair." Can you be more specific about the damage?   I understand you're frustrated. That's natural.
If the frame needs repair, that's a matter of carpentry and lumber. If the mechanism needs repair, that's a matter for an upholstery shop or the shop at the store, if there is one. Again, the mechanisms came from Leggett and Platt. The new address I have for them is 211 main St., PO Box 337, Simpsonville, KY, 40067, 502-722-8811. I got this from a label on a mechanism from them.
Every time a store manager hears, "You sold me junk!" from a customer who has some damage, he or she hears, "And I want it thrown away, replaced with something better, at no extra cost, and then put into a landfill, ran over with a large truck and possibly shot."
In other words, it ain't gonna happen. What may happen is that it could be repaired. For what is's worth, it didn't start out as junk. It was damaged at some point. The only set that they made that is really difficult to match is the "Prego", which was discontinued, I think by the time you bought your set. It a sot of wierd gold color. Even for that, there is a company called "leathermaster" that makes a matching finish and should be able to supply it for $25 or $30 if you need a major repair to the leather.
Re: the warranty, the warranty was through the factory for the first year. Every store liked selling Douglas' stuff because it was pretty good quality at a good price for it. They were quick to supply parts and easy to do business with, until they filed chapter 11 and burned everybody all at once. You may also have an insurance policy on it. If you do, that is also an option. Read the paperwork on the policy carefully before you call them so you don't fall into any verbal traps that could cause them not to cover it. Good luck, and write again if you want to know what's involved in your particular repair describing the damage and the name of the set, like "Dallas" or "Prego". Thanks, Sue

From Jim Sullivan, 1/6/2009  2:16 PM

I purchased a dinette set from Haverty's in Sarasota, FL back in March 2004. It is an oak set with 4 bucket chairs on casters. I am not sure of the model numbers but the description from my Haverty's bill shows 4 Douglas bucket chairs 0098-9898/T407 OAK and 4 Douglas chair pedestals BS 15PED OAK. The pedestals have, for a lack of a better term, a black plastic bushing that the chair sets itself into. One of the bushings has worn through where the chair swivels. I was wondering if anyone could assist me in locating replacement bushings. Obviously if one wore out, I would assume others would too. We really love the set but with the bushing worn out the chair has no support and it's dangerous. I also purhased 3 matching bar stools so I'd be looking for those too.

From susan, 1/6/2009  11:39 AM

We purchased a couch and loveseat with recliners in them in may 2008 they are falling apart and of course we called create a room where we purchased the douglas furniture we also have all of the coverage needed so we are paying for something that we can't use. we paid over 2,500 dollars for junk, is there anything we can do about this?

From lenny ciffone, 12/27/2008  11:12 AM

I would like to get tee nut for the arms on my kitchen furniture part#634730 Home Phone 8456281538

From Susan Kaveny, 12/17/2008  10:21 PM

I think you're talking about the plastic handle that tucks under the cushion. The plastic plate that holds it to the side of the arm cracked loose around some of the screws. If there are screw holes left, remove the screws and use those holes to re-insert the screws through, and tighten it back down. Since it's in a hard to get and hard to see area, you could replace the attachment with a strip of metal with two holes, like you find in the hardware store to hold down wires and thin pipes. Take the time to paint it black. Just go right over the top and tighten it really well. No one will ever know.

If you are convinced that you have to replace the part, it is a J40 Parachute pull and the place it came from is:

Leggett & Platt,
Home Office
Post Office Box 757
Number 1 Leggett Road
Carthage, Missouri 64836

If you have more trouble, write back. I'll be happy to explain how to replace the part. It's fairly easy.:)

From Joan, 12/17/2008  3:10 PM

We purchased a Douglas Furniture sectional in Oct 2007. The plastic part that works the recliner broke. We purchased the set at Levitz Furniture which is out of business as is Douglas. Does anybody have an idea of where to get this part?

From Maxine Hines, 12/13/2008  1:35 AM

Hi

I'm trying to locate one or two Douglas Swivel dining room chairs. Tan cloth with beige metal frame model number N15379-7776 BOG2. Andy ideas. Thanks Maxine

From kathas, 12/4/2008  2:51 PM

Has anyone been able to find the adjustable tilt swivel bases for the Castered Dining Sets yet - I also need 4.

