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Couch!

Moving from a barely 700 sq foot condo to an over 2,000 sq foot house, we knew we’d have some space to fill. Like, a lot of space (a guest room! A larger studio! A laundry room!). For the longest time, the most common question we received from friends after move in was, dude, where’s all your stuff? To which we had to explain, um, this is all our stuff.

Our intention has always been to fill this home slowly and deliberately, and we made a promise to each other that we would only purchase more stuff if 1) it would last for the long(er) haul and 2) made our hearts happy. Truly happy – as in, not just tchotchkes that would clutter and fill for no purpose (we’ve already got enough of that!). And yet recently – maybe it’s shaking off those winter doldrums? (I blame the doughnuts) – we’ve been on a real furniture-filling-spree these last couple of weeks. But with stuff that’s been making our hearts sing!

This past weekend, you may have seen we got ourselves a couch! (And stuffed in the back of our wagon? A pretty chrome chair that Scott swore he absolutely needed to have; I agreed if only because he allows me to paint things pink.)

new-couch-05

We knew we wanted a new couch eventually, but in all honesty, we weren’t planning on purchasing one so soon – after all there are rooms to trim, light fixtures to source and did we tell you that our gutter fell off our house?! At the same time, we didn’t want to settle on a couch we didn’t love, and after a few disappointing rounds at West Elm, Crate & Barrel and salvage shops, we decided to hold off.

Every now and then, we’d be watching a television show and spot furniture we’d like. We’d pause the show, rewind, and slow step towards the perfect couch on the mythical television set. They’d be beautiful and unique, feminine but with a masculine edge. Cushy and deep. Long enough to seat four easily. If only!

Our current couch would eventually find a home in the upstairs studio, but we weren’t in any rush. Rather, we were focused on finding the magical unicorn of couches! Our checklist? A minimum of 95″+ wide (here are the specs on our couch now) and tufting (preferably) with a deep seat. Of course budget is always a factor, so when we saw that Jubilee Furniture was having a 50% off liquidation sale and we spied a gorgeous antique sofa on their weekly round-up for ($80!) we made it our mission to wake up with the sun and go.

new-couch-01

Not knowing the dimensions beforehand, we heaved a huge sigh of relief when we got to Jubilee and saw that not only was it still there (just waiting for us!), but a quick measurement proved that it was almost 100″ wide. Yes! And then immediately after sitting on it, we noticed that it felt a little… wobbly. No! We flipped it over to see that all the springs were in tact, but we couldn’t help but feel nervous. We sat on it for a good 15 minutes (rocking back and forth, pretending to fall on to it – you know, as you do!) before Scott suggested I ask you guys for help. Not surprisingly, you all pulled through, assured us it was worth the risk and another 15 minutes later, we were strapping it to the top of our wagon. Thank you!

new-couch-02

We knew the actual cost of purchasing this girl would be in the upholstery, and we’ve already been talking with our favorite local shop, Covers Unlimited (their quote was not only fair – frame reinforcing and all – but their work is impeccable, as we’ve seen with two previous chairs). The current fabric is in overall great condition, but the yellow satin-like material is certainly not our style. The skirt at the bottom will also go, and luckily, the legs are perfect! As for colors, Scott and I have both been leaning towards something bold – it was our original intention ever since we painted our living room such a pale blue-gray. Think: inky blue, charcoal or emerald. We think.

new-couch-04

Now for the most excruciating part of all – the wait. We’ve made a date to scour our favorite Chicago textile outlet, but we’ve also considered purchasing velvet from West Elm as we have in the past – but that comes with a 4-6 week turnaround (ouch!). Add that to a few weeks for the upholstery itself, and we’ve come to grips with the fact that we will not, in fact, be watching the hockey playoffs from our new couch.

But! We think it will be totally worth the wait. Consider this couch falling under the make our hearts happy promise.

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  • Traci3.25.14 - 8:21 AM

    I really like the shape of it. Good luck!ReplyCancel

  • jenn aka the picky girl3.25.14 - 8:38 AM

    I cannot wait to see this upholstered, especially since you’re going bold. It’s just gorgeous already (even with that not-great fabric), so I know it will be fabulous.ReplyCancel

  • Hannah K.3.25.14 - 8:38 AM

    Before I even read your options, I was thinking how gorge that would look in a deep navy. Yum.ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.25.14 - 8:51 AM

      We are all about navy these days. The doors, the couch… we will see!ReplyCancel

  • caroline [the diy nurse]3.25.14 - 8:39 AM

    I was so hoping you would choose a dark gray color! I think it’ll be such a statement pieceReplyCancel

    • Kim3.25.14 - 8:51 AM

      Exactly! We can’t wait to get this underway!ReplyCancel

  • Heather3.25.14 - 9:01 AM

    Kim,
    That sofa is glorious! I love it and can’t wait to see it draped in some luxe velvet. I wanted to pass on an online shop that I used when I recovered an old wingback chair. I bought the most beautiful midnight blue velvet from them and I couldn’t have been happier with the product.

    http://www.housefabric.com/ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.25.14 - 2:56 PM

      AAH! Thank you, thank you!ReplyCancel

    • tia3.26.14 - 12:25 PM

      Heather, which velvet did you buy from house fabric? I am looking for a navy or dark blue velvet. Thanks!ReplyCancel

        • tia3.26.14 - 12:39 PM

          that is nice! i wish their samples cost a little less.ReplyCancel

          • Kim3.26.14 - 12:50 PM

            Tia, I completely agree. I was surprised they were $5/ea! At the same time, Scott reminded me that a few samples would still be worth it for the hefty cost of upholstering an entire sofa though. (I hate it when he’s right, ha!)

