How many months does it take to finish a home? Many, especially if you are your own designer. Sara Kate's been wanting a sofa, but I wanted the p e r f e c t sofa - one that would fit up our four story walkup and into our slim door and which would be super comfy, stylish and modern. We wavered between the Lubi Daybed from CB2, which was nice and affordable and the Princess Daybed at Calypso Home (as in Princess and the Pea)....

Both had the right footprint and suited our taste, but I was loathe to plunk down $800 on the Lubi, when I knew I probably wouldn't want it in my home in five years. The Princess Daybed was my dream - made by the French company, Caravane, it was a base and three thin cushions made of all natural fibers and fillers and had a much more durable and luxurious feeling to it. It was, however, much much more expensive. So we waited...
And waited....
And waited....
For what? For some excuse or some more money allow us to purchase the thing. As luck would have it, I was walking by Calypso two weeks ago and found that they had put all their Caravan furniture on sale at 40% off! Pulling out my credit card, I ordered my dream daybed immediately and they had it delivered about a week later.

This is Caravane's other sofa design
Turns out, this is the first sofa that either of us has ever purchased for our own home. We were so excited we jumped on it and flopped on it all last week. The nice thing about this is that this really can be a bed for guests, and the cushions can even be moved to the floor to accommodate two separate guests.
Now we just need to make sure that Ursula doesn't go near it with any of the ink pens she steals from our bags...
NEW FAMILY HOME LINKS:
• House Tour: Flat Vertical Wine Rack Solution #7
• House Tour: New Family Home #6
• House Tour: New Family Home #5
• House Tour: New Family Home #4
• House Tour: New Family Home #3
• House Tour: New Family's Min Bed
• House Tour: New Family Home #2
• House Tours: New Family Home #1


Sprout Side Table
the sofa in the picture is the one you bought? At the beginning of the post i thought it was the one you were looking to replace...since it looks...ratty.... yikes. i didnt like the pictures in the link either though but that's MY taste. cute room though. And of course you were waiting for it to go on sale! What else is worth waiting for?
thanks, that is now my dream sofa!
:)
Doesn't seem like something I would want to drop that much money on. I have been looking to find a sofa/loveseat with a sleeper or a lounger to accomodate friends in my one bedroom condo. I think I finally found a cheap solution @ Walmart of all places. Its almost identical to the one IKEA has but even cheaper. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9907220
I don't plan on using it but rarely and as decoration. I already have a couch that i'll use in my main den space.
I have a huge issue with couches that don't have arms... BUT it looks nice in your space.
Glad you're happy with your purchase! Finding what you want on sale is always a great feeling.
What a comfy room! Perfect for lounging.
I love to see posts of your new home. Nothing makes one feel grown up like a new sofa. Personally I find daybeds extremely uncomfortable, but that's just me, I have friends who love them. Congrats.
Not to be a total downer, but...seems to me that for much less money, you could have gotten a used twin mattress off of Craigslist, covered it in a nice fitted sheet, stacked a couple of thin Japanese futons on top and voila! Something that looks, for all purposes, identical (considering that's what I thought the couch was, at first), and you wouldn't have to worry about your daughter and her artistic pursuits because you could just launder the sheets/futons.
As a plus, you also wouldn't have to worry about small toys getting lost under the "couch".
In person the princess day beds are gorgeous and quite luxurious in a very sensuous way and cannot be copied simply by stacking futons on top of a twin mattress. The linen on the base gives the piece quite a bit of texture as does the material of the futons. Perhaps the pictures don't do it justice, but these lavish beds are really something to behold & give a subtle but unmistakable feel of opulence and extravagance. There is nothing "ratty" about them.
I like it (not sure how much you paid for it), but it seems to me like it needs to be up against a larger (wider) wall and to have some organic elements around it - natural, rough, unfinished woods, woven basket, driftwood, etc. It really seems to be a bohemian-old french country mash-up sort of thing. More natural colors needed to work with it. A good start might be to have it on the wood floor and not the pinkish carpet.
I am sure the room is a work in progress and I must say the couch makes me want to sit on it.
It's always worth the wait to make the right purchase -- learned that lesson many times over!
Maxwell
Sorry to ask such a boring question. i know the information was in a previous post abouit hour home, but i recently spent a good hour searching the site and couldn't find it. could you tell me the name of the company/website that makes you throw blanket (the orange one on your rocking chair)?
thanks!
The more I look at it, the more I love it. How chic!
@Timmy -
Perhaps you're right and I'd just have to see it in person. I can say that I like it much better in the more opulent fabrics like in the picture on this page: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/at-email/at-email-new-caravane-sofas-at-calypso-home-2808-043028
I think that one would look fabulous in a Moroccan-themed room.
