apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Like the second and third. The first looks, well, beige. Drab. Love the second choice but don't know how much room you have. Also, will you ever be utilizing sofa for guest bed? Knowing what you may use it for might help decide.

green, green and more green :)

Well all I can say is give it the usual craigslist look over. Flop down on it and sit in several places. Any holes or loose springs? Pull out the cushions and look at the underside, they might have been flipped to disguise stains. Look under the cushions and see if it is at least somewhat clean. Give it a good sniff over. Watch out for excessive febreeze.

That said I like polka dots.

There's no telling from a single picture and the name of a retailer - plus since they're used, there may be other issues such as stains, unpleasant smells or damage.

You need to do some legwork and decide for yourself.

We purchased a sofa similar to the crate and barrel one for our business. It sees a LOT of abuse from employees and visitors but after 2 years has held up exceptionally well - it gets my vote!

"custom made" could be a low-end couch ordered from Levitz with a custom choice of fabric. Beware of anything labeled as such.

Crate and Barrel has excellent quality for the price -- but again, craigslist sellers are sometimes liars. Just because a sofa looks like it's "crate and barrel" style doesn't make it so. You'd need to check the labels on the underside, or inside the zippered cushions, etc.

I have no idea what Jordan's is. It might just be a retailer like Levitz and you have no idea whether it's put together with staples or not.

Like everyone says -- you gotta go do an in person visit.

i quite like the first one - it has very nice lines.
the second one is also nice but looks quite big, i guess it would depend on your space.
i really don't like the third.

All those are good ideas. Look at things upside down and check the insides. Ask them to point out any stains or faded areas. Check for odors. Check for pet fur. Ask them why they are selling the sofa. Did they sit on the arms - making them loose?How old is the sofa? What is the fiber content of the fabric? What is the stuffing made of? Has the sofa been cleaned? What process? If they tried to spot clean did they create a worn place where they rubbed? Can you put the covers into the washer and dryer? Tug on the seams to see how they hold up. Maybe you would like wheels or different legs...check under to see if you can make that change. If the sofa has slipcovers or if you can buy them we can dye the slipcovers for you to look fresh and new. www.fabricdyeing.com Denise

I like the first only because it's compact and the shape to me reminds me of hollywood regency style. Not to mention beige can easily blend with any decor or color with throw pillows and maybe a blanket.

I like the first since it is so compact. The third is probably my second choice. If it's a small place, the most comact the piece of furniture is for the most part, the better.

First or third. The second one is an awful picture and, in general, people who take terrible careless pictures also sell junk. I'll bet that it looks a lot worse in person than it does in the photo.