The Saga of Super Couch
I bought my first new couch (as in not free from someone or from a garage sale) when I was in grad school twelve years ago back in 2000. It was a Karlanda loveseat from Ikea that I found in the As-Is section for only $200 since it had previously been a floor model.
I was pretty excited about my awesome deal and managed to haul it home by tying it to the top of my Dodge Stratus with a bunch of the Ikea twine. Doing this is not advised (I think only a 23 year old is capable of thinking that it was a good plan) and I am really not sure how I got home in one piece and didn't hurt anyone. 
My little blue couch happily lived in two different apartments in Northern California with me. I tried to find a picture of it, but the best I could find was the one to the left as all the others had people sitting on it.
Fast forwarding five years to 2005, I bought my second couch soon after moving to Ann Arbor. My living room was a little lonely with just the loveseat and my futon was in another room so a second couch was in order. A friend from work mentioned that a local store, Newton's Furniture, was going out of business and had a huge sale going on. They did indeed have some awesome deals and I ended getting a lovely tailored cream colored sofa for $999 which was half off the original price.
I loved the new sofa, but the royal blue loveseat looked a little strange next to it. Ikea sold beige slipcovers for the loveseat but even on eBay they were running about $200 which seemed ludicrous to spend since that is how much I bought the whole thing for. I did see that the light blue slipcovers on eBay were not hot sellers and was able to get one for $30. I bought a few packages of Rit fabric dye remover and washed the light blue slipcover with it. It definitely removed the color, but it had a bit of a blue tinge still so I washed it again with a single package of light tan Rit fabric dye which made it the perfect shade of beige to match my new sofa. Below is a picture of the sofas in my old house soon after I bought the second one and DIYed the color of the slipcover on the loveseat.
Now my couches are 12 and 7 years old and while I have loved them, they are definitely showing their age. They also have some practical problems. Neither one is very deep, especially the big sofa, so while they are awesome for me (I'm 5'-2") for most other people they are not very comfortable. I decided to save up some cash and buy myself a comfy sectional for my living room.
I wanted something like the Pottery Barn Comfort Square Sectional which is deep and comfy, but still has a clean look to it. Unfortunately, with the configuration I wanted it would have cost over $4000. That wasn't going to happen, so I hit up some other furniture stores in town.
At Art Van I found an amazingly deep sectional (5" deeper than the Pottery Barn Comfort Square!) that was super comfortable (in the picture below). It was Fontaine Sectional in the Cindy Crawford Home collection and while I loved the shape and style, I was not crazy about the brown color that had an olive greenish tinge to it. I asked the salesman what other colors it came in and he told me that it only came in the one color. I was disappointed and looked around the rest of the showroom, but couldn't find anything else that I liked as much.
I couldn't stop thinking about the Fontaine sectional, which I had dubbed "Super Couch" due to the fact that it was so ridiculously deep. I did a little online searching and I discovered that the exact same sectional came in beige under the name Brighton Park. Even better, the website I found it on had the sectional on sale for under $2000. I thought about it for a while (outside of vehicles and homes it is the largest purchase I've made) and then decided to order it. Super Couch was going to be mine!
After waiting a few weeks, Super Couch was scheduled to arrive this Wednesday and I was excited. Saturday afternoon after the Michigan game (Go Blue!) I got a call from the delivery service letting me know that they were running ahead of schedule and would deliver the sectional on Sunday morning. I was thrilled to get it early, but had to kick it into overdrive to clear out the space for it. Frank came over early on Sunday morning to help me move my old couches. I snapped the picture below right as we were about to move them (after I had already moved the little side table that went between them). I was a little sorry to see them go...
We got everything moved just in the nick of time and at 11 o'clock the delivery truck pulled up in front of my house and started unloading the sectional. As an aside, doesn't my little street look pretty with all of the fall leaves? Also note that as a wiser 35 year old I had the sectional delivered instead of trying some crazy things with a small car and twine (see above couch #1).
In half an hour the delivery men had my sectional all set up and were on their way to another delivery. I was a little surprised by the color. It's more of an oatmeal color than beige, but I like it and think the slightly darker color will probably hide stains a little better than my old beige couches did.
