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lady_west

Will any of these sofas/chairs work?

Lady_West
9 years ago

Hi, still looking for a sofa and chairs for my new place. I had settled on the idea of the pottery barn basic in a navy ticking stripe, but I'm hesitant to spend more than a few hundred on a fabric sofa with my young kids. I'd be okay spending a lot more on a quality leather sofa, but I'm not sure leather will work as the feet will be visible.

I'll link to my previous post, here's a quick synopsis: 1920's brick bungalow. Going for a vintage early american/cottage sort of look. Most of the furniture will be ethan allen colonial style maple in a nutmeg finish. Leaning towards a cream/buttermilk wall color, blue and red transferware on the walls. Cozy.
What I'm going for:

Here are a few CL options.

Colonial wingback chair. I am pretty sure I will buy this regardless of whatever else. I plan to recover.

Wingback chair & 1/2 w/ottoman. I like this shape, but not sure how it will work size wize. Would recover though I think it is kind of a shame as the current upholstery is great in its own way.

Broyhill floral sofa. This has a similar look as the PB basic. I like the print, slightly concerned that the background color of the print (oatmeal?) might be hard to match when recovering the wing back chair, or with drapes.

Check recliner sofa/love. Not looking for a recliner, but I do like checks. The highback style matches the wing back chair but maybe it's too much? Is it too 70's/80's? If I got this I would do the wingback chair in a floral.

Blue leather. Most leather sofas wont work due to the feet. This looks like it might work as the finish might be close enough to the color of the nutmeg maple, looks like it is oak though? I like the blue, is it too 80's? It may be too big and it is kind of expensive for CL.
{{gwi:1656436}}

Red velvet Ethan Allen. I like red, not sure I want a red sofa. The back of this looks like it would work with the wing back chair, but the arms may be too formal or something.

Floral set. This is being sold as a set. Would not work with the colonial wingback, but does come with its own chairs. I do like the sofa print, not sure if the shape is right though.

So what do you think? Any of these. Most pieces are $200 or less, with the exception of the sets $400-500 and the blue leather sofa which is listed at $800.

Right now I'm leaning towards the brown check sofa/loveseat with the colonial wingback recovered in a floral print. I just wish the check wasn't brown, not sure how that will work with pale yellow walls.

Here is a link that might be useful: previous thread

This post was edited by Lady_West on Fri, Apr 25, 14 at 1:13

Comments (18)

  • seww
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    They all look really dated to me. Upholstering is expensive and I'm not sure any of the furniture is worth spending that kind of money. Have you looked at Ashley furniture or store of similar price points? That might be more economical than buying fabric and paying for an upholstery job.
    I'm kind of paranoid about bedbugs and wouldn't purchase any used fabric covered furniture.
    Sue

  • Lady_West
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would only recover a chair, not an entire sofa.

    Yes, the thought of a used upholstered item can be kind of gross I admit. I would only purchase if pristine. That said, I have a 3 & 4 year old and while we don't eat meals on the sofa or anything, my whirling dervish of a son has perpetual grape jelly hands. So nothing will remain pristine and I cringe at the thought of a $2000 pottery barn sofa being ruined. I currently have leather which has been great for clean up. Not sure leather will be right for the new house.

    I *am* going for a dated look, not too many people buying colonial style maple furniture these days, which explains why I'm able to find quite a bit for next to nothing. I do want to avoid overly dated or anything that screams 70's. So I have concerns about some of the sofas. That said, I love checks and plaids mixed with florals. I'm trying to find a balance between the obviously 50/60's case goods/ occasional tables and the upholstered seating.

    Maybe I should stick with the PB ticking stripe and get the colonial wing back recovered in a fun floral. :(

    This post was edited by Lady_West on Fri, Apr 25, 14 at 1:50

  • anele_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, the fact that you ended your post with a sad face re: the PB sofa means that should be crossed off the list!

    I read your last thread awhile ago, and I have to say, I really, really appreciated it. I have had a bad reaction to Colonial Revival (and always dismissed it), but when I saw it through your eyes, I started to see what you see. Thank you for that.

    A chair I bought recently has the original fabric from the '20s. So, 80+ years old. Yup, there is an area where you can see it darkened from people's oil. Gross, huh? But, the chair wasn't exactly cheap, believe it or not, and my 7 year old adores that chair as is and tells me not to recover it. We were driving in the car the other day and she said she couldn't wait to get home to the chair, haha! Someday, we will recover it (with similar fabric, if I can find it), but for now, live and enjoy it for what it is, gross and imperfect!

    I think you have a lot of nice choices, but the blue leather is out, IMO. My guess is that you like the idea of it (low-maintenance) but not the actual sofa.

    How much seating do you need/have room for?

    I would ask, out of the choices you have listed, which one says "cozy" to you the most, ignoring all other factors?

  • texasgal47
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think your room will be lovely and cozy. Have you considered using indoor Sunbrella or Crypton fabrics while the children are young? I want off white sofas and am looking at Sunbrella for my own home.

