Friday, January 20, 2012

The Sofa

Our new Hickory Chair sofa has been ordered!
I waited patiently for the shop's January upholstery sale to save my 15%!

This is not the look I sought initially. I wanted something traditional, with a camel back or perhaps tufting - something a little curvy and romantic. But I grew tired of searching and realized that I wanted simple elegance more than anything else. I wanted versatility, a more contemporary look to go with all my antiques and old things. I needed something to balance all the curves and cabriole legs in the room. And I wanted a top quality piece that I can reupholster a time or two. Hickory Chair makes exceptional furniture.

A high back was a must, for reading in the evenings, and the spring down seat and goose feather pillows are soooo comfortable! It also needed a really good reading arm. I also love that the seat cushions are tied down so they don't spring up!

I saw a LOT of sofas online that I liked, but decided that I must sit on the sofa and love it, so that limited my choices to the local market, or our travels (I really wanted a $12,000 Baker sofa in Georgetown, but David would not allow it). I am a slave to comfort, so it had to sit right. I don't understand how people can buy furniture they've never sat in. I have much higher standards.

I also needed the right scale for the house. Our living room is not large, so I needed a piece that was neither too deep nor too long (like many of the new sofas which are sooo overscale).

Although I really wanted a very expensive velvet, I halved my costs by choosing a mid-grade fabric, a lovely linen-cotton blend which I showed you before. It has the slubbing of linen but the softness of cotton or worn linen:

I'm already dreaming of velvet pillows, in taupes and grey-browns. Or maybe something in dark green for Christmas?!


I can't wait to take delivery. Next month I will order the chair I've been wanting. Yay!

13 comments:

  1. What a gorgeous sofa! And I love that last picture with the dark green velvet pillow.

    I went through the same agony looking for a sofa. It took me years to find what I really wanted. I've had mine for 15 years now and I love it as much today as I did the day I bought it.

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  2. That is a wonderful solution all the way around...quality, looks, function, price...well done, Terri! I think that I may have to settle for a used quality sofa. I can't find what I want in my price range, which is considerably lower than $12 grand as well. I also don't want it to be so heavy that it will take an army to move the thing. Another issue.

    Stay cozy!

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  3. I think you picked the perfect sofa, contemporary and elegant with hints of curves and romanticism. I also love you fabric choice because it keeps it so versatile. You can add the velvet pillows for warmth in the winter and maybe pale blue linen for summer. Ralph Lauren has a Rutherford Park fabric that's a warm green and aubergine tapestry print that might be beautiful for Christmas. Lots of options.

    How long does it take? I can't wait to see it!

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  4. very you. love those beautiful clean lines. I know you are excited! donna

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  5. I love it. It reminds me of my couch for the study. Absolutely beautiful. You have great taste. Can't wait to see the finished product. Fun!
    Lisa

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  6. classic styling! my hickory sofa is *gulp* 24 years old! same style as yours. has been newly reupholstered and is like new.
    enjoy!
    debra

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  7. terri i don't think you could have picked a better sofa. isn't it funny how if we wait our tastes change. i think the modern lines will def compliment all the curvy furniture and bring the room up to date. love, love, love it!

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  8. Great sofa! I think you nailed the simple elegance look.
    My husband and I took months shopping for a sofa. The well made ones were too deep and a few that we liked the scale on were cheaply made. We ended up reupholstering a vintage sofa that we already had.

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  9. Yay Terri- so excited to see it in your living room once you receive it. I love the shape and the fabric is perfect!
    Congrats~
    T

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  10. Oh, I love, love, love it! So amazing and great proportions. Very exciting indeed. I'm waiting for tulip table delivery this week, so I understand your impatience!

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  11. YAY I'm so excited for you!

    I think this is a great choice, the clean elegant lines and traditional styling will be a perfect complement to your antique pieces - lovely, well done :) xx

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  12. That
    Ook like it was worth the research and the wait. Love the fabric.

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  13. Nice post, really nice. I also suggest some blogs that you can be interest. Are Delightfull Posts.
    I suggested Delightfull because is a new brand, from Porto, dedicated to the lighting of luxury. I took a look at his first collection of 25 pieces, called 'Heritage', and found fabulous pieces inspired by the best trends of the 50s and 60s.
    Learn More Parts: www.delightfull.eu
    I Really sure that you will find inspiration for the next blog post ;)

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