Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Ugly Couch

Our loveseats are in lousy condition. We bought them used about 10 years ago from our doctor's office when they closed and moved to a new building in the next village over. I hate doing schoolwork with the kids in the living room because it's so hard to get up out of the couch. (Notice I did not say "off" the couch. "Out of" is a more appropriate preposition.) We keep clearing and cluttering and re-clearing the table in the breakfast nook because it's so uncomfortable for me to sit on the couch when we do schoolwork.

When hunting for some furniture for Paul's new apartment, I stumbled across a nice little loveseat at Goodwill that sat high. I loved it, but the van was full of Paul's furniture. So I checked back the next day after we'd emptied the van. That pretty little loveseat was gone.

But it made me covet a new couch.

I've been regularly hitting Salvation Army because it's right by the dentist and the orthodontist (where we seem to be regularly these days).

This week I sat on a couch that I'd ignored on previous visits because it's so ugly*. Goodness! That couch feels nice. It sits high. It's the shape we like best. It seems in very good condition. I googled the name-brand, and it appears to be from one of those expensive, well-crafted furniture builders. And it was less than 1/4 of the price of what you can find at the cheap dept stores when the couches are on sale.

So here's the question. It's in the garage right now. It "should" be re-upholstered because it's ugly. I will not get around to re-upholstering. We could buy slip-covers, but right now all my energies are being devoted to editing, and I can't shop for slip-covers. Another possibility is that we could paint the living room. The couch would still be in a fabric I don't care for, but c'mon, a pink/blue/green couch is going to be MEGA-ugly in a living room with burgundy walls!!

If we bring that couch indoors, and if we live with its ugliness for a month, I will have no incentive to fix it. We'll just keep living with it. (I just can't care about "pretty" as a proper woman should.) So do we leave it in the garage? Or do we bring it inside so that I don't have to grunt-like-an-old-person whenever I stand up from having been sitting on the couch?


* Footnote: To be fair, I suppose this couch might look very nice in a room that had pale-rose walls, carpet and chairs and window-treatments to match the different colors in the upholstery. In my living room, however, it will be hideous.

6 comments:

  1. When we moved here, our forest green couch and loveseat just didn't go well with our dark blue carpet...Our solution was Sheets that had been curtains in the old place. They had small soft green leaves, but it worked well here. Plus, the smooth sheets were cooler in the summer. try a nice sheet... it is a cheap fix!

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  2. I second the use of a sheet. One trick to keep the sheet from coming undone all the time is to place a long piece of plastic piping on top of the sheet and push it underneath the cushions. You will spend much less time straightening the "slip cover".

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  3. I would ditto the sheet idea...it will feel nice and cool in the summer. And, it is funny...over time you'll just get used to the look and it will seem just fine. (Then the rest of us have to get used to it.) :) We should do some visiting! :)

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  4. I think I've got an extra love seat slip cover. It's not Sure-Fit, but it's styled like that. Semi-fitted.

    We can trade for something. Maybe you can feed me a meal.

    I hate my loveseat. I don't sit and read to my daughter like I should because I cannot STAND THAT COUCH. It hurts me.

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  5. Thanks, EC, but we want to get rid of the loveseats for the same reason that you don't like yours. The couch I bought is a full 7'. Once we haul out the steam-vac and get it shampooed, I'll try the sheets that people suggested ... at least until I can make a more proper fix.

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  6. We've used sheets, king size bed quilts or afghans. All work well to hide the color AND can be washed oh so easily-much more easily than upholstery. Oh and are cheaper than slipcovers or reupholstering. My mil reupholstered one of couched using fabric and a staple gun! It lasted several years..until she did it again with leftover fabric from her old couch! See? Dh came by his frugal nature honestly! :)

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