New to the Norfolk Collection, the Darlington Oak Woodlook Corner Set. The exterior frame is a heat-transfer effect on powder-coated aluminium to give the appearance of natural oak without any of the maintenance that comes with traditional wooden, the back frame is the same powder-coated aluminium painted black to give the set a beautiful contrast of colour. Chunky armrests and frames add to the comfort and provide a unique shelving space. The cushion fabric is 100% 260gsm Olefin, strong, comfortable and resistant to fading, stains and abrasion - quick drying and easy to clean.
Our experience with this item was very disappointing, firstly the delivery date was missed, but the main problems arose when I started to assemble it. The product description stated minimal assembly but that was incorrect.
There were a large number of very similar items but the part numbers / stickers were missing on most parts. Also the nuts/bolts were not in labelled bags as is usually the case. The instructions were also very basic, one A4 page to cover many stages of assembly.
If the parts had been correctly labelled it would have been reasonably simple, but without this information it was a case of trial and error which was incredibly frustrating. I contacted the supplier who said to send them photos but I have heard nothing back after 24 hours. Furthermore, one of the embedded nuts into which the bolts attach came loose and was rotating freely, meaning I couldn't fasten or loosen it any further, in the end I had to go out to a DIY shop to buy a hacksaw and cut the bolt off.
Lastly, there are some machining marks on the inside of one of the arm rest panels which is very disappointing for a supposedly premium item, and should not have passed quality control.
I should say I am very experienced at assembling flat pack furniture and know how to read instructions carefully, but these, coupled with the lack of part labelling, are woefully inadequate. Very disappointing overall for the significant price paid.
I will say it looks good once assembled though, even if it took around 4 hours in total!. Alastair. Shoreham-by-sea. Fri Aug 14 2026