Sofa King*

I'm not so convinced there is a perfect formula for when to splurge vs. save, except for a couch. My first experience buying a couch on my own was a bust. I tried to "save" by going to a value furniture chain. What I ended up with was uncomfortable to sit on binge watching shows (when I had time for that, which probably explains my budget) and the cushions lost their shape and would slide off. Never again. Have you ever sat on hotel room furniture and thought, this is really uncomfortable? Then you know.

I'm currently on the hunt for a traditional (Billy Baldwin) style blue sofa for a small home we purchased near the Chesapeake Bay. It's since turned into a corner sofa hunt, but for the purposes of this exercise, let's stick to a typical 90" sofa in a performance fabric (kids and dogs after all). Here are the limitations. 1. It has to be comfortable. That's an unknown unless I am familiar with a brand or can test it out. I scoured the internet for options. There are more budget modern options (think Article, Casterly, Joybird, CB, etc.) than traditional. I'm not going to consider The Inside because of the challenges I've heard on lead times and delivery during their bankruptcy last year. I also can't bring myself to pull the trigger on IKEA. It has some great options, but at this stage I want to purchase something constructed to last and made from higher quality materials than particleboard and plastic.

Another way I looked at to save is to purchase upholstered items that are in-stock. In these instances, you're fairly limited to white, beige and gray. The one exception is Anthropologie which offers a colorful selections of prints and patterns.

In stock sofas at Pottery Barn

In stock sofas from Crate & Barrel

Joybird ready to ship sofas offering colorful selections if a modern profile works in your space.

A I Home in stock sofas selections include color, prints and patterns.

If you have a great eye, are flexible on the look, have time to spend and live near a metropolitan area, you may luck out on FB Marketplace or at a reputable consignment shop. We have a few in our area that I like to frequent and I've passed up a couple good options for something just right.

I've come to the long winded conclusion that as a general rule, the sofa is not where to save. I've embraced investing in this aspect of the of the decor. After price shopping, going custom from a reputable retailer (national or local and go in person if you can!) or hiring a designer are worth the "splurge". Designers will have access to quality brands like Rowe, Coley Home and Highland House and these are often similar price points to custom sofas from Pottery Barn, Ballard, RH and Serena and Lily. Plus you won't even remember how much you paid for a sofa that's comfortable once you've enjoyed sitting on it.

*The title for this post was inspired by a joke my son told me last week. It's not deep. Just read the title again as if you were a 9-year old boy.