Zebra

We purchased the most comfortable sofa from Zebra 12 years ago. Best furniture purchase we ever made. We are asked consistently where we bought it due to how comfortable it is (still)! We are about to purchase another from Zebra. I can’t wait. And the customer service was seamless. Thank you Zebra!!!

My husband and I walked into Zebra around Thanksgiving 2015 where we met Dave and subsequently his wife, Teresa. I can say wholeheartedly it is 100% obvious why Dave and Teresa’s Zebra Furniture has been in business for 27 years! I can’t say enough about the honesty, the professionalism, the quality of the sofa we purchased and the amount of kindness Dave showed my husband and me. I would highly, highly recommend Zebra Furniture for all of the above reasons.
Dave made sure we had our sofa by Thanksgiving day when we didn’t give much lead time… he was still able to do it. He knows his stuff and understands the high emotions triggered when choosing and purchasing major pieces of furniture. The time he invested in us and the distance he went to accommodate our needs is something you don’t see often (if at all) in retail!
We are grateful to Dave for not only making sure we were happy with our sofa but for going the distance staying open beyond business hours to ensure our sofa was delivered in good order.
Thank you so much, Dave! Happy New Year!

Dave was very good at educating us about the various cushion types and fabrics. He had us sit on various ones and looked at a lot of fabrics. We ended up buying a beautiful floor model that was exactly what we would have ordered. The personal attention was great, being able to touch and try everything makes it easier to choose. The quality and prices of his custom sofas cannot be beat and the floor model was an ecceptional deal! Teresa was friendly and effecient handling the paperwork. Overall, a fun experience!

My fiancé and I are about to get our own place, which will need the majority of essential furniture… Couch included, of course. Like most of us, we are on a budget but desire a good/​high quality couch. When I saw Zebras online website, I didn’t bother to investigate as all I paid attention to was «custom made» and assumed it was way out of our price range. Early this morning, my fiancé saw this Zebra couches on his way into fairfax to p/​up his bike and talked me into at least stopping by to take a look… THANK GOODNESS!!!
We were casually greeted by Dave (one if the owners). May I just say that Dave is a great guy. No pressure yet VERY informative. Asked our «price range» and really worked at keeping us within that… Though I fought him to spring for down cushions (only a few hundred more and TOTALLY WORTH IT)!!! He spent over an hour with us! Super casual and VERY knowledgeable. They have high quality custom couches that can truly fit in everyone’s budget. We did not purchase one today (as we’re still waiting on getting our measurements on our new «Tree House»). We are looking forward to seeing him again on Saturday to customize our new Sectional!!! Thank you for coming out of retirement Dave!!!

I went in looking for a couch, and the gentleman that owns the place was very welcoming, and you could tell he was just a really good and honest person. I looked forever and decided to come back later with my boyfriend. We came back and got the couch that I liked most, duh, haha. The owners wife cashed us out, very nice lady. Not only did I get an amazing couch at a discounted price (it’s worth every penny, more comfy than my bed) but it feels great buying locally and a California made product, from great people! He helped us secure it on our truck, gave us some rope and the whole nine yards. Felt like family. Get your next couch from these awesome humans :)

Dave and Teresa are great to deal with. Very helpful and knowledgeable about their products and they answered all of my questions. These are custom made sofas, chairs and even pillows, made to your exact specifications. It’s so refreshing to have a place like this that you can actually visit, on site. A real physical location where you can see and touch the fabrics, hand measure the pieces and really know what your getting. They offer a delivery service, as well, so everything is handled from A to «Zebra!»

Direct and honest communication. Ability to listen and educate for a satisfactory purchasing experience. Dave & Teresa are responsible and reliable local small business owners. Rare these days. He’s a good guy with a quality product at an affordable price!

love love love our sofa!!! love everything about the store
from a to z
«old school» the way all stores should be

Dave and Theresa were very nice, and both helpful in getting us what we wanted. I am sitting in it right now. Thank you!

Listen to recommendations from people you respect. We did and went to see Dave And Teresa at Zebra in October when we were looking for a sofa for our living room. We were so pleased with their service and knowledge as well as the extensive selection of fabrics available there that we purchased one couch in October, another couch in November along with three chairs, two for the living room and one for the master bedroom and two footstools to provide occasional seating in the living room. When we wanted to change one sofa cushion to a softer fill, Dave was understanding and actually persuaded the factory (right here in California) to make the switch for us. We enjoyed the shopping experience at Zebra and suggest that you stop in to see what Dave and Teresa can do for your home.