      • heather4.8.14 - 2:59 PM

        Sorry about the delay. I have been on vacation and not keeping up with “my blogs”. The velvet I ordered was called Geneva Midnight. I don’t see it on their website, currently.ReplyCancel

  • I’m so excited and can’t wait to see what fabric you choose. I’m posting a ton of pictures of our lovely-lines-but-needs-redone sofa on Thursday!ReplyCancel

  • Lydia3.25.14 - 10:33 AM

    I just had 3 chairs recovered at Covers Unlimited too. They are amazing! Good Luck!ReplyCancel

  • Susan @ Jubilee Furniture3.25.14 - 10:48 AM

    So sorry I missed you and Scott, Kim! I LOVE that sofa! Yay! It will be gorgeous in whatever fabric/color you pick! I think I know the chair Scott couldn’t live without too (which I also LOVE). Well done!ReplyCancel

  • Kerri3.25.14 - 11:36 AM

    i immediately thought navy… the couch is a gorgeous shape. cannot wait to see what y’all choose!ReplyCancel

  • angela3.25.14 - 12:10 PM

    I cannot wait to see the final result! What an amazing shaped sofa!

    Angela @ Number Fifty-ThreeReplyCancel

  • ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com3.25.14 - 12:12 PM

    it’s sad that I didn’t even know this place existed! I literally live across the street!!ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.25.14 - 12:14 PM

      Ashley, go! Go now! (Well, go on Friday when they’re open!) This coming weekend, everything will be 80% off as they prepare for their move into a new space.ReplyCancel

  • alexis3.25.14 - 12:19 PM

    I was so excited and inspired when I saw you guys post this on instagram!
    I rent, but my landlord finally agreed to pull up the 5 year old carpet and refinish the hardwood floors that were underneath. This has inspired a ton of other home improvement projects I’ve wanted to tackle; repainting, building new shelving, redoing my craft space, buying/refinishing furniture, painting the kitchen cabinets, and on and on and on.
    Thanks for the continual inspiration :)ReplyCancel

  • Megan3.25.14 - 1:22 PM

    Oh – Go emerald!! I love it, and love the legsReplyCancel

  • Rachel H3.25.14 - 1:45 PM

    I love it! Have you thought of dying the current fabric to enjoy it now before you recover it? It could also help you decide on a color! I saw where Kara Paslay dyed a couch emerald on her blog. Can’t wait to see what you decide!ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.25.14 - 2:13 PM

      Oh, wow! If we weren’t ready to go full steam ahead, I bet that would be a great in-the-meantime solution! I’ll have to check out what Kara did. Thank you!ReplyCancel

  • Melissa B.3.25.14 - 3:08 PM

    This sofa is/will be amazing, I can picture it already! Another fabric source option: http://www.modern-fabrics.com ! They have a brick-and-mortar shop in Charlotte, NC as well. Both the web and actual shop have a ridiculous selection of reclaimed (but unused) commercial and decorator upholstery fabrics. Some of the fabrics are considerably less expensive, some are still a splurge. Hope it helps for this or future projects!ReplyCancel

  • Can’t wait to see what this will look like in the end! I have an old chair that is just waiting to be redone, I can not decide on the fabric!ReplyCancel

  • Julia@Cukoo4Design3.26.14 - 6:54 PM

    Such an awesome sofa! It
    I went to an auction 3 years ago and they were selling a sofa just like this in canary yellow velvet. Nobody wanted it and it sold for $15 in awesome condition. I wanted it so badly but had nowhere to put it. I still think of it all the time ;)ReplyCancel

  • […] anyone else taken the upholstery plunge? (It seems to be the season for it based on Yellow Brick Home’s recent find.) What piece did you get done? Were you surprised by the variance in quotes? Did you have trouble […]ReplyCancel

  • Michelle3.27.14 - 8:03 PM

    Just came across your blog and I have to say you have a winner there in that couch! I love the tufting and the enormity of it! Can’t wait to see how it turns out. We currently have an old chesterfield couch in our garage awaiting for us to pull the plug on reupholstering it!ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.28.14 - 8:44 AM

      Good luck with it! I bet it will be gorgeous all spiffed up.ReplyCancel

  • […] by Little Green Notebook and Yellow Brick House, I got it in my head recently that I wanted to take the skirt off of D’s favorite things in […]ReplyCancel

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