  • thankurnmo
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am not so great at visualizing, but I totally get where you are coming from in terms of your furniture needs. I too don't have a great reaction to the style, but looking at it with new eyes, I would I agree that the blue sofa is a no go ( I don't know if its in any better shape than the others and so much more $-it also looks a lot bigger?). Anyway, the ones I would eliminate are the chair and a half with ottoman (it could be the photo but the fabric is way too screaming for me and it is massive maybe not so useful) , the blue leather, and I also don't think I care for the shape of the floral sofa set. I like the chairs with it, but the sofa is maybe too poofy. I think the Broyhill would be good as well as I really like the red sofa though I hear you on maybe not wanting a red sofa. Those are just my thoughts.
    If you are looking to avoid/minimize reupholstery, then I guess the broyhill sofa, the red, and the recliner ones will work with your vision.
    As for Ashley furniture, I had looked there and it is more current trend than what you are looking for, and the turn off to me with sofas was that the cushions were velcroed on the bottom so you cannot flip them.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What is wrong with the feet showing on a sofa or chairs? I think they're much nicer looking than skirted chairs and sofas. Plus, you can vacuum under them a lot more easily!

    That said, I think that last chair is great, including the fabric. And while I'm not a fan of leather sofas, I think that one is really cool. It loos like it's held up very well, it's got a great-looking frame, it looks very comfortable, and you can just wipe it down with Windex. It looks very solid to me. As used furniture goes, if you like the blue leather, as you say you do, I'd get that one.

    The chair with the barn upholstery I think would be great as a storybook chair in one of the kids' rooms.

    I think the brown check set is drab, no life to it.

    Only used furniture worth re-upholstering is very solid, well-made stuff. Upholstering is VERY expensive.

    Better to get pieces in upholstery you like and then pay to have them professionally cleaned.

  • busybee3
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    i would probably look into the leather sofa if i wanted a used piece- and then just give it a cleaning with leather cleaner/conditioner... it looks like it's in good shape and more of a quality piece too. the color and wood tone definitely make it look 'dated' but if that's the look you're after, that works. leather holds up well to kids too.
    i would be alot less inclined to get a cloth piece...

  • crl_
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I like the blue floral sofa. I would consider that and then reupholstering the first chair in a solid blue. Checks or other prints could be brought in with accent pillows.

  • graywings123
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've not read your earlier thread. In my opinion, the sofas and several of the chairs look more 70-ish/80-ish than vintage early american/cottage. Even the seemingly right fabric on them doesn't help the styling.

    My suggestion would be a new, fairly nondescript sofa, maybe from Ikea, with a washable cover (under $500). That way you could have a white-ish sofa that would match the fabric you choose for the chairs. You would then use the chairs and the casegoods to build your cottage style room.

    The wingback is lovely and I also like the pink chair with the sort of chain looking stripe.

  • LeeMiller
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Buy the wing back and hold off on reupolstering it until you find something else that you really love. It is clear that piece is the only one you really want out of the lot. I don't know, personally I don't have a problem with second hand furniture. I've bought two 19th century chairs that I love at auction and had them both recovered.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    19th C chairs are worth re-upholstering. furniture from the 1970s and '80s isn't.

  • palimpsest
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I disagree about limiting reupholstery to antique furniture. Some good furniture from as recently as the 1980s is definitely worth recovering. And often, a cheap sofa from the 60s - 80s is still better than a cheap new sofa. (Comparing within brands between then and now)

    If you can pick up a decent frame from thirty years ago (Baker, Henredon, Century, maybe even some Ethan Allen from that period), you can often get one for almost nothing and reupholster it for the same overall cost as a bottom of the barrel new sofa.

  • anele_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Graywings, I thought about IKEA, too. The problem is, what she would likely want is an Ektorp. I have an Ektorp. The arms are massive. Not so bad on the sofa, but ridiculous on the chair (because they are the same arms . . .do not work on the chair, which I also have). Anyway, even with the sofa, the arms are going to look really out of scale with EA, in my opinion.

    And, re: look around for reupholstering costs. When I finally get around to doing it for my chair, the lady I bought it from will do it for $185. Most other places would charge a min. of $300, more likely $500. I've seen her work and it's great.

  • patricianat
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would look at the leather sofa. I grew up with a blue leather sofa in our library. It is one of the pieces that I loved so much from my childhood that I hoped I would get when my mother broke up housekeeping. Since we were on a seniority basis, my sister (the interior designer) got it and used it for a daughter's house. The feet on the sofa are fine and you will be able to get a swiffer under it. My only drawback to that period is the pleated skirt. I love that period and I had it for a long time. I still have some pieces in storage. I am all about the leather. Go for it.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Palimpist, in my original post, I said only furniture worth reupholstering is good, solid stuff. Didn't mention only antiques.

    In the second, I was referring to the commenter's reupholstering 19th C furniture, which is good stuff.

    But you're right, I didn't meant o broad brush all 1970s and [80s furniture. In fact, much of what was made back then is way better than most of what is made today. It gets very tricky starting in the late 1980s.

  • Elraes Miller
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your timing is correct regarding furniture manufacturing. The 70' and 80's were the beginning of computer generated production. Even the best of the best now uses it. Some are better built, but computer graphic reproduction is what we are living with now.

  • Lady_West
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Okay so I am just getting the smaller wingback for now, picking it up tomorrow.

    Still not sure on the sofa. I did consider the Ikea Ektorp and I've actually owned it in the past. The biggest issue I have with it is that I don't care for any of the current slipcovers. I cannot do white, did that previously and it did not work, lol.

  • crl_
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You can find secondary market extorp slip covers to expand your options. I don't know anything about this company, but it came up on google.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Other extorp slip covers