Hey everyone! How was your weekend? We had a blast relaxing with out-of-town family passing through. When visitors come, it’s clear our current living room furniture isn’t the best.
Our sectional is big, but the corner is kind of dead space, the chaise end isn’t really a seat, and we can’t reconfigure the arrangement. Even though we’ve only had the couch four years, it’s looking a little older. We’ve already fixed a cracked support. The spring cushions (similar to a mattress) have gotten lumpy and uncomfortable. Unless you’re sitting in the crack. Unlike our other older sofa with removable cushions and covers, we can’t flip these for even wear.
This tufted sofa from Home Decorators Collection has been on my mind. Clean lines, high arms, tufting detail, removable cushions, and all positive reviews. I wish I could see, touch, and sit on it before committing. Because I haven’t had the best luck when ordering. And a couch is a big-ticket item, so I want to be completely sure of it.
In other living room news, Ev leaned his chubby little butt on one of the drawers too many times. And bent the glide.
So our entertainment center has a hole, among other things we need to finish. Simple things like a toe kick, base board around it, and doors to hide the ugly speakers/receiver/dvd player.
Basically, all things that are only for design purposes, not function. Which always seem to take the bottom slot on our priority list. Have you ordered a sofa online, without seeing it before? Any affordable, sleek couch recommendations for me?
ourhumbleabodeblog.com 
OMG I loooove that sofa. I’ve been eyeing that same one. I love chesterfields, but Naomi likes much more modern lines than the traditional style so this one is a good compromise. Maybe in another life though bc we decided on one from ikea. Our sofa is on its last leg too.
Isn’t it great looking?! I just wish I could find it or something similar locally. Which Ikea sofa did you get?
I’ve haven’t ordered a sofa online, but we did order our harmless chairs online from Overstock ~ not sure if i’d order a sofa online though….we bought our current and last sofa at Scandinavian Designs and love them both were made from Rowe — so far with our new sofa no issues and the cushions are super firm and has a 5yr warranty.
I’d look locally or try and find our who makes the sofa your interested in! Good Luck
Hey Katrina!
Our furniture stores have slim pickings. I haven’t seen a similar sofa locally. 😦 And I’ve heard great things about Rowe, but again, nothing around here. Your sofas are great though! Wish we had something good here.
Thanks!
Amanda
Everyone raved about microfiber when we bought our current sofa, but I hate it. It is similiar to yours and only a few of the pillows can be flipped. I would love a new one but it is hard to say I would rather have a new sofa that upgrade the master bathroom (next on our list). I will have to remember the Rowe brand (and the 5 yr warranty).
Hi Wendy!
I don’t hate microfiber, but I also don’t think it is amazing. Hopefully you’ve got a Rowe retailer!!
Thanks!
Amanda
With two young kids, we opted to get a cheaper sofa and will invest in a more attractive one when the kids get older. I figured my tastes will have changed by then so, for now, its a masculine gray sectional!
Hey Lizzy!
That’s what we’ve done so far, too. Ben says we’ll have nice furniture when the boys are 20. Haha. I’d just love something good looking and cheap, but doesn’t everyone?!
Thanks!
Amanda
Sofa looks great. Just a reminder, though, only 2 people will sit on it at any given time. I learned the hard way that no one wants to sit on the crack:) It’s 3 cushion sofas for me or one long cushion (which is really the best because it can act as a spare bed.)
Hi Fran!
That is a good point. I’d love to find a sofa with one long cushion, but haven’t seen any locally. 😦
Thanks!
Amanda
At our house, at least, the sofa gets a LOT of use. So no…I couldn’t order one online. As it is, I learned more about what works for our family with the last few we bought (and we even saw them in person!)
1. NO LOOSE BACK CUSHIONS!!! I can’t tell you how often I have to straighten, fluff, and pick those stupid things up off the floor. Yes, I like being able to take the fluff out and wash them, but it’s not worth the trade-off.
2. a higher back makes for a more comfortable seat. Yes, I love the lower back sofas for looks too, but when you have to figure a way to shove a pillow behind your neck to hold up your head during a long movie (or when you’re too sick to fully sit up), it just isn’t fun.
