Hello there!
It’s officially MOVING WEEK for the Fagan family! On Wednesday night we will be driving back to Florida and officially moving all of our stuff out of our house on Thursday and Friday. Am I looking forward to it? Not even a little bit. But thank goodness we will have the help of movers for the first time ever. I am so used to packing everything up in a Uhaul, so it will be really nice to have some professional help this time around.
I can pretty much guarantee the professional movers will be more helpful than Sadie…
I will never forget Sadie sprawling out on the lawn and sighing dramatically as we packed up the Uhaul for our move from Orlando to Ocala. She cracked us up!
We said she was clearly depressed about leaving behind all of her dog park friends and the mouse infestation that provided her with a lot of entertainment (and me with a lot of nightmares).
I’m also really, really excited to see my family this week! We will be spending the weekend with them after all of our stuff is packed up. I’m counting down the days!
Weekend
Backing up a little bit… How was everyone’s weekend? Mine was filled with outdoor fun, a girls’ night sushi dinner uptown with Caitlin and her best friend Nicole, errand-running and more.
You know you’re an adult when furniture shopping becomes a highlight of your weekend.
Ryan and I are on a mission to find a ridiculously comfortable couch. The current owners of the house we’re in the process of buying have a fantastic sectional in their living room that we tried our best to negotiate into the price of the house. They weren’t having it, so we’re on a mission to buy a similar one that will basically swallow me whole when I sit on it. Our current leather couch/loveseat combo is far from comfortable and while we find it aesthetically pleasing, I’m dying for a couch that feels super comfy.
We managed to find one we like yesterday but want to move into the house, measure everything and get a real feel for the space before making the commitment. I spent some time on Houzz and Pinterest last night trying to come up with a vision for our family room and definitely gravitate toward white and beige rooms with little pops of light blue or a blue-gray color here and there.
Ryan is just happy I don’t want the room to be mint green because apparently that’s the color I’m loving most right now. (I will have a mint green laundry room. Just you wait!)
Yesterday’s furniture shopping extravaganza came with some fun breaks in the form of food. We stopped for brunch and frozen yogurt which made the process a little more fun.
Toast is quickly becoming our go-to brunch spot. It’s delicious and yesterday I ordered a terrific omelet and almost gave our waitress a high five for loading it up with lots of brie. Fantastic!
Hope you had a fabulous weekend!
Questions of the Morning
- Furniture shopping: Love it or loathe it?
- Do you own a couch that you think is the most comfortable couch in all the land? Where did you get it (…because I want to buy it)?
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Yay for moving! Good luck with everything!
West Elm is my favorite place but a little pricey. You can find good deals at Home Goods.
I love furniture shopping! My fiance and I bought a house three years ago and it’s one of our favorite activities on the weekends 🙂
Good luck with your move!
ONE SUGGESTION! Pottery Barn PB Comfort Sectional w/corner wedge!
It is pricey, and the only new furniture item we purchased for a long time (craisglist is my BFF) but every single visitor to our house puts it on their future home wish list!
We have a couch from Jennifer Convertible that probably 10 different people have fallen asleep on. Does that count?
i’m loving all things mint green, too! i recently bought the cutest pair of mint green ballet flats at target and they’re my absolute favorite at the moment 🙂
we have a really great couch from la-z-boy (sorry, i have no idea which model) and we love it! i admit that i spend way too much time sitting on it at night because it’s so comfortable.
My couch is leather and cloth. The cushions have down fill and are quite comfy. The downside to my couch, down feathers will come out of the cushions. It isn’t a huge mess but the couch is dark brown so the white feathers are noticeable. Also, sunlight has faded the couch in spots. I wonder if fading is less noticeable or less of an issue on a lighter colored couch.
I love furniture shopping but the cost of decent quality furniture is $$$. I would rather wait than buy cheap furniture from IKEA or Target. Bookcases and office chairs are fine, but I refuse to buy a crap dresser or couch.
I love furniture shopping! Currently, we have dark brown leather couches, it’s not what I would have chosen myself, but I do really like them. They’re just hard to decorate with…But when your boyfriends family gives you Pottery Barn couches when they downsize, you definitely accept them! 🙂 I can’t wait to see more of your new place, love the decor inspiration photo! Good luck with the move!
I adore furniture shopping – but I’m an Interior Designer, so if I didn’t… well, my job wouldn’t be very fun! 🙂 🙂 Since I’m apartment living at the moment, I stay away from expensive furniture so my sofa is from IKEA… but is actually really comfy to me (A step up from my Walmart futon.. I know.. I know, I don’t even…). Unfortunately, all the super comfy sofa’s are WAY out on my price range and my job has caused me to acquire a taste that is very far from my budget! Fingers crossed, one day!
Now that you are in N.C. – you should hit up the Furniture Marts in High Point, Furnitureland South, etc.
🙂
Making a list of this!!! Thanks, Nora!
You may have already thought of this stuff before, but here are my thoughts on the goods/bads of the black leather sectional we bought about 6 years ago. Perhaps this will be of use during your search…I certainly didn’t think about this stuff before we bought it…
– I wish the back was higher on our couch. We thought it was high enough, but it isn’t really.
– My mother-in-law is quite short, so she can’t sit against the back of the couch AND have her feet touch the floor. So the couch is deep enough for snuggling, but not for short people to sit on. Hmm.
– I’m on the fence about whether or not I like the leather. It’ll be super easy to clean when we have kids, but the look of it is a bit bachelor-ish. Also, I always put blankets down before sitting or lying down on it because it’s more cozy than just leather.