Best sofa (or any furniture) buying experience I’ve ever had! Dave and Teresa offer lots of styles and fabrics for the look you want; have years of experience in the furniture business (ergo, extremely helpful); everything is made in California; and their service is fantastic. I knew the «look» I wanted, but couldn’t decide on the fabric or color. I took several swatches home, returned them and took more home. Eventually I had a red sofa made and I love it. It was the right accent piece for the room. Sent Dave a photo to show him how well it worked out. He was as happy for me as I was. Go to Zebra. Best experience shopping for sofas you’ll ever have. Period!

We are absolutely thrilled with the couch we bought at Zebra. Well-​made, exactly what we were looking for and not at all expensive. We will be back the moment we need another chair or sofa.

Love our new sofa! I knew right away when I saw it I wanted it and I wanted to purchase it from the owners, so friendly and helpful. Great service, fun people, no pressure, great prices! I was told it would take about 3 weeks for sofa to arrive, it took 1 week! We are so happy with our sofa and get compliments all the time. I highly recommend Zebra.

Zebra Furniture is great. We love our couch. The Owner Dave and his wife are very knowagable and friendly. The producsts they sell are top quality and I believe cost effective. You get what you pay for. I love this place. There selection is very good and you can order any combonation of styles and fabrics. We talked for a long time and he really knew all about the products he offers. Go to Zebra last because they are the best. Thank you David for the couch we love it!!!

Dave clearly has a lot of balls in the air yet manages to maintain focus on each customer’s needs. There is a formula here. You pick your style, you pick your fabric, you indicate if any customization is needed and you wait for your furniture. We were happy with that and although the delivery time was a bit longer than expected, the custom sofa came out well.
A year later, I needed to reorder cushions (after a tragic accident with a cat). Because of my long (ish) delay in unwrapping and positioning the new cushions, it was not until 3 months after delivery that I realized the sizes were off. Long story short, this was not my fault nor was it Dave’s. I saw all of the paperwork and it was the manufacturer that messed up. EVEN SO, Dave went to bat for me and got the cushions made right. Although the manufacturer tried to pin the cost on him (and may have eventually done so), Dave did not pass that loss on to me.
Dave has a unique personality and is a strong salesman. We found him to be straight forward though, and willing to negotiate whenever possible. This is the place to go when you want a pottery barn sofa for MUCH less AND customized to your needs.
This is not the place to go if you require mood lighting and ass kissing while you shop.

Zebra has moved to San Anselmo. Dave and Teresa have a beautiful showroom where they display local art. It’s easy to park right in front on Red Hill Avenue. I purchased a custom chair from Zebra several years ago that still looks new. I recently moved and I needed a love seat. Teresa picked the perfect fabric but also sent me home with a few samples to try out in my space. The one she selected was perfect. The style I liked was a bit over my budget but Dave had another vendor who could make the love seat for my price. It was made in California and ready right before my move. They focus on sofas and love seats in their new location. Zebra may be more than the discount vendors but the quality is well worth the price. Check it out.

Finally! A stress free and easy way to buy the exact sofa I wanted. From the configuration of the sectional I chose to the type of arm, cushion and fabric, the options were fantastic. David was amazingly helpful and friendly and didn’t even one time give me a sales pitch. They don’t have to here. Plus, they were so patient in helping me sort through all my fabric choices.

Here’s 3 words I think you need to know about what may be my easiest review to write: Go See Dave!!!
I’m flabbergasted at ANY negative reviews only because my experience was so genuine, so straightforward and so rewarding. Check it:
First, Zebra fills a niche that I fit right into — in between the high-​pressure, low quality of Jennifer and the infamous «Snobbery Barn.»
Secondly, Dave knows sofas. The cat is drawing upon 32 years of experience. Uh, that’s a helluva lot… and 24 of those years have been here in Marin. Any questions?
Also, the products are made in Cali with a lifetime guarantee. Ya think Dave is pulling up stakes and taking his tent to the next town being chased by pitchforks and torches? See Point #2 above.
Lastly, the amount of combinations of styles, cushions and fabrics make it truly a one-​stop shopping experience… once you’re in the aperture of the price-​point range he’s happy to tell you about — in between Jennifer and «Snobbery Barn.»
After passing the shop several dozen times, I went in yesterday and found Dave and his wife surprisingly friendly, informative and low pressure. No kidding, it’s some of the best sales service I’ve had in Marin — and I’m a picky customer service consultant.
Not only that, I had a good time learning about sofas. Sad that the dog was now dead, but a GOOD TIME! He even offered to store my new sofa for a coupla weeks while I posted my old one on CraigsList.
If I had to dig deep to find a negative? I think his signage and ‘curb appeal’ kept me from visiting for quite a while. Whatever. I got over it and enjoyed the experience soup to freaking nuts.
Again, while I respect other folks’ experience as their own, mine simply doesn’t jive with theirs. I will use my big mouth to refer friends and acquaintances to Dave without a single reservation.
Sofa on, Dave!