From Ashley, 12/4/2008  5:49 AM

I bought a douglas sectional that is missing the connecting pieces (bolts i think) because it was perfect and on clearance. the seller doesn't have them. any idea where i can get replacements?

From Susan Kaveny, 11/24/2008  6:43 PM

Chromecraft.

From Anita, 11/24/2008  8:03 AM

Prior to Douglas' bankruptcy, I had considered buying one of their dining sets. Fortunately, I did not go through with it. I am still looking for a set that meets my needs and am asking readers if they can direct me to a supplier.

This is what I'm looking for: a dining table with a leaf, comfortable upholstered chairs with casters that have a look that is a cross between casual and formal along with the ability to get matching comfortable counter-height swivel bar chairs. Oh yes, and I don't want to spend an arm & a leg.

Any thoughts?

From Susan Kaveny, 11/10/2008  9:54 PM

Hi, Janet First of all, your loveseat may not need parts. If it does, though, the mechanisms and cables came mostly from Leggett and Platt, who's contact information is listed here. There is a number on the side of the forks that you can see when the footrest is extended on a white tag. Find the number before you call.

For upholstery issues, just find someone with lots of experience, and they could be able to fix a lot of troubles that LOOK terrible without changing anything.

What wears the mechanisms, besides for kicking a teenager out of the chair by slamming the footrest down is trying to straighten the chair up by closing the footrest, without sitting it all the way up first. If you use the footrest to set the chair up, don't do it any more. It makes 'em eat mechanisms.

Finally if it was not repaired correctly the last time, and you have done nothing to cause the problems you're having, go back to the store. They want you to be happy with what you bought. They do. You might have to remind them of that in so many words, though.

From Janet Chamberlain, 11/10/2008  5:42 PM

I got a living room set from one of Douglas Furniture retail store six month ago and this is the second time that my love sit repair and I when to the store and now they told me that is nothing they can do because the manufacture co went out of bussines.

Is this is true?, please can you tell me if you know another way to get in contact of find parts.

Thank you


Janet Chamberlain.

From Susan Kaveny, 11/6/2008  9:18 PM

Oh, duh. PS... Lay the recliner on it's back to do all this. I should have said this earlier. If Room Source is still operating and you don't HAVE a brochure from the fabric protection people, go there fast and get one. The Douglas manufacturer's warranty was for 1 year on everything.

From Susan Kaveny, 11/6/2008  9:03 PM

Douglas had a problem with the recliners that I mentioned earlier. The arms are attached to the frame of the recliner as a kind of accoutrement. Although they're fairly well attached and aren't going to fall off, the way they're hooked on is a line of machine threaded screws between the seat frame and the arm frame. Since they're in a straight line, this allows the arms to tilt in at the bottom and cause the footrest to hang up on them at the bottom and then they won't close right.

If you want to fix them, or have them repaired by someone handy, the fix is to loosen the screws and shim the arm out a little and then tighten them. When you're doing this, if loosening all of the screws doesn't help loosen the arm, then there is a hidden screw with regular threads up near the front corner of the seat frame, and you can just take it out.

The alternative repair for this is to take the ottoman (footrest) off, and remove the cover, which is stapled on, rip out the padding on the ends and staple the cover back across it, thus shortening the footrest. If the mechanism itself is hitting the frame, you can't fix it by any other method than moving the arms out with a shim.

The warranty you have that's good until 2012 is a fabric protection warranty and is a secondary insurance policy that the furniture stores sell. It's still good, but it never did cover the mechanisms. It isn't through either of the companies that are out of business, but is through guardsman or stainsafe, or something like that. Reread your paperwork and you should find a brochure.

From Darlene, 11/6/2008  5:40 PM

I bought a sectional and rocker/recliner from Room Source last year. We have had problems with the sectionals recliners. Our furniture was made by Douglas Furniture. Found out today from the Room Source and a couple of other
furniture company's that Douglas Furniture closed in July. Room Source also filed for Chapter 11. What a mess. We have furniture that was made poorly, it is no wonder that they went out of business. Room Source said that we have to wait until the courts decide on what is going to happen. Meantime we have a warranty until 2012 that we can do nothing with. Those that purchased other brands of furniture can have theirs repaired under their warranty.
It is sad to be taken advantage of.