3. Cotton upholstery sucks. It may be okay for a slipcover, but for fixed upholstery, it stains, doesn’t come clean, gets water marks if you try to clean it and frankly, just wears out quickly (we had one that the fabric just split from front to back). I know microfiber is a love it/hate it thing, but I take our cushion covers off and throw them into the washer. When they come out, I put them back on the cushions to dry and it looks like an almost new sofa.
4. classic styling is best. Even if the upholstery wears out, if you have a classic shape, you can slipcover without it looking dated. We have the world’s most comfortable ugly-shaped sofa. And no amount of slipcovering will ever make it look better.
5. No T-shaped seat cushions. T shaped cushions are not as easy to rotate for wear. It seems as though a sofa always has a “best seat in the house” place that everyone fights over. That cushion gets more wear than any others, and the center always looks almost new. I like consistently sized cushions so we can rotate them regularly for even wear.
6. Think hard before buying a couch with piping on the cushions. Yeah, it looks great at the store. And then people sit on it…and it starts to migrate southward and get more wear than anywhere else. I have one without and one with. The one without looks newer even though it’s about 3 years older and gets less use.
7. Even though we’re fairly short, we prefer a slightly deeper seat. I don’t like feeling like I’m perched on the couch. Most of us curl up when we sit on the sofa or we use the ottoman (or abdomen, as my then-5-year-old called it).
Of course, this is what we’ve learned works for OUR family. YMMV.
Great points, Shawnda! The loose back cushions drive me nuts! I also refuse to get T shaped cushions because I can’t flip them around.
Thanks!
Amanda
I love that sofa from Home Decorators as well but I am searching for it in a different color. Perhaps blue or orange velvet. Has anyone seen anything like that for less than $1000? Thanks.
Hi Melanie!
I haven’t seen new tufted sofas in a colored velvet for that price. Hope you find what you’re looking for!
Thanks!
Amanda
We’ve had so many sofas, its become a joke around here. Between the living room and family room we’ve purchased six sofas in the past 8 years. All were purchased via craigslist or consignment. My husband is a bigger dude at 290#, so we’ve learned cheaper construction is a total waste if money in this house. The absolute best sofa we have had was an Ethan Allen slipcover sofa. Its the one that got away 🙂 The scale was all wrong for our room, but we should have kept it. After 2.5 years in our family room, the cushions hadnt compressed at all and the off off white slipcover looked brand new after some time in the bathtub with oxiclean. Our current family room sofa was our most expensive purchase. Flexsteel. Hate it. We’re moving soon and we’re buying an Ethan Allen sofa when we get settled in.
I found this link on pinterest…it had some nice choices.
http://retrorenovation.com/2011/08/15/update-28-places-to-shop-for-an-affordable-midcentury-modern-style-sofa-or-couch/
Hi Lissy!
There are so many great sofas on that list! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Only 4 years of life in your sectional? Who makes it? I want to avoid any such mistakes. My general advise is: you get what you pay for, and washable slipcovers are a godsend with kids and pets. (I made mine from prewashed drop cloths.)
Hi Pamela!
I’m not sure of the brand, but we bought it at Costco for 700 or so bucks. Our biggest problem is the spring cushion design. Can’t fix a wonky spring.
Thanks!
Amanda
I’m right there with you in sectionals! We have a big u shaped one that actually does have reversible cushions, but we can’t rearrange and have the same dead space issues, plus, not enough places to put end tables so when I host book club what’s a girl to do with her glass of wine?! I know, big problems, but it’s the little things that add up!
I bought some custom made furniture for my mom once (two side chairs and a sofa) from furniturelandsouth.com and loved it all. She wanted a particular style I just couldn’t find locally. (you can see the pictures here http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/12512250/thumbs/Fire-Rebuild-1-500-s-f–3-2–1-story–slab-on-grade–CA-ranch). It wasn’t cheap though so I suppose you get what you pay for. I’ve bought a few things from ballarddesigns.com but never a couch. I really, really need one for myself though but there are so many other things on my list for my new(ish) house that it’s been put on the back burner. I bought a stretchy cover for it that probably wasn’t worth the $100 I paid for it but it made me feel better about the couch.