Not a place to spend your time, your money, or a person to subject yourself to.
We were initially excited to come across Zebra and David, the owner. This is a small, hole in the wall literal mom and pop shop and the kind of local business we love to support. Our first visit was very positive — decent selection as long as you don’t mind the aesthetics. We loved the concept that every aspect of their stock was customizable to our needs. David was very informative, friendly and patient with us and we left excited and sure that we would buy from him when we came back in two weeks with all our measurements.
Over those two weeks we also did research on the fire safety requirements in CA after seeing a SFGate article illustrating that pregnant women have much higher incidence and level of Flame Retardant chemicals in their bloodstream, placenta, and babies. Just some of the proven concerns are lower child IQ, ADD, cancers, etc… Obviously not something any human should be exposed to. So on our second visit we inquired as to if they meet the requirement using natural methods (wool, cotton, latex, etc.) or if their foam was chemically treated? Dave open stated that his manufacturer does chemically treat all. Still interested, I inquired if he could find out of they could make one via another method or without the chemicals — something I find myself very sensitive to physically as well as philosophically with my new education. After quite a bit of conversation, Dave got the picture that all I was asking was if he would check for me. As they customize everything else, why not address something that kills people slowly? After 1.5 hours, we parted as what I thought were friends and he said he would call me the very next day with an answer. Sounded very professional.
Today — one full week later, I called David as I had heard nothing back. He asked why I was calling and I reminded him that he promised to get back to me a week ago. He said his vendor would not supply anything out of the lines of the toxic stuff they supply, and then launched into a 5 minute verbal attack in me.
«If you knew this was the number one thing on your list why did you come in and waist my time?» and accused me of intentionally coming in with that agenda? Kind of dumbfounded, I tried to get in a word edgewise and assure him that was not my intent. As he was verbally flaming me, I never got that opportunity, even after I said (over his rant) that I could still be a customer and potentially refer others to him and his fledgeling shop. He ended up just yelling and hanging up on me.
I am a big fan of good customer service and a small business owner myself. I am aghast that anyone could think they could address anyone as David and stay in business. Perhaps his moods are driven by what he inhales everyday as his stock off-​gasses?
I mentioned the conversation to my wife and she was shocked. When I told her how David attacked me on how we wasted his time, she reminded me that when we got to the store he was on a couch with his feet up and, for the more than two hours we spent in the shop over both visits we were the only ones there. I guess we now know why the place was devoid of customers!
The truth is, if Dave could not produce a couch without the toxic chemicals, we were going to order one anyway, take out the foam cushions and replace them with something non toxic. We were in love with the fact that we could ‘have it our way’. What a disappointment for us to invest that time, get excited, and then get slapped around and chased away. I guess the good thing is we found out early enough before we supported this business with our hard earned $$.
I wish him well. I wish you well physically and psychologically. Based on my wish for you I would suggest staying far away from this Zebra as you cannot rely on his stripes.
– PS – Came across many a resource for non-​toxic couches in SF. Nice shop with 5 locations across the country and we are heading there today. Horray for Unilocal and Google!

Zebra is one of those places where you feel like a better person when you walk out– not because you’ve gotten a massage or gone through purity detox, but because you can leave with the idea that you are getting a quality product and doing something good for the world at the same time. Quite simply the majority of stuff on the floor is either from reclaimed (recycled) wood or from sustainably farmed sources (no illegally logged mahogany).
The owners (plus adorable dog) are friendly and real– quite good salesmen, but not overly pushy. If you have a price range that you are working with, Dave will be the first to try to see if they have something that works and will tell you honestly what your options are.
We bought a couch from them 3 months ago and have been thrilled with both their ordering process/​timeline and the product itself. And best yet– its hard to beat their prices… the near identical pottery barn model was $ 1000+ more! Plus, you have the good piece of mind in supporting a local vendor with environmental and socially responsible values!