From Susan Kaveny, 10/23/2008  7:19 AM

These are the ones I got off their website, which has recently changed and become less user friendly. Up until a couple of weeks ago, there was a place to just enter your unit model number and order parts, I couldn't find it either this morning.

Janet Alexander
L&P Branch 4201 - Super Sagless
2071 Green St.
Tupelo, MS 38801
Phone: 662-842-5704
Fax: 662-791-7286

Lisa Laxton
Customer Service Manager
L&P Branch 0200
211 Main St.
Simpsonville, KY 40067

Phone: 502-722-8811
Fax: 562-772-8007

From Kyle, 10/22/2008  4:58 PM

The Leggett and Platt website isn't very search friendly. Does anyone know the direct site or phone number I can call to order replacement cable pulls for my Douglas Recliner sofa?
Thanks!!!

From Susan Kaveny, 10/22/2008  1:47 PM

Well, that is a decent deal. Since the backs on most douglas pieces are removeable to get them through doorways and such, there is a whole lot less shipping damage done to their pieces than on the ones that aren't. The other thing that causes them to ship more easily is that the fabric is not stretched banjo-string tight, so they take shipping a little better and if there is any damage to them it is usually able to be adjusted into a seam. Like I said in a post earlier, the mechanical parts are pretty easy to get.

It was really a shame about that company, though. They made some good pieces at a great price for them even at original retail.

From Angela, 10/22/2008  1:37 PM

Thanks for the reply, Susan. I got the two pieces for $1087.00 (including tax) which i beleive to be an OK deal--originally they wanted $300 more. The money was taken from my account immediately after the purchase as I paid with my debit card. Since it was condidered a "Special Order", I can't cancel the purchase. I am just hoping that I do not have any issues after the pieces get delivered on Friday!

From Susan Kaveny, 10/21/2008  8:48 PM

Oh, huh-uh, no. Go back to that store and bring it up! If you really love the stuff, and it's perfect for what you need it for, then try to make a (much)better deal. Otherwise look for something different. There's some chance that the store didn't know, but not much of a one. The piece of paper you got from the store explaining your warranty is probably worth more than the warranty. If they already have your money, bring it up with the credit card company or cancel the check. You have no access to any fabric or leather or vinyl parts at this time, and none to frame parts and your store is not likely to buy a mechanism for it if there is a need either.
Having to take warranty issues up with the manufacturer directly is not normal for a furniture store anyway. Even though the manufacturer provides the warranty it's usually through the seller, who acts as a middleman on the warranty too. Unless the price was phenomenally low, that's not good at all.

From Angela, 10/21/2008  7:15 PM

I just purchased a Douglas double-reclining sofa and reclining chair from a local furniture store on 10/17/08 and they never mentioned that the manufacturer went out of business, yet on the purchase order I signed saying that if there are any defects with the product I would have to address it with the manufacturer under their waranty. Does the furniture store have to notify me of something like that?
The items do not get delivered until this friday, so I am crossing my finger that there are no issues.

From Frank, 10/21/2008  11:58 AM

We are in Melbourne, Florida and have a problem similar to Barbara. Our Douglas Castered set id is 1998-7677. The adjustable tilt swivel base is part number 19ped. We have contacted Douglas by phone and they are only open for accounting purposes. The person who answered could not help at all! We have contacted local furnitue dealer Haverty's, who are listed as Douglas dealers on the Douglas web site and they do not stock these items. We need 4 bases. Anybody?

From Susan Kaveny, 10/10/2008  7:13 AM

Go to www.douglasfurniture.com and enter your zip code in the dealer locator. Their website is running just like they're still in business. I'm in the St. Louis area, so shipping would be prohibitive even if we located some for you. Look under "casual dining" and identify your set and give the stores a call. Some of the larger dealers should still have some stock if it was a current set when the factory went under. Some of the smaller dealers may have some too.

