I'm looking for a new sofa ..... please help

[SwedesandTurnips]

For our family room. A three seater with wow factor. I don't want one of those beige chenille ones, nor leather. I want something stunning and comfortable. Perhaps a bright velvet?

Anyone seen any nice ones?

I suggest you reread Biddulph's 'Raising Boys' Swedes. You must have missed the chapter on 'poncey sofas and emasculation'.
What is bright raspberry anyway? Dark pink?

How about this - comes in different colours of velvet

www.next.co.uk/homeware/sofa.asp?vmode=shopping&subsect=livingroom&page=27&s=6&

I'd go with reupholstering esp since you have a decent sofa to start off with.
But with 3 boys plus DP I reckon something hard wearing and not too pink might be the ticket...

Swedes, we have had about 7 in the last year.

I can tell you this:

1.velvet STAINS very quickly, just little marks here and there and looks scruffy as soon as. So ours is covered in a blanket

1. Get one where the back is not made of seat-pad type things that slump every time it is sat upon. It will kill you re-positioning and plumping.

1. Tetrad do a nice (if nouveau-riche) range of part leather, part dodgy textured stuff sofas, that are hideously overpriced new but are ENORME and comfy too. (got one here, second hand for 200 quid)

1. Habitat (jewel coloured) velvet ones DO get reduced by 70% eventually but are bigger than they look in the shop, will dwarf everything in the room, very high seats, and a bit like an elephant in many ways. Made a profit on ebay though.

erm...think that's about it!

Just seen you have a Wesley Barrell! Crikey woman! You'd have to be mad to get rid og that

If you do can I have it

Cymbeline, when can i get a velvet Habitat sofa for 70% off? Seriously, do they get heavily reduced in the sale? I can't see them on the frigging website.

Actually i think this might be the one i saw. Though the colours do not show up well online

poncey sofas unite

Yes we got one about 6months ago for 599 reduced from 1999 (sofa bed one)
it was lovely, greyish one. Unfortunately for reasons below it had to go

Just SO high and so big. You sat on the cushions and they just kind of stayed put - you didn't really sink in!! Ds2 couldn't even climb up

about the price reduction!

[googles Wesley Barrell to see how the other half live]

I couldn't cope with the ugly legs on that Habitat sofa. I like to keep things forever (tight fisted) and I think that Habitat shape would date horribly.

I've just worked out that we have 9 sofas in this house.

I hadn't noticed the legs

I'm now wondering if I need counselling more than a new sofa?

I bought two Wesley Barrell sofas for £80 a couple of years ago.

Whatever you do, avoid, AVOID Sofa Workshop. Dh and I splashed out over £800 there (most expensive furniture we've ever bought) this time last year for a sofa bed. At Christmas the bed mechanism came away. I rang and rang them (re famous 10-year warranty), kept getting fobbed off.

When I got 'assertive', I received a letter saying they'd been sold to another company that was just using the name, and not honouring the warranties. (funny, the website still boasts 20 years' experience ) They offered to fix it on a non-profit basis, and to write if I was interested. I have written back, twice, and got no answer...

As I say, avoid. (Mumsnet is my only revenge )

I would say, go for John Lewis - wish we had. My dsis has had one about 15 years, is bored with it, but it still looks like new, so no excuse to get rid...

Wish we'd done that!

too small but right colour?

Let me know if you find a reasonable upholsterer. Willing to travel to get a decent one/price.

try again

bugger reverts to main page.

[Swedes I hope I haven't offended - I was only referring to the bright pink/men refusing to sit on it theme, not your taste in sofas in general]

POfaced - Ooh yes, that Kingston one..... v pleasing in its crushed velvet in cranberry colour. I like its classic style. I wonder if crushed velvet might wear a bit better than smooth velvet with a nap? Thanks. Will show it to DP.

I have heard so many people talk about sofas not lasting. I've always had hand me downs, bought second hand or bought good quality and I must say I've never had a problem.

I once had a drop armed turn of the century sofa reupholstered and it looked marvellous. But unfortunately it remained spectacularly uncomfortable for anything other than perching for a brief moment. I listed it with my fixtures and fittings in my last house and the silly lovely people who bought my house paid for it.

We are finally doing up the last room in our house. It's being panneled and then painted sludgey grey (Farrow & Ball French Grey) eggshell. It's a really dark, featureless room (apart from a hideous fireplace) so I am trying to make its darkness seem cosy. And I need a lively large sofa for juxtaposition. [I am such a wanker emoticon]

Poface Arf. Not in the least bit offended.

Hi
We had our 3 seat sofa & chair reupholstered 1.5 years ago from swede to leather. It cost us £2k but that meant we got to choose fab quality leather & we also had everything repadded. The frame is beech would, which is, apparently the best to have as it lasts for years. The reupholsterer has given us a 25 year guarantee. I'm in Herts too is you would like his contact details

beech wood obviously!