Browsing for a sofa causes three distinct reactions in me. Only one of them is particularly pleasurable.
The first reaction comes from shopping in IKEA. At first you’re happy, because everything is so cheap. You bounce up and down on everything and look at the price and feel giddy. But then you realize the sofas are kind of flimsy. They’re easy. They’re...well, let’s not split hairs. They’re a bunch of wanton little tarts. Cheap little things that catch your eye but basically can’t hold up to hard use. And you feel pretty irritated about this, because IKEA has a play area where children can entertain themselves while parents shop. What kind of company would have such immoral furniture when children are present? Figures it’s a Swedish company. Pervs.
Then there’s the more upscale venues like Ethan Allen. Oh, how the sofas flatter your back and your buttocks. And oh, how they’ll blowtorch your wallet. You wonder: is there any way to flatter the back and the buttocks without all those zeroes?
The most pleasurable reaction, though, comes when you see a couch with bright red stripes and frilly pillows and big, gaudy armrests covered with brass tacks. But it’s not just the look; it’s also the $4,000 price tag. And you realize you can’t afford it, but more importantly you have absolutely no interest in it. This is the pleasurable sensation: it’s unaffordable but you don’t desire it. And you stand there for a good ten minutes, grinning at it and gloating. The salesperson floats over to you: “May I answer any questions?” And you reply, “Yes, I’m just curious as to whether Raggedy Ann designed this sofa before or after kicking her crack habit.”
Furniture is not meant to be contemplated. It’s meant to be sipped delicately and then spat.
What, Salvation Army isn’t good enough for you?
Sofa r I like the language in which you’ve couched your concerns.
What is this “couch shopping” you speak of? We always snagged ours from the sidewalks on moving day. Wanton tarts or not, free is good.
jennnnnn, you should know from painful experience that I really need a living room upgrade.
for years my furniture put the “ouch” in couch. Now I want a piece to put the “ass” in hassock.
I don’t know what look you’re going for exactly, but have you tried antique stores? On the right day at the right time, they can have some kickin’ furniture. 40s, 50s, retro...whatever your style. And generally they’re affordable.
Your Dad is killing me with his little pun. Go Daddy-O!
We got our couch at LazyBoy. It was more affordable than Ethan Allen, more sturdy than Ikea and after 3 years is still fully padded. Plus it has recliners built in! Sounds cheesy, but trust me, it rocks.
I have one word for you: Dania. But down your way it’s called Scandanavian Designs.
http://www.scandinaviandesigns.com/?page=shop/category_items&category_id=a10b5d1d7c7745585411b442dc5aa934
Careful with posts like this. Almost a year ago I also went on a heroic quest to find the perfect sofa. I was frustrated with both the selection in stores and the lack of any type of reviews online. Made the mistake of blogging about it. To this day, I get an e-mail at least once a month from people wanting to know if I can tell the difference between various types of microfibers.
The Scandavian Design stuff looks cool. We ended up being total yuppies and buying from Pottery Barn. We have had the sofa for a year now and have no complaints. It’s festively red and comfortable.
okay I’ll admit it: we got the dining table and the AWESOME club chair at Scandinavia Designs; the two super comfy sofas were from Macy’s furniture, which is a good source too. I will be posting shortly about how my taste in furniture will earn me a permanant place in the pantheon of interior decor. I kid not.
D’oh. I forgot. New couch, new couch, out with futons, hurrah! is what I MEANT.
my sofa, which i inherited when friend kevin moved back to the states, is currently blocking my front door (well, in all honesty, my only door). that’s an unfortunate decor flaw. but! in its favor, it seats 2 nicely or 3 uncomfortably, and unfolds to be a sleeper thingey on the floor. also, it is purple. and when i say purple, i don’t mean tasteful autumn colors purple, i mean PURPLE! with streamers and zingy flashing fireworks effects that people who know how to program in java could probably make appear here. it is quite possibly the best piece of furniture in my apartment, and if i have to move back to the states i may well take it with me.
conforama, btw. don’t know if that shop exists over there.
i can’t wait till i’m grown up and, not only need, but am able to afford an actual couch.
What’s with IKEA’s obsession with bright colours and quirky shapes? It’s like furniture for preschools and psych clinics, not homes.
kinda like abba.
no one admits that they like them, but EVERYBODY has the cd.
The big advantage with IKEA is that you can afford a new couch every 5 years, which in our current societal trend of serial monogamy (with relationships lasting approximately 3 years) has become necessary: you fall in love, buy new bed and couch, the relationship slowly fades, you break up, you mourn, you fall in love again, buy a new couch and bed, etc.
My dad has two couches. One has a funny smell, and the other feels like your sitting on boards. I figured out that if I sat further to the left on the smelly couch, it’s not so bad.
I’d trust IKEA more if they had actual items of their furniture in the playrooms, instead of thousands of little balls. I’m pretty sure a couple of 5 year olds could reduce the most expensive sofa in IKEA’s catalogue to tinder in a matter of seconds!!