From Barbara, 10/9/2008  10:50 PM

I could not find my exact model in the Douglas catalog and unable to find the series name. The swivel chair pedestal base has 4 metal legs with casters and oak wood caps on top of each leg. I live near Tulsa, Ok.
Hope this helps.

From Susan Kaveny, 10/9/2008  7:30 AM

Do any of you furniture dealers have one of these in stock? Barbara, write back and post the general area where you live. If you live anywhere near where my company has a store, I'll get a salesperson to look in stock and see if we can send one UPS. Also include the name if you know it. Douglas pieces for the dining room were always given a name like the "Marie" series.

From Barbara, 10/8/2008  1:01 PM

I purchased a Douglas Castered Set from a local furniture store about 3 yrs ago who has now gone out of business. The Adjustable Tilt Swivel Pedestal Bases on 2 of the chairs are starting to wobble. Where can I find replacement parts? I think the base model # is 32ped. Thanks for any info.

From Susan Kaveny, 10/3/2008  11:55 PM

The fabric is likely but not surely from Morgan. Morgan was one of the main creditors that appeared on the list when Douglas filed. It was the only fabric company. If they turn out to be able to provide fabric parts for these units, it would be a MAJOR favor to the insurance company for you to be able to tell them that. I haven't contacted them, myself, but my bet on this is that they could and would fill a series of orders if there were enough of them coming,and that there would be from the insurance companies. The furniture insurers have got to be absoluteqly freaking out at this point. Their policies usually read that they will replace the whole unit if they are unable to repair it.

Douglas filed chapter 11 on July 25th this year. Their unmet factory warranties will expire on that date in 2009. They sold to stores with the contractural agreement that they would pay for any repairs made by the store's service department for one year, and would be able to supply fabric parts for years after that due to the secondary insurance policies having a duration of 3-7 years.

I'm betting that Morgan is stuck with a bunch of their parts and would be really, really glad to sell them somewhere.

Re: getting out the stain, anything other than chlorine bleach marks will come out of most fabrics used today, which are mainly polyester. Practically everything douglas used was either poly or leather/vinyl. If it's an organic stain, try using Oxy in the premixed form, in the blue plastic bottle. If it's nail polish (a common one) try dotting the fabric with nail polish remover in a hidden area, and if it doesn't remove the color, use it to get out the stain. If it's a really bad stain, what have you got to lose if you get aggressive? Just dont make the area bigger than it already was. Use the very corner of a clean rag or a cotton swab, in the case of nail polish or paint; after that, blend out the edges, because there's always hidden dirt that will leave a ring otherwise. If you use Oxy, you can just go nuts with the stuff. It won't bother anything. For some reason professional cleaning firms always ignore the best cleaners. Tide pens work well, too. If you made the best cleaner on the market, wouldn't you sell as much of it as you could instead of just supplying professional cleaning firms? Sometimes guys just don't think about stuff and so don't get it.

From Christina, 10/3/2008  11:00 PM

You are right Sue, I bought a secondary stain insurance form a company called Ultrashield and they claimed that because douglas is out of business they cannot get the fabric to replace it. They said that if the parts cannot be supplied by the store that I bought the couch then there is nothing I can do and since the store no longer carries douglas, that is the explanation I got. Is it really BS? Can I tell them that the fabric is from Morgan fabrics? Thanks for all the info!!!

From Susan Kaveny, 10/3/2008  8:20 AM

First of all, your warranty from the manufacturer would not have covered the fabric had it become stained.
Those type of warranties are purchased from a secondary furniture insurance company like stainsafe (tm) and not from the manufacturer. The warranty from the factory is for workmanship and material defects,some damage to the product that was there from the very beginning. If you have purchased some warranty that was secondary, contact that insurance company directly. If you have such a product, it should show on your sales receipt, or you can get that information from the store.

There is a time limit for reporting damage to these companies and they don't cover some damage like dog chewing or all over dirt. If the product appears to have been abused, it voids their warranty. You would have probably gotten a brochure from them. Read it before you call to make sure that you are in compliance with their requirements.

