the search for sectionals (modern southern bungalow week 21)
We have floors! Ok, we have partial floors. The upstairs floors have been installed and the downstairs floors are in process. We also received confirmation this week that our wall tile for both the kitchen and master shower will be here on Thursday. It feels like things are getting closer even though we still have 14 weeks to go assuming all goes well. Please cross all your fingers and toes. We are so ready to get out of the apartment.
This week, while we waited for flooring and tile, we began looking at furnishings. I know what you are thinking. Fourteen weeks is a long time. But furniture, even from a big box store, is very rarely available the day that you want it. Many furniture stores are really show rooms, where one can try out pieces but not walk out with them. Even a basic table can take 6-8 weeks for delivery. Sofas can take up to 12 weeks for delivery.
One of the reasons we are starting to look at furniture now is that we have some space constraints in our floor plan. Big secret that no one tells you about remodeling? Your house will still have space constraints. Walls need to go where they need to go to support structures. Venting can get in the way of electrical. Doors and windows might work in one place from the outside but create a problem for furniture layout inside.
In our case, there are a couple of problematic areas that have not been solved by the remodel. The one we began our search with this week is the original front bedroom. This room will be used as a media room so that we don’t have a TV in the living room. We’ve talked about this before. Living with kids means sometimes you have to turn on the TV but you don’t want to listen to whatever your kids are watching. One word. Barney.
Anyway, my husband really wants a comfortable, sink-into-it, lounge-worthy sectional for the media room. The challenge is to find such a sofa in a small enough scale that it works in a 13’6” x 14” room – a large space for a bedroom but small for a living room with a sectional. Adding to the challenge are the room’s windows on the south and west walls and doors on the east and north walls. Awkward.
We do not have the budget to go custom for this sofa. The budget is in tile and paint and knobs and goodness knows what else. That means I’m going to go out on a limb and invite the ire of my design friends when I say that we will be purchasing a sofa from a big box retailer. Can we all still be friends?
My hands down favorite was the Reid Sectional from Design Within Reach. Let’s be honest. Even on sale, this sofa is extremely pricey (I’ll just let you click that link if you are curious). It is also 120” long, which leaves very little space for passage or a side table. We also looked at sofas from Crate and Barrel, who sources from reliable vendors like Lee Industries, and Mitchell Gold Bob Williams. My husband’s favorite sofa was the Carson from Mitchell Gold. Unfortunately, it isn’t winning any price wars either.
Thoughts? Votes? Somehow, I don't think this is the end of our search but I'll take opinions all the same.