Actually, thinking of it in that respect, maybe part of my problem visualizing this couch is that it's the only "loungey" piece in a room with a modern theme. Maybe the couch just looks out of place?
Maxwell -
I'm Sorry - but I don't see the least thing appealing about it as a sofa - Nice kids bed, I guess...
...and where are the brightly-colored fabric covers like what's is on the website...?
Maybe it's just a bad photo that doesn't convey the luxuriousness of the daybed, but I just don't get it. It looks comfortable for lounging, but I just can't see why it is drool-worthy. It doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the room.
ratita-
The throw looks like the pom pom throw from Calypso home...
http://www.calypso-celle.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=17329&category_id=363
I think it's just the way it was photographed. After studying the photo for a couple of minutes, it's growing on me.
I think with all the drapey/unstructured elements in the room now, the curtains are looking a bit - droopy. I think shortening them so they're not pooling on the floor would balance the room a bit better.
Enjoy your sofa Maxwell!
Let's make a vow to take photos with people actually sitting on these fab furnishings. How does anyone read a book? How do you sit with a drink in your hand? Is there a table on the other side? Or do you need one of those little short-legged tables?
The original post (with the Moorish touch) made it look like the world's biggest cat bed.
You can take pictures with people in them, but then you get a bunch of people complaining about there being people in the photos.
It's perfectly beautiful. I love it.
It's an anecdote. The man did not post this so anyone else could find his couch selection appealing. He posted it to share his triumph in finding the right piece for his home. You don't have to like it.
Just respect that the man way that was right for *him* as you go the way that is right for you.
Then what's the point of the site? What if what's right for him is a pile of old rags? It's a design site. We're allowed to critique the design.
I understand about the photos of people, but so many seating elements look great, and sit bad.
Wait, is that the prized sofa on the picture? It looks pretty ratty and unintentional, with all those covers thrown on it, half-unmade bed, half college dorm. Not chic, but very country-home like.
Is that the effect you were going after?
the point of the site is to decorate and design to your own personal taste be that a pile of rags, no furniture at all, cold mid-century metal or cushy french-moroccan daybeds.
focus on the spirit, not the item.
I only like it with the luxe colorful morrocan fabric covered mattresses shown on the website not in th taupe beige bland shown. It's nice that the person is happy and got a good deal (always great!) but this is not my definition of a livingroom sofa. I love morrocan stuff and would've purchased the brightly colored ones for a 2d bedroom/office and played up the decor to suit it...
as i have a back problem and need support when i sit I would find this sofa very uncomfortable to sit on (too deep) -- so i would sit in one of the chairs. sometimes more structure is better.
Congrats on finding the perfect sofa.
thanks gina!!!
oh my! this is lovely. all those people above calling the sofa by various names are hilarious. M and SK have a unique and singular taste, and their abode wouldn't be able to be mass produced. not like all these people on AT who reproduce rooms from west elm and call it "modern" or, god forbid, "chic." This room looks so homey and comfortable it makes me want to doze off. so nice!
I love it. It's very Left Bank. Congrats.
May I suggest, though, that with the heft of the new sofa, the gauzy curtains look a bit flimsy? Have you thought of a bold graphic for curtains -- maybe a Marimekko? Just a suggestion. Your place looks great.
looks comfy. I'd hate to have to straighten the pads every day, though. looks like a 2 person job.
I like daybeds. they're a lot more useful than you might think, so long as you're under 45 and still have enough flexibility to lounge a bit.
Wow - this is also my dream sofa but didn't know this actually existed. This appeals to my "yogic" sensibilities, and if I recall correctly, both M and SK are fellow ashtangis. Love it!
I am torn on this one...in terms of a design aesthetic, I actually do like it....it's different, and ratty in a chic way...you want to sit on it just for the novelty of how different it is...but I'd only want it if I were much younger (I'm 29), could get it really cheap, and if I could have done it in a color or pattern. But it honestly looks like a twin bed with a few cushions on top and muffed up a bit. Wouldn't it make your back hurt after awhile? Maybe I'd have to see it in person...I know I've purchased a few things that were just 'meh' in a picture but gots ooohs and aaahs in person. They say photos never lie...but they do!
I have been switching that sofa with other types in my head, and for that place, I think it's just wonderful, it is such a warm room - something else would be dissonant with the atmosphere, and glorified cat bed or not, that sofa looks incredibly inviting.
Not a big fan of sofas without backs but I like the look at least. It's worlds more interesting (and unique) than the CB2 daybed so it's good you waited for it.
This is all kind of amusing. At least you got a conversation started. For all of these people who live vicariously through the Anthropologie set of rules, your choice won't make sense. It is very french. It is a far cry from the tailored modernist sofas that Kartell would be touting and therefore probably kind of obscure for people in the American "design realm", but it is a gorgeous piece. And the fabrics are probably devine, as natural fibers always are.
