Jun 19, 2009

The Dreaded "X"

I need a new couch.

This isn't a "wow I'm really bored with my current sofa and would really like a new one" kind of a statement. It's a "this couch is old, stained, misshapen, uncomfortable and looked great 11 years ago when it was purchased" kind of a statement.

My couch is a Jennifer Convertibles fantastic find...from 1998. It is sage green with straw colored piping and tuxedo arms. And of course being from Jennifer it's a sleeper...which means it is HEAVY...(so don't envy the movers by the way). When we were searching for a sofa I completely remember looking at fabrics and listening to the salesman talk about cleaning codes and throwing around letters and definitions...and me blithely answering back, "That non-washable brushed cotton twill will be fine...we don't have any pets or kids." Totally jinxed myself with that one...

The first issue came when we tried to adopt a stray cat. (Did I mention I'm not really a cat person...not sure where the head was on that one). This cat apparently didn't want to leave the cold street for a warm loving food filled existence...To show his appreciation he sat at the window screaming to be let out and then peed on the cushion of the over sized chair. You know that over sized chair covered in a "X" cleaning code fabric? Well they weren't lying...not really cleanable.

Then we moved and hired a cheap mover that didn't wrap furniture. So my beautiful sofa and chair covered in their oh so 90's trendy brushed twill were sweated on by my cheap movers...oh and ripped, but you can't blame the rip on the fabric...just on the movers.

Over time the pillows have turned limp and floppy, the piping is worn away at the corners, the front of the sofa has faded to a lighter sage than the sides and the set has suffered more than their fair share of stains, pen marks, etc. Sweetie cracks up whenever I get stressed over a new mark...because seriously, at this point can any new stain make it much worse?

So now I am at a crossroads...excited about the new space and wanting to fill it with a beautiful new sofa...but not sure if I can/should spend the money on it right now. Because truthfully, while my current set is certainly not winning prizes in the beauty department it's still decent to sit on.

Do I go the slip cover route and stretch it another year? Sorry if I offend anyone but I really don't love the look of "one size fits most" slip covers. They seem to be mostly made out of yucky fabrics and I hate it when a sofa looks like it was wrapped in fake suede saran wrap. I'd look into having custom fit covers made but at that point I should probably just replace the set. And as crafty as I am I am totally intimidated at the thought of making my own.

I'm going to wait for enlightenment now...and pass the time dreaming of this little beauty:



That is one good looking sofa...bet it's a dreaded "X"...

1 comment:

  1. I have personally never tried it but people seem to be very successful at finding things on Craigslist. That way you can get a "new" couch but not feel guilty for spending too much. Good luck!

    Kylie

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