Hey, so I bought a couch. It only took five or six 15 years.
I feel like I’ve been talking about wanting a new couch for an inordinate amount of time (I guess I have furniture commitment issues), but I finally went there, and it arrived last Saturday.
I know it’s just a thing, but that thing is gloriously comfortable. The second the delivery dudes peace’d out, I plunked down on it for five minutes, but those five minutes spiraled into six hours and a full season of Girls.
Sh*t, man, that couch is comfortable.
It’s the PB Comfort Slipcovered 3-piece L-shaped sectional with English arms from Pottery Barn, and apparently those English arms are a THING. I didn’t know they were a thing until I ordered the couch two months ago, and speaking of the ordering, there’s a whole story to that, but first, what are English arms?
Well, in case you’re as equally home decor-challenged as I am, English arms are slightly curved, and I guess they have a more traditional vibe than square arms… Who knew?!
It took took me a long time to realize that what I wanted was a slipcovered couch, but that’s not the main reason I bought it. I bought it because the price was crazy reduced.
It was during a sale about two months ago, and I don’t know if this particular fabric, Sunbrella Performance Herringbone in Tweed Gray, was being discontinued, or if there was some kind of inventory error, but for some reason this particular style was only $795, while it’s listed on the Pottery Barn website right now for $5,945 (!).
Even at the reduced price, I still didn’t want to jump in without seeing the fabric in person, so I went to the nearest Pottery Barn store and ended up ordering with the help of a sales associate named Tatina, who said that in all the time she’s worked there, she’d never seen a piece of full-size furniture at that price, and basically she was just like, “Karen, you HAVE to get this couch. You can’t even buy a chair from Pottery Barn for that price.”
Sunbrella fabric
I learned about Sunbrella here in the MBB comments! Someone mentioned that it’s supposed to be great for families with kids and pets because it’s easy to clean, doesn’t snag under pet claws, and washes up nicely (I also considered microfiber). And FYI, it’s not to exclusive to Pottery Barn. A lot of furniture lines offer it as an option.
The first time I saw the herringbone print in the store, I wasn’t crazy about it, because I thought it might be kind of dizzying on a large couch and way too busy, but the couch was such a good deal that I took the plunge anyway. I’m glad I did because I LOVE the print now.
It’s only been a couple days, but Tabs traipsed all over it last weekend, and I’ve yet to see a snag (knocks on wood). Time will tell how well it wears, but so far, so good.
Why a slipcovered couch?
I’m assuming that Connor and her friends will trash this couch over the next few years, and maybe someday down the line I can buy new slipcovers. You can replace the slips when they get beat up! Plus, you can remove them to wash at home when they get janky, and there are even replacement cushions available (like I said, I have no clue about furniture buying) for when they get lumpy and fall apart. Some third-party upholstery places can also make custom cushions. I’ll probably go that route in a few years, because my previous couch cushions saw their best days A LONG time ago.
What do you need/want your couch for?
I mean, of course you want to get a couch in your budget that looks pretty to your eye, but it also helped me to think about what I wanted to use the space for. Sectionals are really good for casual hanging out, like for watching TV and playing games, whereas single standalone couches are usually sleeker and more formal, making them a good choice for formal entertaining.
Yay! It was long overdue, but I’m loving the new couch. I look forward to many movie nights, books and cuddles. Thank you for helping me to finally take the plunge.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
and she is looking at books great, stimulate that
Yay! It looks so commodious and long!
Hi Chris,
Yes, it’s definitely big! I really wanted something that we could all fit on though because we had such limited seating before.
The herringbone design looks nice, and it looks like it’ll help disguise crumbs, ha!
Design by Sydnee | A Lifestyle Blog
Hi Syndee,
Yes, crumbs and cat hair!
YAS! New couch is a game changer. It’s gorgeous! Connor Claire looks like she is digging it too. 🙂
Hi Arianne,
It’s a whole new world. Didn’t you guys recently get one within the last year or two? How long did it take you to find it?
OH EM GEE i just LOVE it!! That print is so fabulous, too. And I can’t believe you got such a good price for it!! Holy guacamole.
Hi Shannon,
Honestly, I can’t believe it, either. I have no idea why it was so discounted, but hey, I’m glad I found it!
Looks perfect for snuggling up with books and a kittycat! That’s a great price!
Congrats! It looks great!! One of the boys was begging for us to buy a sectional the last time we were at the furniture store. I’m sure you’re going to love it. And the timing is great. We bought our furniture when we bought the house, before we had kids. We did not make great choices on either style or fabric. Luckily they’re almost never in the living room so the couch is still like new. HAHA!
Connor looks so grown up chillin’ and reading her book on the new couch! I love the herringbone pattern and you’ll love the Sunbrella fabric. It’s the best. Enjoy your new couch!
She looks darling on the couch with her book!!! It seems like just yesterday you were only a few months into your pregnancy and now she’s walking AND reading!!!! So adorable!!
Great find on the couch!! That’s like more than 80% off, right?!?
I had no idea what a massive decision couch buying was, but we finally ended up with a winner, too.
I love that Connor is reading “Giraffes Can’t Dance”!! That was one of my girls’ favorites.
OMG THAT PRICE! I’M SUPER JELLY!
Sunbrella is usually used outdoors so maybe they it meant for like a covered porch or screened in one? I’ve thought about getting one of their outdoor sofas and especially RH’s and using them inside. The summer season closeout prices are usually cheaper than their regular indoor stuff!
Also english roll arms are great cause no one tries to sit on them which means the frame gets torqued less!
Looks like a great couch! The one we bought many years ago seems to have it´s own field of gravity. Whenever you are near it, it drags you in and automatically makes you fall asleep…
Looks super comfy and awfully cute with Connor Clair chillin’! But where’s Tabs? I thought he’d be hanging out on it, too.
Wow what a great deal! If you had told me about it I probably would’ve literally bought the same one! I would like a couch that wears well too and am leaning toward a leather one from West Elm.
Nice price! And it looks so cozy. You can add almost any colors to your room since it’s a neutral shade. Baby girl is growing up so cute!
Wow that couch is gigantic! Or connor is just really small? Haha. I have never heard of english arms before. Is it comfortable than regular square arms or is it just for aesthetics? The pattern actually looks great on your space. WIth the plain ones if ever it gets dirty it will be more noticeable. I love reading your couch buying experience hehe. ?
Great deal! It looks super comfy. It obviously gets Connor’s seal of approval. 🙂
Wow what a steal! We use Sunbrella here at the hotel, that’s how good it wears. My mom used a similar tough fabric for their couch 15 years ago and it’s still going strong, only needing the cushions redone along the way (which is not as expensive as you’d think if you go through a local place). Glad you love it!