It rains every Wednesday.
So to be honest with you, these pictures are not from today.
But I thought you might like to get a closer look at my “new” sofa.
I turned the corner at the dusty old Cider Mill, our local antiques/junk “mall” and there it was.
I've actually been wanting this kind of sofa in that hopelessly longing, very unspiritual kind of way, which you can verify if you look on my Pinterest furniture board. (Good news, I realize [now] that a sofa doesn't fulfill your every desire and make you perfectly happy.)
I wanted it randomly, just to be wanty, but also to solve a couple of problems. One problem is just lots of people needing to sit comfortably.
Another problem was that we were told that the den sofas would be two weeks at the shop getting re-upholstered. Where would we sit in the meantime? How great would the timing be if I got a sofa for the living room and we could use it in the den?
But sofas with all the criteria aren't easy to come by. (Criteria: Pretty, vintage, not needing any work, going with existing “decorating,” comfy, cheap.)
So there I was, just poking around at the Mill, and turning into one of the little areas they have in that maze of dealers.
It was almost buried in junk, and really, the corner it was in was dark.
One of the things on it was a dog, I kid you not.
But it's newly upholstered, has a down cushion, and in the end I got it for $200.
(I did use the upholstery attachment of the carpet cleaner I rented when the den sofas were being re-upholstered to clean it thoroughly, as it was fairly imbued with junk-store air. That down cushion can hold a lot of dusty air, let me tell you.)
It goes with the old sofa without being an exact match, which would be not good. That one is something I bought at a yard sale for $75 and had re-upholstered when we moved here, so, in 1999. I got the very cheapest of the good, pretty, sturdy fabrics that I could at that time. But, I admit it's dated.
The fabulous linen-y neutral looks that people have going on now just weren't an option then or on my radar. I subscribed to the “use your favorite colors to decorate” school of design, where now I see that it might be better to have the big objects be neutral and/or somewhat contrasting with your favorites, to give a complexity to the overall effect and some flexibility to your accessories.
So even though more blue isn't ideal, and I wish they had used a textured plain linen or velvet instead, it does work for my situation, pretty fabulously.
It's sturdy as only old furniture can be — no plywood, staples, or other shoddy shortcuts here. The thing is a beast, it's so heavy.
We put the ottomans, which were in that spot (and looked fine but are really only good for extra, not main, seating) back behind the old sofa for overflow.
Now for some comfy old chairs… I probably only have to wait another decade and a half!
Lisa G. says
I guess the chairs will come when the time is right! But the couch is VERY nice!!
Maria says
$200 for that beautiful couch? No way! I need to find a used furniture place like that! (or traipse on out to the Cider Mill, wherever it is) I could sure use a beautiful new (used) sofa for that kind of money!!
Teresa says
Fabulous score, dear Leila. The sofa is charming and timeless and I love it.
With such epic events unfolding every few hours in Rome, I needed this homey, girlfriend post to relieve the intensity!
Elizabeth says
very lovely!!! 🙂
Amy says
We also need a new couch and this post helped to focus my list of “What I want in a couch.”
Glenda Childers says
Great find.
Fondly,
Glenda
_Jessica says
How lovely! I wish we had a place to find nice furniture like that around here!
Patty says
You must be getting the snow/rain storms that we get every. Tuesday. The day that I am supposed to drag everyone to the girls' ballet classes. For like 4 hours.
But the sofa is great!!
Theresa says
$200??!!! WOW….that is an amazing deal. I love it.
Mary says
I wish I could come shop in your neck of the woods where deals this good are found and where Cider Mills exist.
Sarah says
What a find! My question though, is how do you get it home? We find good deals on gumtree or craigslist (not great deals like yours!) but we have no way to transport them. Do you just have a big car or van?
Stephanie says
I like how it is Mother Mary Blue and right under the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I could also picture Emma Woodhouse sitting and scheming on it. Very nice indeed. 🙂
Amelia says
Your living room looks so warm and inviting and friendly and that couch looks so inviting to sit on!
lauren says
Very pretty – love the blues. Wondering where you house all of your books…Don't remember seeing a book shelf in your living room posts.
Claire says
Lovely!
Valerie says
Marian blue…so lovely!
RubberChickenGirl says
Score! I too have been wanting that sort of couch but the fabric always is either white-ish or has to go because it's thrashed or ugly. I'll keep waiting. You can see just those sort of couches on my upholstery board….with the lovely textured linen and all. Have you ever wanted to /tried to reupholster something? It makes me more intimidated by it that someone as talented as you hires it out.
http://pinterest.com/rbbrchickengrl/reupholstery-…
RCG
ardanziger says
I love looking at that stellated…dodecahedron or icosahedron?…on your coffee table! Did someone make that, and if so, what is it made from? I was reading your Order and Wonder post, and there it is again; instant wonder 🙂
_Leila says
It's a Moroccan star lantern. It's made of what they call capiz — thin clam shell? It's a little candle holder. Someone must have made it 🙂 It looks handmade. If you google it you will find all sorts of such things!
ardanziger says
Thank you! I'm the visual-brain wife of a math-brain husband, and I think he would love something like that. I just need to figure out how to construct it.
_Leila says
It is made along the lines of stained glass, with something like lead channels for the clam shell.
Melissa Diskin says
I'm wigging out over that sofa.. a bench cushion (no uncomfortable cracks!) is perfect. I also really love your little table with the slender turned legs. My kids are still in the stage of climbing on EVERYTHING so I can only dream at this point of such a cute table…