The Hunt For the Perfect Couches

We started looking for couches in the fall of 2006. When we had decided we wanted to get married and it was something we enjoyed doing. Jaren would come visit me in Provo and we would go to RC Willey and look around, sit on couches, look at bedroom sets, kitchen's, it was a lot of fun. Only, I knew exactly what I wanted. Big, beautiful, deep couches where the back cushions could be pulled off the couch. We would find this - sit on them and they would be hard as a rock!

Jaren's parents were nice enough to let us borrow their recliners from their basement until we could find what we were looking for. We kept up the search and waved from what I wanted to what Jaren wanted - recliner's. He wanted a sofa that had two long cushions rather than the three square ones (how often does anyone sit on the middle one anyway?). Which was fine with me. So for about a year we searched for these. Found a set in Salt Lake at RC Willey, we had them draw up the bid and went home to think about it. Which is what drove me the most crazy - it doesn't matter what it is we are thinking about buying or how long we have been researching and looking at them. Jaren would tell me we woud think about it. And usually he would change his mind, which meant WE would change our mind.... It got rather frustrating.

Back to the recliners. We measured them, went home and measured our couches. Found that they were quite a bit smaller than the ones we have which isn't what we want. So we tossed those.

December 2008 we went with Jaren's family to a furniture store in Idaho Falls while his sister showed us a chair she bought. We've been to this place a billion times and have looked around. But, we walked around again and there were the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I sat on them and they were comfortable! The back cushion's pulled away, they were DEEP. I basically want to be able to pull off my back cushions and have a twin bed. I probably got too excited because while on the way home Jaren started to talk like it wasn't do-able and I cried and cried. I was getting a bit tired of looking.

Love at first sight/sit/lay.

Jaren's foot and the love seat

He took me back a few weeks later and he found his dream recliners. They were cheaper, by about 600 bucks than the set I wanted. So, I didn't complain. They were comfortable and made Jaren very happy. We searched for fabrics (which is another thing I'm SUPER picky about - see, this is a big big purchase. One that we wont make again for 5-7 years, so they have to be PERFECT) and decided on some fake leather. It was another 600 bucks cheaper than real and easier to clean and fix if they were to tear. So, we drew up the bid, placed the order, gave them a deposit and left.

Then we got a phone call. They fabric choice was "restricted" whatever that means. So we went back, found another one we wanted - they didn't have enough to cover the couches. We looked again and the other fabric choice didn't work. We had them refund our deposit and waited.

In March we went and looked again. As always I went strait to the couches I still loved. Jaren sat on them and said, "we could get these if you'd like." After I cried a bit he said, "but only if we do the brown fabric" Which was fine with me! We ordered them the first week in April and just got them a week ago. Jaren was skepticle, but he really really likes them now. He even said with the recliners they weren't long enough - his feet hung off the end, but with the automen he can fully recline!

I have to remember to rotate the cushions because I sit on the same spot every time. I also need to buy some cheap throw pillows to prop behind my back because I'm already flattening the pretty ones that came with them!

Overall I AM SO HAPPY! I'll probably sit on a towel, sheet or blanket with the kid so we don't get any spit up, poop, pee, milk or whatever else can come out of them on the couches. I also think I'm going to buy a super large towel and cut a hole in the middle and wear it as a pancho when I'm burping the kid. We'll see how it works :)

Before:
I hunted for pictures. I didn't take any of the entire room with the couches because I didn't think they were the prettiest things. I called them my Indian Couches, because of the fabric print. :)

I'm making my Sister in Law's baby shower invites. The nice thing about these couches is I had a little cupholder place. We are currently looking for endtables for the ones we have now, because I am constantly thirsty!! (p.s. do you see the SKINNY face? yeah.... hoping it will come back when the little girl comes out)

Jaren does miss these. The loveseat rocked. He would rock himself and rock the empty seat next to him. I found it rather endearing and also funny because he wouldn't even realize he was doing it. But we are getting a rocking recliner before the baby comes, so I told him he can rock them both to sleep :) I think he's looking forward to it.

Empty:

During the move

I'm still kicking myself for not getting a picture of the whole before set.

During the move, I found a pen I had been looking for, a cap to my eraser from one of my mechanical pencils and an earring! That I thought was my Sister in Law's, Vicki's, until I went in and looked at my earrings and found the match! Oopse :)

After:
I always make him pose for these pictures. Which is why I get the face - do I have to?

The cushions need a little sitting on as you can see under them.

They seemed really really big for our room. It took us a few days to get used to them. They are so different than our previous couches! They are a bit deeper, but take up about the same amount of space. With the automen it feels like we've lost half the size of our room. But it's not like we really need it yet and we have another room attatched to this that gives us a lot of space.

Did I mention they are down filled? That's right, COMFORTABLE!

We are going to move the shelves when we get end tables and buy a pretty standing lamp to go there.

Notice how bare and empty the walls are? I have bought hardly anything to decorate this house. But for the same reason that it took 2 1/2 years to buckle down on couches. Jaren says, "we'll think about it" and I don't want to just buy, buy, buy and accumulate stuff. But we are hoping in the next little while we will purchase a few things to put on our walls. It's just hard with the adding total of baby stuff we have to get.

Fabric:
I'm very happy with the brown. It's a little dark, but we just need more light. We don' t mind!

I love these throw pillows. I am now on the hunt for a turquoisey throw to match.

Overall, we love them. Jaren likes to fall asleep on them. I go get ready for bed and when I'm ready I come get him and he thinks he's been asleep for hours. :)