At the tender age of 28, I have finally reached a benchmark of American adulthood: I am about to purchase my very first real couch. (That is, of course, if you don't count the giant corduroy lump I purchased at Big Lots as a college junior. Which I don't.) The search for the sofa has been going on, informally, for more than a year. That's longer than I spent looking for a car. Longer than I looked for a house. A sofa is a big deal.
Part of the difficulty of the search is the level of attachment I feel to my current couch. Not the corduroy lump, but my 'main' couch, an ugly plaid monster purchased by my parents circa 1976. That couch has been my couch my whole life, from birth through college (when I inherited the monster when my parents upgraded) and on into adulthood. Thinking about replacing it has made me realize just how big a role my couch plays in my life.
Engaged as I am in sofa-related pontifications, this NPR story pondering the meaning of the American sofa came at just the right time. The sofa, it points out, is 'home base, North Star, study carrel, dining booth and royal throne rolled into one.' It's where we watch TV, learn to kiss, learn to create. It's where our friends sleep when they're on vacation, or too drunk to drive home. It's the repository of accumulated years of fast-food crumbs and pocket change.
All this has made me feel a little better about my big search. Maybe it's normal to get a little attached to a piece of furniture on which one spends so much waking time. Maybe all the time I've spent on catalogs, Ebay searches, and visits to thrift stores is justified - after all, this could be the couch that my kids end up lugging off to college. Maybe it's worth it to find the one that is not too big, not too small, not too hard, not too soft, but the Goldilocks of sofas - the one that is just right.
Read more: The Deep-Seated Meaning of the American Sofa from NPR
Image: Dierk Schaefer/Flickr via NPR
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I fell in love with my sofa when I was 10... Two sets of my parents' friends had just bought it; one set had it in a contemporary flecked beige velour, another in a blue and white gingham (!). I vowed to myself that when I moved out of the house, that too would be my sofa. And it was!!
My husband loves it so much that when it came time to retire it, he insisted on going out and buying the same one (our first was an anthracite grey canvas; this time, he picked bright red microsuede).
I wish you similar luck in your search for sofa love.
I know exactly how you feel, sofa shopping can be tricky. This is a central piece of furniture, not just decor-wise, but life-style-wise. Your sofa really dictates how you'll use the room.
I recently had to replace my first "adult couch" because it was a beautiful tweedy cream fabric that didn't stay cream for long, thanks to my dog. Now I have a gorgeous leather Restoration Hardware-style couch that I had custom made from Monarch Sofas at an extremely reasonable price. I definitely recommend them, if you live near one of their locations! http://www.monarchsofas.com/
Love this post! Not 10 minutes ago I shared this article on my blog because it struck a chord with me as well. I'm in a love/hate relationship with my current couch and I was smiling to myself after finding this article on NPR. It's amazing how a piece of furniture can evoke such emotion and be so influential on our lives.
What about having the couch you already own and love re-upholstered in fabric that matches your home rather than looking for something new? It will probably be cheaper than a new sofa.
How funny... you are totally right! We still don't have one because I can't find the Goldilocks couch! Buying a condo and a car was no problem in comparison. Even remodeling the kitchen got done, but still no couch!
People, it is just a piece of furniture. Yes, it is important to take your time finding one that is just right. It is, after all a big investment. But don't get all touchy feely about it. remember, along with all of the above mentioned roles it has played it has also been a fart absorber, pet but wiper, and other things not appropriate for this forum.
Ha! I remember being sofa-shy. I bought and returned about 3 sofas before settling down with one! Now I've had my current sofa so long, I'm not even sure how old it is, and never want to replace it.
I had this realization over Christmas. I went to stay with my boyfriend, who was moving to a new city and staying in his uncle's spare home which is being readied for a remodel. Most of the furniture was gone, (there were still some tables and chair for eating, but not much else). Most of the missing furniture was totally not even missed, but there is jsut something uncomfortable about being in a home with no couch. It winds up being so central to just "being home" that not having it just makes the place seem uneasy. To be fair, it's London, so if you're sitting around at home that much, you're doing it wrong. Plus, a few months living free in a huge house not having to pay out the ass for a teeny-tiny flat, no one is complaining. But it was definitely a spooky feeling, being around the house with nowhere to park yourself.
Craigslist! Get a fun couch on the cheap, and if it isn't just right you are only out a couple hundred... if that!
Yeah, if you really must replace the old couch, get a second-hand one. That way you are not wasting a lot of money and resources if you end up changing your mind about it. But that being said, it IS just a piece of furniture. I feel much lighter and more free if I'm not THAT attached to my furniture. I do have an antique desk that has been in the family forever and was my mom's( when she was young) who has passed away...and I kind of imagine my own daughter using that as a school desk as well.. so I understand a little bit :) But wooden furniture never goes icky, so that's good. Of course you could re-upholster you old sofa, if it's structurally in a good condition.
do it! spend the money. i cheaped out on nice looking (at first) but ultimately cheaply made couch that was more budget friendly (from a popular retail store). it looked and felt great for 3 months and then springs started popping up and it become virtually unusable. i should have saved the 800 bucks! now i took the plunge and just bought the gus modern jane sofa and it was worth every penny!! i love the look, the comfort and (i've seen it in my office and another friends home) i know it lasts! welcome to adult couch real world
Oh man, I got a brown, ugly, soft couch from a guy off Craigslist three years ago, and it is amazing. Best nap couch ever, and just so soft and cozy. It's been in storage along with most of my things for a year now, and out of everything I miss my couch the most. Can't wait until my fiance and I buy a house so I can bring it back out again!
My fiance traded up his nasty old couches about a year ago, and I think he was so sad to let them go, but they were beyond repair. His new couches are nice, but I just don't think they can compare to my brown monstrosity!
i can so relate to this post