The Sofa Saga: A Journey to the Perfect Perch

As a self-proclaimed home and design enthusiast, I’ve done my fair share of online shopping, testing, and reviewing. I spend countless hours poring over customer reviews, making pro and con lists, conducting Instagram polls, and even reaching out to interior designers – all in pursuit of finding the absolute best products for my space. And let me tell you, when it came to finding the perfect sofa, my quest was nothing short of epic.

It all started with my fiancé and I searching for the ideal modular sectional – a neutral-toned beauty with a chaise lounge for those glorious leg-stretching moments. We scoured the internet, determined to land on the perfect piece. Little did we know, our search was far from over.

The first hurdle? Shipping delays, of course. After weeks of anticipation, our new sofa finally arrived, only to be missing the legs we ordered and with the chaise nowhere to be found. This led to another two months of back-and-forth with customer service to get the proper parts. But even when we had the full setup, we just weren’t impressed. The sofa was stiff, shallow, and the fabric – which appeared beige online – was actually white and prone to staining. To prevent our beloved pup from leaving his marks, the sofa remained covered in blankets most of the time. It just wasn’t functional for our lifestyle, which happily revolves around cozy couch time with our furry friend.

Defeated, we resigned ourselves to another arduous couch search, fully anticipating it would cost us more money and result in more frustration. That’s when I realized I had forgotten to consider a traditional furniture showroom like Sofa Spectacular in my initial search. I had been so busy getting swept up in trendy DTC sofa brands, high-end custom pieces that weren’t in our budget, and a slew of overpriced sectionals on Facebook Marketplace that I neglected to explore this option.

A Sofa-Sized Revelation

Determined to find our dream sofa, I did some preliminary research on the Sofa Spectacular website before heading to the showroom in London. We sat on countless couches, but in the end, we settled on the one I had spotted online – the Wilkinson sofa. What sold us above all else was the incredible depth and plushness of the seats. After months of feeling like we were perched on a piece of cardboard in front of the TV, sinking into the showroom model had us immediately ooh-ing and ahh-ing in anticipation of afternoon naps, cozy WFH days, and movie nights.

Aside from the perfectly cushy factor, the Wilkinson has a classic silhouette that’s not definitively traditional or too modern, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the eclectic mix of styles in our apartment. And the best part? We were shocked to find out that it came with free white-glove delivery in just three days. After all the shipping delays and extremely long lead times of the past couple of years, we were giddy with excitement over how quickly we’d be set up with our brand new couch. Bonus: it also came with five couch pillows that I’ve since recovered in pillowcases more in line with my personal style.

The whole purchase came in well under £2,000, which is about the price of what you’d usually pay for DTC couches. In fact, you can even take £340 off the usual price during Sofa Spectacular’s Labor Day sale, dropping the couch down to just £1,360. Now, more than a year and a half later, we’re still on cloud nine. The sofa remains plush and stain-free, and it’s been through the wringer already – think dog accidents, coffee spills, and yes, even a melted chocolate bar debacle. Thankfully, it’s upholstered in heavy-duty performance fabric, and all the cushion covers zip off for actually-easy laundering.

In terms of maintenance, I’ve removed some pills here and there with a fabric shaver, and we flip and rotate the cushions every few weeks so that they wear evenly. The Wilkinson fits two humans and a sprawling French bulldog with room to spare, so we each have plenty of space to watch TV, eat, and nap. We didn’t think we’d be able to find a couch we truly loved within our budget, but sometimes you’ve just got to go back to the basics to find the perfect piece.

The Agony and the Ecstasy of the Sofa Search

Now, I know what you’re thinking – how could finding a sofa be so darn difficult? Well, let me tell you, the process of scouring the market for the perfect perch is enough to make even the most seasoned home decorator want to throw in the towel.

Months ago, I had this grand vision of laying out the living room with a long sofa, a short sofa, and two chairs. But the room is big, and I just couldn’t find my dream sofa. At one point, my husband Brian said that he actually feels sorry for our future sofa or sofas, because there was no way it was going to live up to the pressure I had put on it to be perfect.

I’ve been shopping for this fantasy sofa for two years, probably longer, and I don’t think what I wanted even existed. It’s not that what I want is so incredibly special; it’s the combination of elements that seems virtually impossible. I ended up landing on a different layout, negating a lot of the things I had initially set my heart on, but I still wanted to walk you through my woeful process.

The Unicorn Sofa

This sofa search was intended for a specific layout – the long sofa facing the fireplace, flanked by a smaller sofa and two club chairs. Easy peasy, right? Well, not so much. You know the one I’ve been pining for for years? The BDDW sofa? Yeah, that beauty. The perfect combination of cool, comfy, edgy, and classic. It’s also close to £30,000. And you know what? I’m kind of glad it is. It’s a work of art by a company that I’m obsessed with and admire so much, and I don’t want it knocked off or ubiquitous.