Super Couch is so comfortable that I don't know how I am going to get work done anymore. It is really hard to tell from the pictures how huge it is, but it is massive. For some perspective, if I sit with my back against the cushions my feet just barely stick off the edge of the seat cushions. I know I am short, but that is crazy deep!
I think Super Couch looks great in my living room although now I have all sorts of things I want to do to spruce up the area. The oatmeal color clashed with my grey rug so I need to find a different rug to go in the room. Also my old coffee table is long and narrow which looks strange in the space so I need to find a replacement for that, too. I'd also like to change the wall color, paint the trim white and a few other little things.
One thing about Super Couch that is not super is that it came with a bunch (eleven!) of ugly throw pillows. The striped ones don't look too bad from afar but when you get close they are actually purple, magenta and lime green. I simply have no words for the red, purple and grey brush stroke pillows. Frank said that they looked like they belonged to a pimp from the nineties which is not exactly the look I am going for. Luckily, the covers are removable so I plan to save the pillow forms and make some new covers. It will give me a good excuse to break out my sewing machine.
So there's my long winded saga of Super Couch and its illustrious predecessors. Have you bought any furniture recently? Have you ever used fabric dyes on a slip cover? What is your favorite furniture purchase? Have you ever been the beneficiary of unwanted ugly throw pillows?
Monday, October 15, 2012 at 7:21AM | Posted by Lisa | 35 Comments | Share Article | Email Article | Print Article 
Reader Comments (35)
Your new sofa looks so comfortable - the type of sofa that encourages afternoon naps on rainy Autumn days. Yes your street leaf colour was beautiful. Your wood floor is gorgeous, I want for my house. I once was given two floral pillows that worked for my bedroom and not my friend's living room sofa. Oh yes I know it is not mine to say, but I really like the wood window frames as is .........
Love this story! The new couch looks wonderful and indeed, VERY comfy. Enjoy!
I love your new couch!! I love the green & turquoise pillows. They make it look very fresh and clean. I have been thinking about buying a new couch as well. Right now I have two leather chairs in my living room. They are so comfortable to sit in, but sometimes I like to lie down if I am watching a movie. Can't really do that in chairs.
"Frank said that they looked like they belonged to a pimp from the nineties which is not exactly the look I am going for." <-- I seriously laughed out loud when I read this line. I choked on my coffee, which also came out my nose. My dog looked at my like I was crazy. Best. Line. Ever!
My favorite furniture purchase: a $3000 dresser that I got for $800 on clearance because it had a ding on the top. It is solid wood and will last a lifetime.
So jealous! We need a new couch so bad...ours is 10 years old and doesn't fit the family room (size and color). Love the pillows you put on there, I can't believe how ugly the "free" ones are (LOL at Frank's comment)! Free pillow forms I guess.
Of course, like you I love Potterybarn, Room & Board for their great looking sofas. Champagne taste, beer budget!
Mary-Lou- Thank you! I am definitely looking forward to some naps on the couch. The wood trim around the windows has some gaps and if I caulk them it is going to look really strange with the wood, but I think if I paint it then it won't be noticeable.
Edith- Thank you! I have to say, it really is super comfy!
Rene- Thank you! You should totally get a couch- definitely better for lounging around. Frank is really funny. He is always saying ridiculous things like that and cracking me up. It's one of the reasons I keep him around. ;) $3000 down to $800 is such a steal! I bet it is a beautiful piece...
Hilary- Thank you! The pillow forms from the ugly pillows are actually really nice and comfortable. I just need to banish the tacky covers! "Champagne taste, beer budget" is a great way to sum it up. Oh, to be independently wealthy...
Hi I came across your blog searching for the same sectional and I was wondering if you could tell me if the 3 pieces of the sectional are held together by anything? Or do they just stay in place on their own? I've never owned a sectional before so I'm just imagining each piece gradually sliding away from the others after each use! Thanks!
Liz- The three pieces aren't held together but they are pretty heavy so I haven't had any problem with it sliding around or separating. I've only had the couch for three months but I really love it so far.
Lisa, I'm looking for the exact sofa! Can you tell me where you purchased it?
Maria- I ended up buying it online at www.roomstogo.com. They had the lowest price at the time I was looking and I had a great experience with them.
