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.

Throws ?

When I first got my brand new leather sofas they were really hard but have softened up considerably!

I absolutely love grass green 💚! You just need to make a feature of it. Get some cushions with that shade in (patterned ones, several different types) and curtains.

Lots of large plants would look great too.

So sorry you are not posting a pic of the sofa. I was looking forward to seeing its fabulousness. I bet it’s gorgeous. Then again, I dopamine decorate, because, as it turns out, I can do it myself.

Sofas do soften up after a bit. My last ‘hard sofa’ (mad buy from a charity shop) was helped by using a single bed mattress topper over the sitting cushions until it was properly broken in. I put the topper in a single duvet cover and modified the fit with my sewing machine.

i hope it all works out.

Is is possibly to do with thinking it clashes with the pink armchair. I'd be inclined to have the chair reupholstered & add silk type plants to the room (ok not everyones taste but so real nowadays) to give it more of a botanical vibe. FWIW I think it sounds lovely but you will need to stage it accordingly in order to feel more comfortable with the colour.

I don't like overly squishy sofas so again it would suit me fine along with a comfy throw & cushions.

@sellotape12 did you post a pic?

Pink and Green is a dream combination. I have a green sofa with pink cushions and throws. I have a green bedroom with pops of pink. You loved the fabric and chose it for a reason - it's just the newness and the expanse of it.

Cushions, a throw and two weeks of looking at it, and I think you will grow to love it.

This happened to us when we bought our lounge suite, approximately 25 years ago. Chose the colour from a fabric swatch which we tried in various parts of our lounge - they swatches are not very big are they and we had chosen a big pattern which came in in other colourways but we were happy with our choice. I love my suite now and have seen the same fabric and colour a couple of times on other sofas when I have been snooping on Rightmove but on that cold foggy when day it arrived I was quite horrified at how mustard it looked! A 3 seater sofa, a 2.1/2 seater sofa and an armchair!! It needs recovering and new cushions and have no idea what to chose now.

As other PP have suggested some throw might help. I'd had cushions and arm covers made from the same fabric so it was rather overwhelming😂

I'm sure you will love it in a very short while. I sympathsise with the coccyx, I damaged mine many years ago. Try sitting on another cushion on the sofa or maybe your armchair will be more comfortable

Congratulations on your lovely baby girl, sending you lots of hugs

Imagine how many bums of all sizes have sat on a display sofa! Of course it will be softer than brand new. That's why they get sold off cheap.

In the meantime get a nice soft memory foam cushion and a cover in a pattern/colour you like and sit on that. Or buy this - I bought it for my too hard office chair and it's absolutely transformed working from home . Benazcap Memory Seat Cushion for Office Chair Sciatica & Back Pain Relief Memory Foam Firm Coccyx Pad for Car, Wheelchair, Gaming chair and Desk Chair, Black : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

If after a few months its still not softened enough, yes you can get sofa cushions inserts replaced. Either go back to the retailer or order some online where you can choose your desired level of foam softness. (I did that years of for my old sofa that had very squishy and so uncomfortable in the other direction!).

For the bright colour, google ideas for bringing it together with drapey sofa throws, cushions and some other accessories in the room. Pink and green do go together so softening it a bit will help. I was pretty uncertain about my current sofa colour and fabric when it first arrived but have definitely come round to liking it now.

Love the combo OP
hope it’s more comfy soon

Don’t forget the showroom sofas will have had lots of people sitting on them and softening them up.

My new sofa is arriving at the end of the month. I had got the choice down to 2, but when it came to ordering it turned out my favourite was made by a company who had just gone under and weren’t accepting orders, fair enough. But it was the squishier of the two so I am expecting to have to bounce around a bit on the new one when it around pretending I am customers passing through John Lewis’s sofa department.

I haven’t read the full thread but maybe get a memory foam cushion or two to sit on and support lower back while you wait for the sofa to bed in.
it is hard when things don’t look as you imagined, but I agree with posters who say to live with it a while. You may love the fabric again, or see ways to soften the shock a bit like a neutral throw and cushions / rug etc

You probably ate black and blue ...from just giving birth!

I think that’s very wise!

I ordered a navy blue sofa but I see it as teal every so often I look online at fabric dye… it is something you get used too! It doesn’t go with my beige and black theme but I just tell myself it’s a pop of colour 😂

congrats to your new bundle of joy

This is lovely. All you need is one or two cushions with a pink pattern to break up the plain fabrics - cushions with pale neutral plus pink pattern and or pink with green pattern. They will work together beautifully. I really like your pink chair.

I sympathise. Bought my dream corner sofa with feather filled scatter back cushions. Most uncomfortable thing I've ever tried to watch TV on! They just dimple and don't spring back - no support at all.

I suggest you get a couple of lovely throws you really like so you don't keep rethinking the green, and a couple of new cushions for comfort, and focus on enjoying your new baby for now. Try not to let the sofa hijack your precious first few weeks with her.

Oh OP I really feel for you.

You are tired and sore and postpartum.
I'd honestly just give it some time.

It may be that in a few weeks you are used to the colour and the foam has softened etc.

If you've a new tiny baby and a fabric sofa I'd chuck some blankets or throws over it for now anyway tbh! Maybe some old familiar ones will bring you comfort to look at?

Not an ideal solution but someone I saw once on insta , a lady had put a bench cushion on top of hers. There are also people on Etsy that make bespoke sized ones in a velour fabric & you can always whip them off when guests come round .

I always hate new sofas when they arrive!! After a few days they just become part of the room & I like them again 😂😂

Don't despair OP. Firstly, green and pink is a lovely combination and you probably just need to restyle the room a bit to make the colours work. I hope you change your mind about sharing a photo!

Secondly, 6 days postpartum is not the right time for a room makeover, so the focus needs to be your comfort for now. Can you send DH out for a squishy throw you can sit on while the sofa settles in? Or move in a different comfy chair for you, and make your husband lie on the new one every evening to break it in for you.

I would register your concerns re. firmness with the sofa company and see what they suggest, but leave the fabric issue because they definitely won't entertain you "changing your mind" about that.

If it’s anything like this or the other photos, It will be gorgeous!

2k is fairly cheap for a sofa, don't expect much at this price point.

It's so frustrating. And always difficult to imagine a colour from a small swatch. Definitely the right decision to just bite the bullet & get them repainted.

just caught up with this OP. If its any comfort at all, DH and I once bought a VERY expensive 3 piece. WE had 2 x 7 month old puppies at the time and we chose winter white....I mean what were we thinking??? I actually like green and pink together, very springlike and fresh. Have you considered that yes, while an new seat will be harder, some of the pain you are experiencing is because you have not long given birth and your pelvis and lower spine are still getting over it? maybe some softer padding might help?

Oh sweetie, I haven't read the full thread, just your posts but it does sound a bit like you are just overwhelmed with new baby emotions etc.

I would try and live with the colour for a bit and see how you feel in a few weeks.

With regards to the firmness, who was the manufacturer? Ours is Alstons and the agent is amazing. Mine is firmer than I expected and in 15 months hasn't softened. However, it is comfy so I am not worried about that. But the back cushions bizarrely are not as firm but I can contact the agent for the life time of the sofa and they will restuff for free to firm them up.

Contact the company you purchased from, the worst they can say is there is kithing they can do but they might be able to advise or assist.

Congratulations on your baby girl!!