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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be in tears over a sofa

53 replies

flibbertigibbert · 06/06/2011 14:00

Me and DP have been saying for a while now that we needed to replace our current sofas and get a corner sofa, which makes sense in our smallish living room. Yesterday we went to DFS and DP decided there and then that he wanted to buy a sofa. This was the first shop we'd been in, and we hadn't even measured the living room. I'm of the opinion that you don't buy a sofa on the first shopping trip. As far as I was concerned, the shopping trip was just to get ideas.

This is the sofa DP decided that he loved - it is very comfortable but I thought it looked really tacky because of the arms and bottom being a different colour. I wanted to look around at some others first. DP started making jokes with the (pushy) sales guy and saying 'this is how men shop', ie, they just get on with it and don't need to look around. He also got sucked in by the '50% off ending today' thing - well, the sofa is still 50% off, and probably always is because it's so hideous.

I've measured the living room and I feel sick - the sofa is going to literally take up two walls and will completely dominate the room. I got home and saw this on the website which I think is so much nicer and smaller. I'm so angry with DP for making such a big decision without thinking it through, and trying to make out I was being difficult for not wanting to buy it instantly, and with myself for not giving a firm 'no' because I couldn't be bothered to have an argument. We had an agreement that DP would replace the living room furniture and I would do up the kitchen, which I now see was really stupid as it made it harder for me to say no.

Really don't know what to do now as this bloody hideous thing is turning up in 5 weeks.

OP posts:

MmeLindor. · 06/06/2011 14:54

Oh, well done.

And ffffft at making each sofa individually.

Yes, if it were a De Sede sofa that is available in 26 different colours and 12 leather colours.

valiumredhead · 06/06/2011 14:59

Well they are made to order surely?

MmeLindor. · 06/06/2011 15:00

Made to order yes, but they don't start working on the sofa as soon as you sign the contract. And if you did cancel the contract, they are not left with a sofa that they cannot sell.

I used to work in the trade, a lot of what you are told is pure hard sell.

bigbutton · 06/06/2011 15:14

My friend bought that second sofa recently. One of their kids then bled all over it (nothing serious, just v messy). DFS replaced the sofa quickly and my friend managed to get most of the blood out of the old one, so her sil now has it. Just thought this might reassure you about the cream sofas. It's looooooovely to sit on, btw, really soft. I have sofa envy.

MackerelOfFact · 06/06/2011 15:34

The first one is fucking horrible. Arf at your DH worrying that he was going to miss the end of the DFS sale!

Cancel the order and get thyself down to Ikea or somewhere if you want an offensive cheapo sofa that doesn't look like Gandalf has vomited over it.

Icelollycraving · 06/06/2011 15:36

I am only seeing same sofa on both links??

weblette · 06/06/2011 15:36

Agree completely with Mackerel

boxoftricks · 06/06/2011 15:36

why did DFS replace your friends sofa bigbutton? did it come with a stain gurantee?

AmazingBouncingFerret · 06/06/2011 15:39

Ouch that first one is big isnt it. I have a large living room and it would completely dominate it so god knows what it would be like in a smallish one.
Glad they have put it on hold, hopefully you can take some sense into your DH.

PhyllisDiller · 06/06/2011 15:56

Argh! Men, what a vile sofa. If the order is on hold then does that mean your deposit has not been taken? Can you get a refund?

I?d be spinning a line to DH that DFS called and to say that the factory have run out of fabric and they can no longer supply the one he wants. Lie lie lie, but don?t let that thing in your house!!!

My poor mother has this problem with my Dad (I love the both), but honestly it?s been going on for so many years she?ll be lucky if she can have a say in the colour of a new table cloth. He chooses everything. Drives me mad to watch it going on!

tallulahxhunny · 06/06/2011 16:31

do not buy the second sofa, really, if you dont want to spend half an hour every day fluffing up your cushions and once a week taking them out of the covers, bashing, shaking & grinding the fibres because this is what you have to do with that sofa. I am currently waiting on a price from dfs to take my cushions back and put foam into them instead. my brand new sofa is the most uncomfortable thing i have ever bought, it feels like a dead sofa. flat and uncomfortable :(

tallulahxhunny · 06/06/2011 16:33

Oh and btw my OH did the exact same thing, he picked this sofa, i sat there saying Im not having that in my living room but tbh it was the best of 3 he picked and as he was paying for it cash i really hadnt got much choice :(

bigbutton · 06/06/2011 16:41

Yes, we didn't discuss all the details (more like: friend: "DFS are replacing my stained sofa, isn't that great?" me: "yes, that's handy")

Iirc, I think it had some kind of stain proofing treatment with associated guarantee but, as the blood had gone on the main cover and not just the cushions, DFS decided it'd be easier to replace the sofa than try to get all that blood out. It just struck me as good service that they sorted it out with so little fuss.

