Okay, y’all — yesterday I finally did the thing I’ve been talking about for years. After weighing every option and overthinking every detail, I ordered a white slipcovered couch for our living room.
UPDATE! See the couch I chose and FAQ here.
Eeek! Buying a couch felt scary — maybe that’s just me. I tend to overthink big purchases and decisions, especially when they affect how a room will feel and function.
I’ve been wanting to settle our living room design and furniture for a while, and the sofa has felt like the final piece holding me back. Over the holidays I moved our downstairs sectional (the dark gray one with the chaise) upstairs and it worked well for winter, but it was always meant to be temporary.
We still have the leather loveseat that I adore, and I may keep using it in the living room, but it’s a bit small to be our only couch. The things that slowed my decision were the cost, the many design and fabric choices, and how the furniture would best be arranged in the room. So many good options made the choice harder.
Ironically, I’m co-writing a design Q&A book called But Where Do I Put The Couch? with KariAnne of Thistlewood Farms. I wish the book were out already — I could use a few pointers!
Bamboo Shades
Despite my indecision, the deed is done: sometime in August a new white slipcovered couch will arrive. Now that the shock and stress of ordering are over, I’m so excited.
I decided to follow my instincts. When options are plentiful, at some point you have to pick one and trust it will work. I’ve always been open about my love for white slipcovered sofas and the realities of owning them. They’re not for everyone, but they’ve worked well for our family.
When my kids were little we bought a white slipcovered Pottery Barn/Mitchell Gold sofa used on Craigslist and it lasted for years. It stood up to children and dogs until our puppies eventually wore it out. After that we replaced it with a leather loveseat, but I’ve missed the versatility and relaxed look of the white slipcovered sofa.
This time I chose a slightly different sofa shape, but I’m confident it will bring the same laid-back simplicity and adaptability to the room.
I selected a sofa in a soft white denim fabric — the same durable, washable fabric I had on my previous white sofa. It wasn’t the only tempting option, but I wanted something that offered ease of care without feeling like a performance fabric. White denim felt right: soft, pretty, and practical for slipcovers you can wash.
Below you can see a mockup of the sofa in white. I tried it in-store and it’s very comfortable. The deep seat will be great for curling up, which is my main goal. The regular depth would have been fine as well, but the fabric I wanted wasn’t available in that option.
UPDATE*** The couch arrived, see it in our living room here!
I’ll share more about the room and the sofa once it arrives. For those curious about specifics, I ordered the York slope arm, deep seat slipcovered sofa with a bench cushion, 80 inches long in the Warm White Denim fabric. Lots of options to choose from, but that’s the combination I landed on.
Do you struggle with furniture decisions, or am I the only one who goes in circles when choosing a couch?
Sources:
Top image: Rug
Third image: knit rug
Top and third image: Woven and bamboo window shades
York Sofa
UPDATE*** The couch arrived, see it in our living room here!