If they say that the warranty is no longer valid because that company's out of business, that's just so much garbage. Their agreement on these policies was to fix OR replace a unit if it was affected by covered damage. They're accident policies for your furniture. Douglas bought most or maybe all of their fabric from Morgan Fabrics. They may have the original patterns and be able to provide a finished fabric piece to the insurance company. Information about Morgan Fabrics is easily available on the web.

In short, your warranty never was from the store, but more through the store.

From Christina, 10/3/2008  12:23 AM

I was recently told that Douglas furniture went out of business. I was also told that because they went out of business, my warranty is no longer valid. I bought a couch from Reclinerland in Tacoma, WA in March 2008. The fabric needs replacing due to staining which would have been completely covered by my warranty. They told me that it is not possible because Douglas went out of business and no longer provide parts. My couchings are sewn into the couch which would make the replacement costly if I have to do it myself. I would appreciate it if you could shed some light on this issue and let me know what options I have.

From Susan Kaveny, 10/1/2008  8:25 PM

Palliser is a good bet. Americantv.com has some pictures. They're available in a power unit, also, are good quality and are available in other colors as a custom order

From Kim, 10/1/2008  8:40 AM

Since Douglas is obviously not an option for home theater furniture, does anyone have other suggestion. I am looking for 3 sets of the straight Cinema line for a client.

From Susan Kaveny, 9/17/2008  10:04 PM

Regarding next to nothing pricing, Douglas made really good furniture for their price range and it should be getting cheap here this fall. Since mechanical parts are available from Leggett and Platt, I'd consider buying a really cheap piece if there were some minor problem with it like a bad cable. Really, I'd LOVE to find one. I've been waiting for something like 20 years for my old flexsteel to wear out and it's not happening. My second choice is donate it and find one that is a good product cheap. I have always been a big fan of Douglas. Their problem was bad management, not bad furniture. They have had a few quality issues in the past that were really vexing, but it was the same mistake over and over, not a bunch of them.

Some of the Chinese manufacturers have been looking to the U.S. to buy local brands, which is a lot cheaper than developing a new one. I had hopes that that would happen here. Douglas was the number two seller where I work, just behind Lane.

In the past several years, it was obvious that Douglas had some talented designers, but the furniture was never product tested well, if at all, so engineering flaws went into production. This allowed flaws like arms that sagged slightly towards the footrest during shipping (normal) and pinched it, not allowing it to open properly. A slightly smaller footrest would have solved it, but douglas never did that. They just kept paying us to fix it.

All of their problems were easy fixes and none were ever fixed. Not really, except the cables. I still have hopes that the Chinese or some other country will step in and buy the company. With good management it should be profitable, like it used to be when it had good management.

From Susan Kaveny, 9/17/2008  9:35 PM

The Mechanism and the release cable both came from Leggett and Platt. Go to www.leggett.com and order one. They're easily installed.
Pull the sofa out and lay it on it's back. You will see a release cable up in there attached to a silver bar with holes in it. Carefully push the bar back until the mechanism releases. When I say carefully, I mean don't put your fingers in the mechansim scissors, do it from the side of the whole thing. Your hand will fit. When it's released, prop it up with something or have another person hold it. Rip the black plastic tab that attaches the old one to the frame off with a pair of pliers or vice grips and pick out the pieces. Unhook the bad cable. Push the new cable down through the hole from the top of the sofa near the seat where the hole is for the bad one.
Hook in the new one to the silver bar and then hook the black plastic tab through the frame.
Stand up the sofa. Put one knee on the seat right by where the cable is screwed down and put all you weight on it and unscrew the cable, preferably with a cordless with a long bit. It's a pain to do it by hand. If you do it by hand use a shortie screwdriver, which makes it somewhat easier. Unscrew the old cable and screw down the new one.

Or you could just get one and hound the heck out of the store until they send someone out to put it on. I would.

Douglas had some bad cables installed last year and your furniture may have had them. They were solid black by the handles. The replacements, which are not defective,have a chrome ring on the collar. The only thing that tears up the replacements are pulling the cable with the hand away from the arm, reaching across your lap to do it and putting a strain on the attachment where it screws to the wood sofa frame or screwing it on too tightly in the first place and cracking the plastic in the same spot.