Good to know you had a good experience with Rooms to go and are happy with the couch. I just had the exact same sectional with an extra armless piece delivered today, along with the matching accent chair. Sorry you think the pillows are ugly, I happen to love them (my favorite colors are purple and red). I've had quite a few compliments on it in the 6 hours I've had it.
To each their own I guess. Personally, I despise turquoise. :)
I am looking to buy this sectional, however, I am very cautious of the quality. My question to you is how is this sectional holding up, in particular the fabric and cushions. Thank you for any feedback.
I am also interested in the answer to the question asked by Shawn in 8/27 but the reason I am writing is because I love the purple stripped pillows and I was wondering if I could purchase them from you?
Yes how is this sectional holding up? Are you still happy with the purchase? I'm wanting the same sectional!
Oh if I could also ask...do the back cushions stay in place with use of the couch? Or do they move and fall?
How is the couch holding up now? I'm thinking of purchasing one soon.
I so very much love the Super Couch. The extra deep, fluffy cushions were the selling point for me. They have the darker color for sale at a local store. It would be a huge purchase for me so I'm curious how you feel it is it holding up.
Can you please measure it for me? I think the dimensions are quite large compared to the website listed. I just need the back length on each side
Great sofas, I love the colorful pillows too
I found your post after searching reviews for the Cindy Crawford Fontaine Sectional. They are very deep but felt a little too firm at the store. Considering that many people have sat on it over the 7 years in the showroom makes me a little nervous. Are they very comfortable??? I would love to hear your response. Planning to buy it next week.
How is the couch holding up? We have seen this at our rooms to go and love it but wonder about the long term life of the couch.
We would call it super super couch as we want the additional armless chair that adds 2 extra seats between the wedge and one of the end pieces!
How is the couch? Anyone had this for a long time and still love it? Also I'm looking to buy it or something similar (deep and comfortable) and I don't see this couch any more... :(. Any advice out there? Please email me betsybalachandran@gmail.com.
I have a question, because I ordered this couch right before Christmas, and the goose feathers are coming out of the cushions in droves... did you experience an abundance of feather loss?
Best story ever next to my story of bringing a coffee table from a thrift store on top of my car. My husband had just made the last payment on our Honda Accord a few days before this happened. I went to my usual thrift shop spot and on the way in I spotted this huge coffee table outside so I walked over to look for a price. It was perfect for my living room and it was only $9.97. All I could think of was redoing it with chalk paint! I couldn't wait to get it home. The store was about to close so I had no time for measuring and I just went ahead and purchased it. I go outside and park my care next to it to load it in. It was too big. I asked one of their employees if I could borrow a screwdriver and he lent me one but the legs wouldn't come out. So he tells me he can put it on top of my car. I look at him with a look that I think I would take about 50 takes to get it down perfectly if I were a movie director during auditions for the part. My wheels start turning. The hubs will kill me!!! So I'm thinking he's playing video games. He won't notice me pull up. I'll just come in and open the garage door and sneak the table in there and he'll never know when I bought it. I tell the store employee that my husband will kill me!(Not literally of course but I sure will get an earful.) He does everything he can to make me be bold! He even went inside the store and grabbed a blanked to place between the car and the table and he goes to town strapping that table down. I thank him and promise to show him a picture of my finished product after painting it. I only had to drive about 2 miles home but it seemed like forever to get home. I was so nervous and the howling of the air coming in through my windows was making me so paranoid. I pull up and I see my son peeping out the front window. I see his sweet innocent face turn and his lips start moving. Clearly, he is talking to his dad. Then here comes the husband to the front door and he's like, " What is a table doing on top of my car?" I was caught!!! I am just glad to hear I'm not the only one who has ever driven home with a huge piece of furniture on top of my car.
Looks SWEET! I have had a lot of luck with IKEA furniture, so I am sure you will just love it!!
Sectional hunting has been so difficult for us… mainly because we’d like this instead of that, for this piece to go there and so forth.
This is awesome! My boyfriend and I just moved into a huge, open apartment and we’re in the market for a nice, big sectional. Right now we have an old, tattered loveseat that we are really excited to get rid of! I’ve been searching around for an affordable sectional and I think I’ve found what I was looking for!
I already bought a sofas at Cheapestsectionalsofas.com and i love it.