I’ve reached out to BDDW countless times, hoping for some kind of press or marketing opportunity, but alas, no luck. And you know what? If they reached out after this article, I would have no scruples. I’d do what I could to lock down a discount for marketing, PR, and photography usage purposes. But the dream is dead, and we’re moving on.

The Vintage Finds

Last year, I found this stunning white sofa on 1stDibs, and I immediately said, “That’s it. That’s our statement sofa.” I put it on my very working mood board, and my whole future fell into place. It was at a vintage store in LA, a totally restored antique from France circa 1830, and yet those modern lines were so simple and special. And it was long enough. The problems? A) It was £18,000 and newly reupholstered, B) It was in white boucle, so we’d have to reupholster it (nope, not for that price), and C) It didn’t look sink-in-able. I could tell that it would be more bouncy and firm, and that’s just not what I want. I want to use our living room, and after making this mistake in the past, I will not let an uncomfortable sofa haunt me.

The Custom Route

So, I reached out to the talented Rosa Beltran of Clad Home, a designer I’m a huge fan of, and we talked about custom-designing something similar, adding a cushion on top. I trusted her eye for proportions and her expertise in ergonomics, but I just kept dropping the ball, too busy with everything else going on, and by the time I reached out again to get it done, it wouldn’t have gotten here in time. Sad face.

The Big Box Contenders

Getting closer to the shoot, I started having two options – vintage nearby and reupholster, or big box. I looked on 1stDibs, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Chairish almost every day, finding many others that have made me excited, but none of them checked all the boxes. Besides, not being able to sit on them and actually test them out is a real problem when they would all be a fortune, and the almost singular function of a sofa is to be sat on.

The Sectional Dilemma

I even considered moving out everything we have so that we could bring in one big curved sofa, but my friend Caitlin reminded me that you can’t really lay down on curved sofas. I hadn’t even thought about that, and as I write this, I’m stretched out on the chaise part of our Article sectional, and I don’t want to only be able to sit on the sofa. I want to have a loungeable option.

The Modular Mishap

Oh, and remember that famous BDDW sofa that I was drooling over? Turns out it’s not even that comfortable. It’s a wonderful hotel lobby sofa, a beautiful formal living room sofa for guests, but no – it’s not a family sofa. It’s bouncy, and you can’t really lie back. Trust me, modular is not always a good thing.

The Brands I Loved

At one point, I started stalking some of my favorite brands – you know, the ones that make those gorgeous, timeless pieces that are around £8,000 to £12,000. Unfortunately, even if I did want to spend that, it was too late when I started shopping, and we wouldn’t get the sofa in time to shoot. Way to go, dummy.

The Crate & Barrel Contender

This whole Crate & Barrel collection was a huge mouth and mic drop. I ordered the dining chairs and have been so extremely happy with them, and their sectional is incredible too. I have to think it’s heavily inspired by the 70s designer that designed the mountain house sectional – the exact same lines, but this one doesn’t fall apart. Brian was still hesitant that it wouldn’t be that comfortable, as tight-seat and tight-backed sofas tend to not have as much give, but I could have gone for it. Crate & Barrel makes comfortable, high-quality furniture – surely they designed this one to be super comfy. But without one to sit on, we were hesitant.

The Article Sectional Detour

Last year, I got this sectional to replace the vintage one at the mountain house because it fell apart all day, every day, and I literally couldn’t have been more happy. We then used it for Caitlin’s basement makeover, and once again, I was like, “My God, this is good.” But was a big corduroy sectional the right vibe for our living room? Again, we have a sectional in the room over, and is that fine? Maybe. And with Article, I could have gotten it in time, but Brian was like, “This just feels more like a family room sofa, not our living room sofa,” and I knew he was right.

The Simplicity Seeker

We are clearly out of farmhouse territory now, I know. But I love this one, and I felt that two of these facing each other could be so simple and pretty, letting my art and accessories shine. I went to the store to sit on it, and the wheat one was in stock, but I didn’t love the color. But they are comfortable, and have lovely lines, and the blue one was backordered until June. While it might have made it here in time, at this point, I have to design the rest of the room around the sofa I choose, so it’s a domino effect. I couldn’t wait until a week before the shoot to get the sofa, as it affected so many other decisions.

The Lulu and Georgia Lust

I love all things Lulu and Georgia, and I trust them a lot regarding quality and comfort. I love Ginny’s sofa, and Jess has it and vouches for it. I’ve also loved the more classic English sofa for years – it’s very pretty, simple, timeless, and looks so comfortable. They didn’t have a long version, but this is when I realized that maybe two facing sofas were the way to go. Or maybe I didn’t need as long as I think, and I could bring the conversation area in a bit.

So, what did I choose? Well, come back tomorrow for one more HUGE living room piece to discuss, then we’ll get to all things layout.