Hello AT,
I have a terrible sloping sofa that literally gives me motion sickness when I'm on it. I never made the plunge into Pottery Barn land despite the props for the troy sofa on this site because I like higher arms.
I'd like a comfortable sofa I can stretch out on and which has a comfortable arm I can prop my bended arm on when I'm staring straight at the tv like this Recamier on the left.
But my taste runs to the Goetz sofa. The only thing that's keeping me from considering the Goetz sofa IS because I think the Recamier would be sooo comfortable. I would sacrifice good looks for the best lounge of my life but the horchow collection is mail order only. Does anyone have any experience on this kind of sofa?
Thanks! Sofa Boy
(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
editor(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
Link To All Good Questions
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
editor(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
Link To All Good Questions
C) Of equal importance.
I'm with Jed. I might buy an ugly, but comfortable pair of shoes. . . on second thought, no I wouldn't. Both are equally important. That said, I don't think the Recamier looks very comfortable.
I have a leather sofa and find it very comfortable actually - I fall asleep on it all the time.
That being said, I'm not sure either one of these options looks particularly comfortable, shape wise.
And it looks like it'd be a pain in the ass to keep clean!
I voted "comfort" because the primary thing for me is how I feel sitting on it. That said, I've sat on some comfy couches I wouldn't allow within 50 feet of my door. The comfort thing is personal and why, when I was faced with my sofa purchase last year, I didn't do mail order. I might do that for an armchair, but the sofa needed to have the "butt test" as far as I was concerned.
EQUAL
I wouldn't buy an ugly sofa because it's comfortable (unless I can make some asthetic changes to it like slipcovers) but I wouldn't buy a sofa because it looks great but uncomfortable. Both qualities are #1 in choosing a sofa and/or chair.
Equal! That said, I love my leather sofa, but the one pictured above does look like it would be tough to keep clean. Neither choice screams comfort to me.
I prefer leather because it gets better with age, and is really easy to clean. Fabric just gets yucky . . .
I say if you are not entirely *sold* on either, don't *buy* either. Keep shopping.
If you like the streamlined, simple Goetz, you'll hate yourself for buying a more elaborate tufted number. The ultimate in Depressing Decor is a "good" piece on which you dropped a significant chunk of money -- but that you can't stand to look at.
Hold out for a sofa with Goetz-type lines but the level of comfort you want. With all the retro modernism running loose, there must be something out there.
Comfort vetoes style. The Goetz Sofa looks great.
I have this same comfort/style problem with the "Tufty-Time" sofa. I neither like the looks or comfort (but hey, I do admit I haven't sat on the TT. I might be wrong)
http://la.apartmenttherapy.com/la/012006/news/wallpaper-magazine-names-best-furniture-designer-005983
http://crunch22.blogspot.com/2006/01/first-rule-of-furniture-design.html
The curvy sofa doesn't look particularly comfortable to me, either. I vote for the Goetz.
I think you should go with a squarish sofa if that's your style, but consider something with a lower arm. There's no hell like trying to relax on a boxy sofa when the arm juts into your damn neck...
My next sofa is going to be very deep, maybe a microsuede, with lower arms and back.
Throw pillows can go a long way in making a sofa more comfortable, but nothing can redeem a Barcalounger. I think the pictured sofa looks cushy enough--you're not sitting on it for 8 hours.
I like a sofa with high arms as well, and I like it firmer rather than softer. My sofa is an antique and I'm pluncking down a fair bit to have it re-upholstered, but I couldn't find anything I really like with high arms. I say hold out for something you really like that you find comfortable.
I dislike the Goetz & think it is as impractical, in its own way, as the Recamier (which is at least attitudinally faaaabulous... imagine it in red velvet!) The high sides on the Goetz will be too vertical for the kind of comfort you want, and will probably lend themselves to a feeling of isolation (my complaints with the similar CB2 "Shelter" sofa). Aside from the point about the tuft-cleaning issue on the Recamier, which is one I hadn't considered, I think it's a much more graceful piece - it makes a statement. The rest of the room must either be quiet and tasteful or COMPLETELY over-the-top - no middle ground.
(it's funny that i hate the goetz, as i ordinarily love mid-century-modern-influenced design. i just think those super-high arms are TOO high... to lean on, to converse over, etc. this weekend i sat on a marvelous tiny loveseat that was like a widened slipper chair. apple green velvet, tufted arched back, curves all over. and a little 5-month-old pug jumping all over me! :) I understand that others might have hated it, though.)
Right, I want something that will do for your arms similar to when you sink into a bathtub. I saw some sofas that I like in a NYT article about a couple who meshed their two design styles in the NYT a few months ago but I have no idea who does that couch. I think the recamier would be comfortable. I've been on tufted yellow velvet and it was hella comfortable but hell to clean.
Right, I want something that will do for your arms similar to when you sink into a bathtub. I saw some sofas that I like in a NYT article about a couple who meshed their two design styles in the NYT a few months ago but I have no idea who does that couch. I think the recamier would be comfortable. I've been on tufted yellow velvet and it was hella comfortable but hell to clean. Horchow does a custom version of the recamier so red or gold velvet are available. I'd go for the Jaipur fabric but I think leather would be more durable and less odor holding.
I have an Alvar Aalto style sofa that has the uncushioned square arms. I solved the comfort problem by having pillows of varying firmness to prop up against the arms when I'm in lounging mode.
Sofa boy,
did you buy the recamier? I am looking at it as well?
has anyone bought furniture from Horchow? How was it?
The Horchow recamier may not be comfortable because of the pretty dip in the middle (HEART shaped - aww) but they have a regular chesterfield in their custom department. Not as pretty but I think the long lived popularity of this design says something about its comfort.
Here is an article about comfort over style:
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=GENUINEARTICLE-09-02-03
The Room & Board jasper sofa in leather might be an interesting substitute for the Goetz. I love the Goetz sofa, but after extensive couch shopping, I know that you should never buy a major piece of furniture like a sofa without trying it out first. I've lain down on the Jasper and can really get comfy in it. Plus it has that vintage feel mixing leather and wood, not quite as chic as the Goetz but still pretty nice. Plus it's much cheaper. All told, I love the look of the Goetz but unless I can sit in it and test it out, I'm not making a commitment to it.
Here's the Jasper:
http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/coll.do?coll=RB4043&dept=RB101
Meanwhile, I totally LOVE a tufted sofa. I think the constrast between that and a mid-century modern interior is perfect for now, mixing in nicely for a bit of Hollywood Regency. I've been looking for a comfy chesterfield I can afford. I would totally get one if i could test it out first.
Has anyone actually seen the Horchow recamier? Or, sat on it?