Monday, June 02, 2008

My Dilemma

Thanks to Uncle Sam we are getting a new sofa and a chair or two for the living room. This will be the first one since the futon we got mail order from Spiegel after vicarage. Ever since then, it seems like when I couldn't take it anymore, there was always someone going "Hey guys, do you need a couch?"

The couch we have now, which I got from a friend in a trade, has been a good couch. It had already been eight years old, and soon after we got it, the seams started showing some strain and now things look pretty bad. So I am very eager for it to be gone.

But I have had a hard time finding what I really want (for the price that I really want it, anyway). I can find something that looks good, but it is uncomfortable. I kind of like the new mini-sectionals, with the chaise on one side, but I fear that will be trendy and not as useful as even a regular couch. All in all, I feel like I've sat in hundreds of sofas, and haven't been able to find one that I really like.

While doing regular shopping at Sam's Club, not really looking for much, I sat down on the nearest couch to rest my feet. Oh my gosh. It was the most comfortable piece of furniture I had ever sat on. My back felt supported, the material was soft. The arm was at just the right height. To top it off, it was a recliner couch, so when I gave into temptation and pulled the lever, I was practically in heaven. Jeff even came over and we tested its cuddle factor. As far as comfort goes, this couch was a masterpiece.

There's one problem. Its ugly. It's appearance doesn't appeal to me in the least. It is everything I did not want. It is a chocolate brown microfiber overstuffed number. It's very modern. I'm just not a modern furniture person. (it looks closest to this, but just chocolate brown instead). I really was kind of going for a "feel of the ocean" type thing. This makes me think of fudge, potting soil, I don't know what else.....(hubby and kids have given it the complete thumbs up)

This is really more my style....











But I can't escape from the fact that the brown beast is astoundingly comfortable. I am really struggling with my internal lazy hedonist. The recliner that comes with it is also a glider, and it is mega-cozy too.

The dang thing Is a Lane, too. It'll probably outlast me. Though I have to admit, it is the kind of sofa that might be able to be moved to a nice cozy den in a few years and be just fine in there....

So, what do you think?? (Jane?????)

19 comments:

Elephantschild said...

You have a husband, two active kids, AND a dog.

Go for the brown microfiber blob. It will last until you kick, err... MOVE out the last kid.

(But I agree - I like the photo you posted more than those overstuffed modern blobs - I'm a Pottery Barn girl myself. But sometimes you gotta be practical.)

Kristi said...

I understand your dilemma. I too wanta different couch/living room set. We have two couches that refuse to wear out.......Hubby bought couch/chair in 1989 and I bought a used couch in 1990 and they won't wear out...they're ugly....but they sit/sleep well and....

I need to tear out the carpet and put down new flooring first.

Too bad, I was goin to use that stimulus check for curriculum, voice lessons, etc........

RPW said...

Well, I didn't say I would actually GET the white chair.... ;)

You make a good point Pachyderm Progeny

Yeah, if I won the lottery...Pottery Barn or Ethan Allen would probably get my business. Depends on what my mood would be.

There is ONE more store I want to check out before I really decide.

Susan said...

Have you talked to Katie and Nathan about their couch? They had one that looked very very like the dark brown comfortable one you're considering. And I concur -- it was mega comfortable.

However...
the way it's built makes it kind of fragile. Granted, they got it used, although in excellent shape. They moved it to their first apartment, then to the second apartment in FtW. It was moved within the living room a couple of times until the right spot was figured out for the furniture arrangements. But by then, it was getting wobbly and falling apart. They said there was no way it would take the move for vicarage.

Because of the heaviness of the chairs (which is part of what provides the comfortability) and the individual reclinerness, that makes for "hook-ups" between the individual recliners that constitute the "couch." And that's where the couch then gets wobbly.

Something to consider and to weigh against the ultra-snuggly comfort-factor.

RPW said...

You mean it might fall apart before I'm 60??? That might actually be in its favor ;)

I'll check with them. I did check some online consumer sites, and the frame and connectors on the Lane reclining couches are considered to be very good.

Scott Diekmann said...

My thoughts:

1) I do like the look of the "This is really more my style" one better.

2) I've gotten over the "fashion statement" in my life (if I ever had one), in favor of practicality, so it seems that going with the rest of the family might be the best bet.

3) Lazy and hedonist don't necessarily go together, although it could be a winning combination.

4) If you are a lazy hedonist, that Wittenberg Trail photo of you might be somewhat of a misrepresentation, although I'm thinking it's the other way around, and the photo is the more accurate of the two descriptors!

Jane said...

