So, I moved in to my new apartment a few weeks ago, and I've been spending nearly all my free time shopping, thrifting, yard sale-ing, and generally hunting for furniture and those key pieces to help me turn my house into a home. (Two weekends ago, my mom, brothers, and I did a DI Tour of the Wasatch Front: we started in Ogden – Harrisville, technically – and made our way to EVERY DI, Savers, and Goodwill between Ogden and Sandy. It was amazing! Our favorites were definitely the Centerville and Murray DI's, in case you were wondering.)
The biggest ticket item I've been looking for is a COUCH! I've been researching online, searching for inspiration on Pinterest, and looking on KSL, Craigslist, etc., but I was struggling to find what I was looking for. So I made a Google doc and asked Facebook for help. I then spent the day texting and emailing with girlfriends across the country (thanks, ladies!), and I'm SO happy to announce I FINALLY bought a couch last night!! I'm a little nervous, because I bought it online and didn't get a chance to sit on it beforehand, but the online reviews were pretty positive, so I think it'll be OK. :)
Below, is the info that was on my Google doc, but if you want to just scroll to the very end, you'll see the couch I ended up with. ;)
(more after the jump!)
(more after the jump!)
FEATURES I LIKE/WANT
- Fluffy, comfortable to sleep on
- sleeper sofa
- or at least large enough and comfortable enough for a guest to sleep on
- Tufted (I love this style!)
- Dark wooden legs that raise the couch off the floor
- Plush, unique, curved arms
- Fabric that doesn’t look cheap (not picky about what kind of fabric, though)
- Chesterfield shape
- vintage/arched/carved wood shape
- but not too grandma looking!
- LIGHT BLUE - prefered color
- backup colors
- gray
- darker blue
OR
OR even
THE DREAM
Chloe Velvet Tufted Sofa -- $899
Desilu Blue Sofa By Funkysofa - $699 (I love the shape, but not the color)
Velvet Petite Lyre Chesterfield Sofa, Hickory – $2,298.00
Velvet Orianna Sofa – $1,998.00
Velvet Pied-A-Terre Sofa, Hickory – $2,398.00
Here are a few PINTEREST FINDS for inspiration. I like the look of all of these, but I wasn't able to find shopping links for these couches.
THE REALITY (aka more realistic price range…)
Gracie Sofa -- $308 (sky blue)
Milan Sofa in Blue -- $500
Capetown sofa -- $641 (kind of a stretch price-wise and not even the right color…)
DHP Metro Futon Sofa bed -- $315
Andover Mills Bradford Sofa -- $328 (maybe I could use Rit dye to make this one light blue?)
THE FINAL CUT
DRUMROLL, please......
And now, the moment we've all been waiting for (but mostly me!).... I was leaning towards splurging (yes, this is splurging on my budget) and getting this pretty couch from Urban Outfitters. It was the best mix of my desired features, and it was even a sleeper! (The downside was it takes 2-3 weeks for delivery from UO. :-/)
Since UO doesn't have reviews on the website, I took to Google to find the internet's collective opinion on this couch. While sifting through my Google results, I came across THIS life-changing gem!
A nearly IDENTICAL couch for less than HALF the cost of the UO couch!! WHAAAT???! After much deliberation, I'm happy to present unto you:
It'll arive by next Friday. I can't wait! :)
Please tell me what your thoughts and opinions are of this sofa!! I am thinking about purchasing more than one but I do not want to get stuck with a sofa that comes damaged, has rough or uncomfortable fabric or cushions, or does not last very long. I have the exact taste in sofa's but am looking for different colors :-)
ReplyDeleteHi again! OK, the couch... I'm mostly pleased with it! There's a zipper compartment in the back that won't open, and I'm not sure how to attach the spare legs for when it turns into a sleeper, but overall, it's what I expected. It looks good, has a nice shape, and is sturdy. And I was able to put it together all by myself! (Though honestly, having a second person would have helped. I just wasn't patient enough to wait. ;) Heh heh.) I've had three overnight guests use it so far, and all have said it's a comfortable night's rest. (I can vouch for that also, because I tested it out myself!) It's not a huge fluffy sink-into-it kind of sofa, but it's what I expected it to be, annnnd I add the coziness factor with a zillion throw pillows. :) Ha ha! Also, the fact that it doesn't have real tufted buttons actually makes it more comfortable, because you're not sitting or lying on buttons. I hope that's helpful! Let me know if you end up buying it! :D
DeleteHello there,
Deletethank you so much for your blog!! you literally are saving my life, because I too have just moved into my new apartment and need a new sofa but my champagne taste is somehow clashing with my beer budget ;/ lol. Its been over 6 months since you purchased your sofa and i'm dying to know how its holding up??!! how does the fabric wear? Is it still very firm? Any sagging? (in my opinion the firmer the better) How about stains, does it stain easily? How about the cushions, have they lost shape? Are the wooden legs pretty study? All your help would be greatly appreciated! - shay mssshaw2009@gmail.com
Hi! You know, the couch is still doing well! No stains, the legs are pretty sturdy, it still feels firm (though I'm mindful to not sit on it TOO frequently for fear of affecting the shape. I have other chairs in my living room, so it's not like I'm standing or anything. Ha ha.), and I've had many more overnight guests get a good night's rest on it since my last comment. The fabric still looks good also. I sort of wish I'd gotten the Urban Outfitters couch now, just so it would last me a little longer than I anticipate this one will, but I'd still say this a really great budget option. :)
Deletehello there.
Deleteim just a few steps of buying between the Ava velvet and the novogratz, so please let me know about your experiences
Hi there. If your budget is limited, the Novogratz is a great little couch. It's still holding strong after 2+ years. :) If you have the money to splurge, I'd check other reviews of the Ava before making a decision. Best of luck!
Delete