The Abby sofa looks the best but I bet it's not very comfortable. A sofa is not something you want to go cheap on. It will cost more in the long run.

~Lorrie @ MyDesignSecrets.com

I actually own the case study day bed from DWR, and I like it more than the knock-off. It is quite comfortable even though it might not look it.

I think...even to stay within my budget, I would not get the retro sofa, it is not as pretty or modern looking to me.

If I was going for a different look, however, I might consider it. I don't give a hoot about designer or knock-off, I just care about how it will hold up and how it looks to me and in my space!

cant u get "retro sofa" from urban outfitters for almost $150 cheaper than advertised here, looks the same http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=10&startValue=31&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=13216502&parentid=A_FURN_FURNITURE&sortProperties=&navCount=18&navAction=poppushpush&color=

With the one non-MCM exception, I think the Chiasso versions are reinterpretations of generic mid-century stuff that cropped up all over the place once the Knolls and Eames of the world showed a fair amount of retail success...

So I wouldn't really call these "designer imposters."

None of these sofas look particularly comfy.

The whole problem with going "mid-century modern" is that I grew up in the mid-century, and I have a physical revulsion for certain designs and fabrics. I like the well designed case-study sofa, and frankly it is not that expensive. The knock-off is just plain plain and ugly. Ugly is ugly, beautiful is beautiful. Ugly modern is ugly as ugly Louis XIV knock-offs. These are not so much knock-offs are ugly immitations. They barely resemble the inspiration. I agree with Lorrie; a sofa is not a place where you look to cut costs.

I like the Abby sofa BETTER than the Knoll. Labels and price tags aside, that's the one I'd choose. I like the long, single cushion. Hmm... we need a new sofa, too!

Usbek--

Ugly AND beautiful are HIGHLY subjective.

Stop making it sound like they are measurable absolutes.

If I could choose from one of the originals, it would be the Case Study Day Bed, but the knock off Retro Sofa looks just awful. Out of the knock offs, the Abby Sofa looks the best.
http://www.notyourgoddess.blogspot.com/

I think there is also a case for buying what you can actually afford too. I would love to have the quality of the case study couch, but theres no way I can afford it, at least not right now. If the retro couch was comfortable I'd definitely consider it (alas, it is more than I can afford now too!)

These look horrible. Cheap imitations. Poor Ligne Roset sofa looks especially bad in vinyl. Who would even consider these for apartment? I would rather buy authentic used one.

These look horrible. Just cheap immitations especially poor Ligne Roset sofa in cheap vinyl. I would rather buy used.

Umm... some people can't afford to spend $8,000 on a sofa and it takes some serious planning to save up $1,000 for one too! I think the Abby sofa is beautiful and a great buy for people on tight furniture budgets.

I have to agree with Hollie. I don't care how long it's supposed to hold up, I simply can't pay 2K for a couch.

Besides...why in the world would I spend that much money on something my two year old would shred?

I agree with Patrick (the other one). These look like about a million other sofas out there (except the ligne rosett sofa). However, I think describing an item as a "clearly inferior copy" or an "obvious cheap interpretation" or a "blatant copy" is hardly letting us decide which is our favorite. Sounds more like which is the lesser of these evils. Let people make up their minds themselves, otherwise why are you even surveying us?

The Abby sofa is very impressive, and dare I say a visual upgrade to the classic. I initially thought the Knoll piece was the "cheap" item.

Unfortunately, for these three examples you don't get what you don't pay for. The Moel sofa is one of my favorites - comfy and not as ubiquitous as the Togo.

There was story a while back that the NY Times wrote about antiques was not original and they didn't call them copies but FAKEs. My all time favorite is the Florence Knoll sofa and "the perfect sofa". I picked up mine for $100 on CL. You don't have to pay a of money. It's crazy that people won't pay 2K for a sofa but they don't mind paying big bucks for their BMW, Benz......

PS DWR's Case Study is a Fake. Made by Modernica.

Is anyone else afraid of dropping a few grand on a sofa and then changing their style a few years later or am I all alone? I just bought a brown leather love seat a year ago for $1,500, I'm embarrased to say I got it at furniture row and now I already want something different. I'd like something a little more modern, I want to do my living room in white gray and brown, I'm thinking these are pretty neutral colors and that way I can just change small things whenever my style changes.

Going cheap on a sofa is going to cost you in the long run.

10 years later, I still love my In House sectional sofa even more than the day it was delivered. I wasn't making a lot of money so I took a small loan out to furnish my first home. I wanted to buy pieces that were well made and classic. To this day, it is one of the wisest investments I made.

Omg... seriously? I want everyone to take a moment and think about which two pieces of furniture in your house get the MOST DAILY USE. 9 times out of 10 it will be your bed/mattress and your COUCH.

A couch is not any place to skimp on money - because you generally get what you pay for. If you go cheap on your couch you'll need to replace it in a year or two. Then you've spent twice as much. And you've contributed an entire couch-worth of waste.

Quality should be at the TOP of your list when searching for a sofa. Even if your styles change you can sell a well made used sofa for a lot more than a cheaply made piece.

The big picture means looking beyond your immediate future.

Well, I spent a lot on my mattress, $500! (or 1/2 a paycheque) and I bought my couch on craigslist, for $400. That was a huge splurge for me.

Its not skimping if its within you means, it being sensible and not going into debt.

The retro sofa is not a knock off of the case study sofa, it's a copy of a common danish style vintage daybed. I see them on ebay all the time.
This post was written with an unnecessarily harsh and condescending tone that left me feeling a little icky.

ABC Carpet and Home in NYC used to carry the Abbey sofa (under a different name) and I lusted after it but didn't have the room at the time. It's made by a Canadian company called Skypad, which manufactures a bunch of beautiful, moderately priced sofas:
http://www.shopskypad.com/carbon2008season_products.pdf
I examined it carefully in the store and it seemed very well made, sturdy, and comfortable. And it's gorgeous in person, much better looking than this photo. I wouldn't say it's a "copy" of anything -- certainly not of that Knoll sofa, which looks quite different -- the legs, the cushions, the proportions are all dissimilar.
IMO, this is a great sofa at a reasonable price!

Come on people the 'designer' sofas arent thousands of dollars because they are quality, you are PAYING FOR THE NAME, yes the details better be perfect but i'm pretty sure i could make the case study day bed in the exact same quality for a few hundred dollars TOPS. I would never spend that much money on any piece of furniture, i might spend it on a horse but furniture is just stuff and fairly disposable non essential stuff as far as im concerned.