If you order the part yourself, order at least a couple of extras and put them down in the arms or tape them inside the back. I think these are under $20 each and take about 1/2 hour to install.

From Tammy, 9/17/2008  6:23 PM

I called the store that I purchased my furniture from for repair. Now almost 2 months later, I was told that Douglas Furniture is out of business and warranties are no longer valid. I contacted Douglas Furniture to see if they have any extra pieces to replace the piece since the part (recliner pull) that I need is not available. I also sent and email telling them that I am willing to exchange the whole roomful if the single piece isn't available. Waiting a few days to see if they reply. I the meantime I am working with the furniture store to see if they can replace the piece if they have it in the store, since no body in their right mind would purchase furniture without a warranty. Maybe you can purchase pieces for next to nothing.?.

From Tammy, 9/17/2008  6:22 PM

I called the store that I purchased my furniture from for repair. Now almost 2 months later, I was told that Douglas Furniture is out of business and warranties are no longer valid. I contacted Douglas Furniture to see if they have any extra pieces to replace the piece since the part (recliner pull) that I need is not available. I also sent and email telling them that I am willing to exchange the whole roomful if the single piece isn't available. Waiting a few days to see if they reply. I the meantime I am working with the furniture store to see if they can replace the piece if they have it in the store, since no body in their right mind would purchase furniture without a warranty. Maybe you can purchase pieces for next to nothing.?.

From Kim koch, 9/14/2008  12:17 PM

We maybe to manufacture some metal metal base to match douglas base. kim koch

From Susan Kaveny, 9/3/2008  7:02 PM

Well, it's been going on five weeks since this all transpired, and Douglas has their website still up and running. For one thing, you could just dog the heck out of their customer service department.
If you are ready to take action now, before they're all gone, start contacting the furniture stores in your area and see if they have any in stock. This was a sort of uncommon, but regular stock piece. Douglas was a brand that everyone pretty much carried, and almost all of their pedestals fit almost all of their chair buckets. While you're looking for the exact one you want, be looking for a unit that you could live with and that there are enough of in one place to do the job.
If you decide to look for some more of these, look at places that specialize in dinettes. Most big cities have them. What you are looking for, they're in a big hurry to get rid of. Keep in mind that other brands may be able to be used in place of douglas bases. There is a common base out there that is likely Chinese that has a swivel that has four slots in the metal, radiating out from the center area. I've seen it on a lot of wooden bases. Check out the discount houses and in a month or so, start checking the closeout places.
When the new fall models come out, a lot of stores will have "one of a kind" sales. There's likely to be quite a few of Douglas's products in that lineup if the company doesn't resolve the chapter 11 issue before then.

From Charlotte Van Lieu, 9/3/2008  3:42 PM

In May I had purchased from Douglas one replacement bar stool chair 24" BASE (INCLUDING SWIVEL, FOOT RING AND LEGS)(Model 7067-1613, in washed oak wood finish and Ivory metal finish. Since this first one fit our barstool fine, I had sent a money order to purchase TWO more (as we have a total of three Douglas bar stool chairs) BUT,OF COURSE, NEVER GOT THE REMAINING TWO due to the bankruptcy. ANY IDEA WHERE I COULD STILL BUY TWO MORE SWIVEL BASES WITH FOOT RING AND LEGS INCLUDED? I figure I will never get the money back that was already sent but really want the bases.

From Susan Kaveny, 8/25/2008  6:27 PM

I don't know what Furnituretown's relationhship with Douglas was at the time that Douglas filed, but it would be absolutely abnormal for any manufacturer to replace your sectional because a few seams needed to be stitched up, especially after you've had it that long. You're talking about a very, very minor repair, stitching a seam, or several seams up by hand. There's just about no way whatsoever that any store or manufacturer would replace a sectional because of that. It wouldn't happen even if the manufacturer was still in business.

Most service departments have a service warranty that is from 30 to 120 days. If you have a problem with a repair, call them promptly.