MackerelOfFact · 06/06/2011 16:42

I mean 'inoffensive' not 'offensive'. I am not offended by (most) of Ikea's sofas.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 06/06/2011 19:08

The first one is foul, I forgot to say. We bought sofas from DFS last summer (I love them!) and my main stipulation was no scatterback cushions. The thought of all that rearranging brings me out in hives :o

Glad they've held the order. Now go and do some hard talking.

yomellamoHelly · 06/06/2011 19:14

First one looks very comfy, but is SO ugly. Second one would consider buying myself. (Need a new one.) Would have to be different colour for us though (3 kids - would be stained in minutes).

manticlimactic · 06/06/2011 19:18

CANCEL THE FIRST ONE!!

My mum bought that one from DFS (years ago) and it didn't last very long and was very uncomfortable.

FabbyChic · 06/06/2011 19:20

I prefer it to your choice. Whilst I don't like the green on it, it's better than what you want which is plain and looks cheap.

zipzap · 06/06/2011 20:19

My dh has the opposite problem with me choosing sofas - 5 years on from deciding we need them and I'm still looking as I can't find anything that is comfy and that looks nice and that has a high enough back but that doesn't have big round chair arms.

I'm just about getting to the point of resigning myself to the fact we will have to just get something I don't like the look of because comfort is probably more important. The sort of one I like is the Colorado sofa at multiyork but think I'm going to go for the nadia or Naomi one instead as it is just a bit deeper seat and higher back and so much more comfortable. (sorry haven't figured out how to do links on the phone yet)

Might also be worth if you do decide you want a different sofa from elsewhere mentioning that the only reason you got talked into buying it there and then was that you were told offer was on its last day and it wasn't - trading standards might be interested or threat of them might be enough to help get you out of your contract.

If you want good deals on nice sofas from places like m and s or Laura ashly etc check out places like trading places (think that is what it is called) in bloxham and other places that sell returned or cancelled orders and overstocks for half list price. Look on the moneysavingexpert website or google noelle Walsh or Alison ?? Who does the bargain pages in the telegraph paper, they are always full of details of these places. Usually slightly off the beaten track but fantastic value for money!

Good luck and hope you get a sofa you love at the end of all this!

discobeaver · 06/06/2011 20:25

Is the first one the giant leather one? Looks good. Wipe clean. Plenty of scope for nookie.
Sofa so good. Ba dum tish!
It's just somewhre to sit and shag, not really that big a decison in the grand scheme of things. Not worth tears anyway.

Naetha · 06/06/2011 20:35

Why are you going for a corner sofa? We bought a corner sofa 4 years ago thinking it would be the best for 2 adults and 2 kids and it's just not big enough.

WIth a corner you're not getting a 3 seater and 2 seater combined, you're just getting a 3 seater with extra legroom on one side. Also because of the corner arrangement you don't have space to put a coffee table where you might with a 3 and a 2 seater.

We have a similar one to this one and you can only fit 3 people on it.

If you're only planning on having 3 people sitting on it then it's fine though.

I won't get into personal taste, but cream coloured fabric + =

thelittlefriend · 06/06/2011 20:38

we bought this as a solution to a small living room and I love it. would recommend it to anyone

thelittlefriend · 06/06/2011 20:39

btw we haven't got it in the horrible colour that's coming up on the link!!!

morbeus · 06/06/2011 20:50

Glad you got it sorted OP. I would also be a bit scared of cream fabric - even with no DC, I think it would get grubby fairly quickly. Also, sofas with gaps at the bottom are fab for swallowing toys, magazines, dust bunnies - avoid if possible.

Noddy - what style sofas are not dated at the moment?

Mandy2003 · 06/06/2011 22:25

thelittlefriend that's the same as mine (mine's light beigey cream) and as I said about 48 posts back, it is great isn' it?

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