Okay, you've got to remember that I'm the one who shopped for over two months for a couch. I ended up driving to Berne. And I spent more on it than I've ever spent on anything except a car or a house. :)

I also have two of the ugliest recliners on the face of the earth that I wish would just die so I can get rid of them.

You need to ask yourself how important the look is to you. I lived with a couch that I hated for almost fifteen years. I was determined to find something that was "me" this time. At the same time the purpose of the couch is sitting, preferably in comfort. (And you two probably have the same issue Colin and I do with finding something comfy for both of us.)

If I could go back, I would not buy my recliners. Their ugliness bothers me. And although they were La-z-boy and not particularly cheap, the comfy went away pretty fast.

I probably would keep looking and try to find something that I like, but that's today. My answer could be different tomorrow. :)

RPW said...

Yeah, but you do have a really cool couch. I was looking at it the other night. Your room is pretty much the exact shape as mine...except mine is a little longer.

RPW said...

ROFL

The picture on Wittenberg Trail definitely is NOT me.

I actually put it together because of the old blog "Luther at the Movies" (I miss that one).

He made a statement about not being flexible, and so I created the picture and sent it to him. He responded with "Curse that Pilates Instructor, he told me he destroyed all of those pictures."

Luther at the Movies may be gone (though all the old posts are still there www.lutheratthemovies.blogspot.com), but that picture couldn't go to waste!

Now off to go see the end of the Dodger game....

RPW said...

And lazy and hedonist can be a very winning combination...though it does remind me to go fix the fact that I misspelled it.

Thursday's Child said...

I like both couches but I'd definitely go with the comfy, brown couch. If you really can't get over the brown color you could always recover. I wish you were in Kuwait (or at least had plans to move here and bring it with you) so our friend could do that for you. He's great and does it for a song.

If you can't recover, cover it with pillows and throws that go well with brown but are different colors. Detract from the "brownness" of it.

Nikki Schreiner said...

Okay, maybe I'm the only person who feels this way, but please don't get a couch that you hate! Especially if it's gonna last forever! Women are naturally connected to their homes, including the way they look; God designed us that way. Keep looking. You can find something that has it all, I know it.

RPW said...

Yeah, I have definitely been in a spot more than once where I am putting up with something for years and years because it works...but was only a temporary fix...and then resources were needed elsewhere.

I guess this whole thing is "thinking out loud" where I am trying to determine how much each aspect of it matters to me.

As elephant's child pointed out, I do have two kids and a dog...and we do like to munch in front of the t.v...and I am a bit of a slob...so what I really want probably isn't appropriate right now. And I am a light sleeper and sometimes find that I have to go off by myself and the couch is usually where I end up.

But while the picture (or Pottery Barn...covet, covet) is not reasonable right now, I haven't given up in finding something that might be another option.

I do think I can be happy with it as long as I don't HATE it. Silvery blue walls might look good with it. It would be trendy anyway....

Still pondering, and really valuing the input.

RPW said...

Oh, and I'd be open to Kuwait....it sounds FASCINATING!

Dawn said...

We got a couch we really like about six years ago--more modern than bulbous. It was half price because we found it at one of those factory reject places, and all it had wrong with it was a scratch (a tiny little scratch!) on one of the squashy, mostly hidden legs. It still looks fine today (if you don't count the baby drool spots--I'm getting to them, promise!).

So sing it with me! "Factory rejects are our friends! They last 'til the bitter end! They look fine, you needn't squint! And they do not cost a mint!"

Cha cha cha cha! ;)

Kim said...

My thought: you can cover up ugly with a couple tasteful throws. You can't reverse-engineer a perfectly lovely, and thoroughly uncomfortable couch to be comfy.

But then again, my house "theme" is Early Modern Hand-Me-Down, so don't take my word for it. :D

Jane said...

My answer's still the same today. :)

Karen said...

Have you considered purchasing the brown sofa with a different fabric? It may take 6 weeks to arrive, but the sofa could be less offensive while you enjoy the comfort.

Also, check the frame of the sofa before purchasing. All manufacturers make products that look similar, but vary a lot in quality.

RPW said...

Its a Sam Club deal, so getting a different color for that price would not be an option. That is probably one of the reasons why it is such a good buy. The warranty is a lifetime one and we did check underneath. If I were to get it from a furniture store that carries Lane, then I would end up paying twice as much. And I wouldn't pay twice as much for it.

I spent eight hours couch shopping yesterday, and then I went back and tried it again and STILL couldn't find anything as comfortable. There is a sectional that is close down the street though, so hubby and I are going to go down and check one more time.