It is a beautiful piece.
A delightful concept, and the divan looks lovely. Congrats.
Love it all. Can you please tell us where you got the rocking chair in the corner?
Thanks for sharing.
It's a joke....right?
I can't say I love the that maxwell bought since I basically did that set-up with earthy linens over a straw pallet and a foam sponge pad when I was in the Peace Corps. My house was quite elegantly appointed for the siuation, but it isn't something I'd like to recreate state-side.
That said, I adore the brown sofa, it looks like it would be lovely for napping though I do like to be able to lean against more of an arm if I am reading. I'd love to have the luxury of different couches for different needs...
It looks super comfy...I am glad that you found what you wanted, on sale - 40% off!! That is killer. And that is what counts the most! :)
I have taken my time here, read the posts, looked at the picture, pondered... and I can see why you like it. It looks opulent with all the layers.
However...
It would fit better for me more, overall, I think in a different setting though. It there was an overall aesthetic of French design - milky floors, and giant windows, lots of white furniture...or as the other poster mentioned, more of a Moroccan look - it just looks a little frumpy in that room. It needs to have other pieces speaking along with it, in the room, in the direction of its design; in my opinion, it can't stand alone in an "ikea" looking room and define itself as spectacular.
Ouch - sorry to be critical. I bet it is comfy as it gets!!!
I blame the red carpet. Those cushy, naturally sloppy elements need to breath on clean, flat wood.
this SCREAMS dorm room
Love it....what a bunch of negative opinionated a@sholes!
Caravane's sofa would have suited your room well, especially with some of the Moroccan pillows it is shown with.
I am afraid a mattress with pillows on it does not qualify as a sofa. While I am okay with armless sofas (I'm sitting on a togo as a type this), in my mind, they have to have a back and be shaped for sitting comfortably.
In a small space, a sofa has to be super-comfortable -- for sitting. I look at the room and hope that I am the lucky soul who gets to sit in the rocking chair if I am ever over... Day beds are....beds, they are not sofas.
i seriously thought this post was going to be how to make a sofa out of an old mattress and some pillow tops from ikea...
whatever you paid 40% off or not you paid too much
thanks for the post. i love the look of your room, including the red carpet! on another topic, i was also looking to purchase the rocking chair, but was worried about the comfort level. do you like the chair, and is it comfortable? many thanks.
There were way more critical comments that were deleted.
Now that it has been a few months, I would love to hear an update of how this sofa worked out... Is it comfy, do the thin cushions slide around or stay put, has it been used a guest bed, etc.
Where is the rocker from? Love it!
Maxwell: Your AT readers would *love* an update on your space, esp how your sofa has turned out.
You out there? Do you listen to your devoted readers? Hellooooo!!!
You either get it or you don't. I do, and love it. It's an especially beautiful buy for anyone who's interested in making their home kid friendly. Ooh la la.
This is freaking hilarious! I had just been asking Maxwell in his new color posts to let me in on where he got this lovely, simple piece and am so glad he has shared. Although it is definitely out of my price range, it is absolutely ideal for one of my left bank-meets-morrocan-meets-boho-chic rooms - and hopefully I will be able to find something a little more affordable to suit me and my style. Meanwhile, the wildly divided response to this single divan has really cracked me up: its like the whole world has gone insane with their cookie cutter big box store sofas - the same sort of status symbol as their cars have become. It's just a cushy, chic daybed in natural linens - not a creature from outer space, or some unusable/un-sit-on-able avant guard mystery sofa -- OR alternately, a 'ratty' dorm piece or giant, armless (god forbid) cat-bed - ha ha. Oh my goodness - seems like such a silly controversy. Oh well. I can honestly say 'thank you' and I will keep my comments on elements of the room that may not be my personal taste to myself - and commend you on creating a space that you absolutely love that fits your style.
I love the idea and look and think I want to have a room like this in my new place. I love the light and airy feel, love the way you've found toys that don't scream "A KID LIVES HERE", but don't have to be hidden. The way you describe the lighting effect with the shades of white in the small cool book is very smart and really finnishes a room that could easily be confused for a renters white at first glance (and also keep me out of trouble if a landloard didn't want you painting.) It's interesting and bright though. I also think even four hundred dollars for this is outrageous, although if it's all natural fibers I guess I can see it. I think I'll just buy some linen and maybe burlap for texture and make some cushions, throw 'em on a matress. Jo Ann fabrics has sheets of foam the size of a twin bed that would be perfect for making cushions.
Great choice! I think your new sofa is beautiful. I would love to take one home myself, but the hubby would never go for it. Sigh.