There are a few other companies that have had problems with seams ripping due to the fact that they're sewn by people who get paid by the job and who don't backstitch seams at the end of the mile long spool of thread they use or when the thread hooks up in the machine and breaks. Douglas wasn't one of them.

Now that I've probably made you all kinds of mad, and sorry but you had to know, I'm suggesting a third solution, which is sew the seams back shut and forget about the service tech. You can do it when you feel like it, you'll know it's done right, and it won't cost very much. For a few bucks, you can go to any fabric store and buy some somewhat co-ordinating thread. Only use Upholstery Cord. It's a heavier thread and is what the original was on your piece. It's in it's own little section in the thread department. Buy some curved needles with kind of big eyes, and a thimble. Tie a nice sized knot in the thread and start stitching from underneath back through the seam about four or more inches from where it's broken. When you get to the end of the tear, keep sewing through the seam and pulling the thread tight enough so it doesn't show, loose enough that it doesn't gather the fabric. You can tighten or loosen it easily. Sew through the same holes as the original if you can, 'cause it's easier. Go for another four or so inches after the tear end, and then sew back through the same stitch several times and cut the thread as close to the piece as you can. Make sure you poke loose fuzz back inside as you go. This will give you a perfect finish and will cost about six dollars.

Of course, once you've met the nice people at the fabric store, figured out that you can do this and seen all the cool stuff there, this could cost more than six bucks in the long run.

Even if you've never sewn anything before, you can do this. It's easy. It's the same process as lacing shoes, but with a needle and a little more care.:)--Sue

From yvette, 8/25/2008  2:30 AM

My 3 piece sectional is falling apart, the seams are ripped open on the seat cushions with the stuffing showed. My sectional was purchased from furnituretown inc, in december of 2007.This company told me there was no type of replacement or repairs to be made if the manufacturer went out of business. Furniture town is willing to repair it but I would have to pay for half of the repairs and no guarantee that it would not happen again since the sofa is defective. If Douglas furniture were still available I would like to have my sofa replaced or fixed without having to pay. How can I get my sofa fixed or replaced? And is it true that the company I did buy it from (furniture town) cannot replace my sofa or return my money. I dont really want to invest any money into repairing it if its defective? Who can I contact to help me?

From Susan Kaveny, 8/15/2008  10:21 PM

Ok, I have had a few people who knew my email address already respond offlist. The mechanisms themselves came from Leggett and Platt, mostly, and a possible few from Omega, which are apparently available through Leggett and Platt. The springs for a rocker recliner are not completely generic, but one type will usually fit a lot of different recliners. It's just that there are a few types. What I would really like to find is whatever company was supplying their fabric parts, assuming that they were made offshore or overseas and just installed here, which is what I believe the case was.

As far as your springs go, take them off the chair, then go to a discount furniture place that carries Chinese merchandise and see if they have a parts bin and if they do if they have any matching ones in there. You only have to match the length in between the bolts pn the support plate to find ones that will work. When you take them off, save the bolts. When you reinstall the new ones, you have to start all the bolts a little bit and then tighten them down a little at a time so they all go at once. Otherwise one or two of the bolts won't tighten right. If you just can't get replacements, a block of wood with two threaded rods through it will make the chair useable again, though not as a rocker.

From Greg, 8/15/2008  6:27 PM

Russ....... I purchased a Douglas Lazy boy type recliner from Mathis Bros. about 5yrs ago or so.
Right now, the chairs 2 springs underneath broke at the one end, on each. I need two springs to repair it.
Mathis Bros doesn't sell the chair or parts anymore.
I just need the springs at this point. The chair is in good shape otherwise. Can U direct me to someone who would have those specific springs or maybe someone who carries generic type to replace the original ones with.?? In the meantime, I'm going to LOWE'S or HOME DEPOT to see what they have.   

Thanks... Greg

From Russell at Furniture World Magazine, 8/6/2008  9:30 AM

Yes, Douglas filed for chapter 11 last week. I don't have any news on the status of their re-organization right now and a quick internet search didn't turn up anything.

I've posted your message to the message board on furninfo.com. Perhaps some of our other readers will be able to fill us in on the details or suggest a possible solution for you.

Regards,
Russell