New sofa arrived. Massive buyers remorse. Can anyone relate?

[sellotape12]

Hi, I’m literally 6 days postpartum and very fragile so I could be irrational. Our new sofa arrived yesterday after a 10 week wait. It’s in a bespoke fabric which I chose and supplied. I feel quite shocked at how much I don’t like it. Firstly, it is so much harder than the one that we tried in the shop over three visits. I assume this is just because it’s new? It has foam cushions with a light feather layer. And the colour is so much more shocking now that I’ve seen it in our living room. I pored over fabric samples but now it’s on a bigger surface area it just looks bright and shocking. It also no longer goes with any of the other accessories in our living room and just doesn’t look very holistic because it’s such an opinionated colour.

I just don’t know what to do. It cost me £2000 and I thought I would feel excited. Do I try to get it reupholstered? Do I just live with it for a few weeks? What do I do? I feel so low.

Photo required

It might just be the shock of it being more vibrant. It might grow on you. Congratulations on your baby, by the way and yes it's possible that your hormones are all over the place right now. I would give it a chance if I were you.

The sofa is the physical representation of your postpartum exhaustion!

Is there a refund policy (guessing not if bespoke)? If not or it’s basically unusable, give it at least two weeks - surely it’s like having your hair cut: startling at first but you get used to it

Oh that's rubbish - especially when you've paid a lot of money for it and waited so long. Could you post a photo so we could try and make suggestions on how to make it more bearable? Often it's just a case of accessorising differently.

I can’t refund it because it’s had this bespoke fabric and it was a three seater that we asked to be made into a two seater - so it’s all handmade. Are they meant to feel so much firmer when they’re brand-new? Is it like breaking in leather shoes? I just wish I’d gone for something neutral. It’s a grass green colour.

The softness will come after it’s been used for a bit the one in the show room will have had lots of use to wear it in.
The colour/fabric is Tough one. You obviously liked it when you chose it, do you think it will grow on you? Were you planning on changing up the livingroom or did you hope it would just slot in?
if you genuinely hate it and the shop won’t take it back or change it for you, you could look at selling it in but then you have to find another sofa all over again.
hopefully after a few days of seeing it in the room you start to love it

Chuck a blanket/throw over it and be liberal with scatter cushions?

Yep loads of cushions. And how about painting the walls?

We need a photo!

I always wanted a green sofa but it wasn't possible...just saying

Live with it for a while and dont make any knee jerk decisions.

Why doesnt it go with the other accessories you have, did you get rid of some or change them?

Live with for a while. It sounds very nice and trendy. And it will soften up.

You loved it for a reason and I bet you will again.

I’ll post a picture in the morning because in late afternoon lights my camera doesn’t pick up on how bright it is. Check back? It’s basically the colour of the leaves of the house plants. But it’s next to our existing pink armchair which I just think looks silly? And I’m worried about the firmness of it all. I just don’t know how long they take to feel soft. My tailbone is killing me after hours of sitting. Just don’t trust myself in interior decisions. Now I’m crying again!

Neutral cushions?

I think hating a new sofa isn’t unusual. Make peace with hating it for now and I bet in a few months time you change your mind.

Take a trip to Next or Dunhelm for some toning cushions, and a blanket or throw to go over at least part of it. Live it and see how you feel in three months.

It's catching your eye at the moment because it's brand-new and clearly quite bright - but it won't do when you're used to it. And you're feeling sensitive and hormonal at the moment anyway.

Something like this OP?

We have just taken delivery of new sofas and they are harder than the showroom ones but I’m expecting them to soften over time.

Also due to an unexpected new pet staying with us we bought some throws on Amazon to protect them which of course hides all fabric.

So I’d recommend that or tonal cushions and accessories to soften the colour.

Neutral throw. Add a couple of pink cushions to connect it to the chair.

Put a green and neutral patterned cushion on the chair.

I think it sounds great, really vibrant and funky.

I thought it was a well known unwritten rule never to make any significant decision when hormonal? 🤷‍♀️

Oh OP, don’t cry over a sofa. It’s just a sofa and not worth your tears.

I don’t like our new sofas, wrong colour, pah.

It’s probably not as bad as you think and you’ll get used to it. What we have done is change the rug and cushions and added throws to neutralise slightly. It will absolutely soften with time as you sit on it.

One day you’ll look back and laugh. It’s just a sofa, something to sit on, don’t let it ruin your day.

Well, that's a real help

Don't panic, it's all very new. It takes around 6 to 8 weeks for the springs to bed in and for the cushions to all settle - I'm in the trade and make sofas for a living. We send out a letter with our deliveries stating this, as sometimes people are worried that they've gone for the wrong foam densities. I've got new foam core feather wrap seat cushions on my sofa and after 3 weeks they're still taking a bit of getting used to.

Not helpful now I realise at all, but we encourage all of our clients to take a large returnable sample of the fabric home before confirming. I spend a lot of time ordering half metre pieces.

I think it sounds lovely , once you add a few accessories and maybe some cushions it’ll stop being so obvious