– It’s an L-shape and fits a ton of people…I love this! :0)
I think it depends on personal preferences too. I have a super deep couch (I sought this out on purpose) and I absolutely love it even though I’m only 5’2″. Maybe it’s selfish but since my bf and I sit on it most of the time I went for what I knew I would love to sit on. Though my guests do joke it is like a twin sized bed.
L-shape is a must for me!!! I am dying for a couch that just begs for me to lounge all over it. 🙂
I used to LOATHE furniture shopping, but since I’ve been in college and have been able to semi-furnish my room, I’m loving the online stores. IKEA is possibly the most addicting website ever, and I want to transport myself into one of their perfectly designed rooms and make it my own.
I just love shopping! My roommate and I got our set from a discount furniture store. Unfortunately, I think its just a local thing.
The only thing I hate more than packing up and moving is …. ummmm …. nothing.
Furniture shopping is so fun! Nothing is better than a lazy Saturday dreaming about all of the options a new space holds, its one of the major pros that make moving worth it 🙂
We just bought a sectional from La-Z-Boy and I love it. I always associated them with big manly recliners so I didn’t originally browse their selection but when I was getting frustrated with no store offering a sectional that met my vision I stopped in on a whim. I hadn’t been in the store 5 minutes before I saw exactly what I wanted and had pictured! Check them out! We bought their Sinclair sectional. Its so comfortable, inviting and backed by a great warranty, which includes getting any stains out for 5 years!
I luckily enough got my amazing comfy couch when I was 19! It’s a white Ethan Allen super crazy fluffy couch. Mind you, I was a college student, so taking a white couch up to a state university was a bit scary. There was a no drinking rule on said couch. I still have it and never ever want to sell it. Nor would my mother let me, because she is adamant on sleeping on it when she visits (and of course I offer her my bed!).
I loathe furniture shopping, but only because I don’t have the bank account I’d like for homegoods 😉 or else I know I would love it.
We are looking at a fairly light-colored couch and it makes me nervous, too!!
Eeek, moving week is exciting! Even if the moving process itself is kind of miserable. Good luck with the packing, and praise the Lord for movers, right?!
Love mint green! We painted our master bath a gorgeous mint green/turquoise and it makes me happy every day. I am even leaning toward painting one wall in our kitchen the same shade because it would look great with the backsplash. Happy for your move!
I love moving! Starting your house from a blank slate, purging all that stuff that accumulates over time, thinking about new ways to arrange furniture, exploring a new neighborhood! It’s a lot to get for one day of carrying heavy crap. We haven’t moved in about 5 years. If we weren’t rent controlled and the market wasn’t insane (thank you, northern California), I’d love to move again. Instead, I will live vicariously through your move 🙂
I love whites and beiges too, but do you worry about stains?
Oh! One other thought — our couch is really comfortable but so deep! It’s terrible for trying to sit with good posture. It’s nice if you want to be a total lump, but if you do want to have somewhat decent posture, it’s no good. If I scoot back so your lower back touches the back of the couch, my legs stick out at like a 45 degree angle, and I’m 5’10”! I’d much prefer one that’s comfortable AND supportive!
I hate the moving part too. Good luck!!
I’m not sure if you are familiar with High Point but you guys may check it out. It’s the furniture capital of the world. Many of the stores have outlets. Furniture southland is about a million square feet of furniture and is cheaper than buying directly from a store.
The town of hickory also has many nice furniture company outlets (broyhill is one of them). Feel free to email me with any questions!
Thanks so much for the suggestion, Meghan!
I HATE moving!! I have moved way too many times in the past few years, its a pain. BUT I do love decorating y new spaces and love furniture shopping. You don’t feel at home until you’ve put your touch on things.
I bought the Kensington sofa from Restoration Hardware a few months back and absolutely love it They won me over because they were comfy and had a lot of different choices in terms of lengths, depths and 2 different fills. It was nice because it made it easy to find a sofa that fit my space and I love the extra depth and the down fill for the comfort factor. From a practicality perspective, you can also do outdoor performance fabrics on their indoor sofas. If you’re thinking a light colored sofa like your inspiration photo I think that is so, so helpful. Mine is a light colored fabric and I definitely appreciate being able to clean it without issue.
The only store I would personally stay away from is Pottery Barn. Maybe their upholstery is better than their wood furniture, but I got a nightstand and dresser from there and they aged horribly over the years. Recently, against my better judgment, I ordered a console table thinking their quality might have changed but it looked awful. I’ve had much better experiences with Restoration Hardware, Ethan Allen and local furniture stores.
I would also add, from what I understand North Carolina is really known for its furniture so you may have some local stores where you can get a great quality piece at a more affordable price. Wherever you go I’d definitely recommend the performance fabric. It’s great if you want to have a lighter color couch that you aren’t afraid to actually use.
I will also add that I think it’s worthwhile to spend the most you can afford on a couch since it gets used so much and if you find a good quality one in a style you like you can always have it reupholstered down the road when it is showing its wear if you want a different color/style of fabric.
The other lesson I learned was that it is better to go for a more neutral color and use your accent pillows to pull in the colors you like. It makes it easier if your preferences change over time. I was stupid enough to buy a red couch the first time and ugh I got sick of that color.
I’ve heard amazing things about Restoration Hardware!
Since you are driving to FL from Charlotte, if you feel like you need a break around Atlanta I recommend stopping by a furniture store called The Dump (www.thedump.com) . They are normally only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but I was there for the first time this past weekend and was told that they are going to be open Tuesday and Wednesday this week for some big sale. I too am in search of a nice comfy couch and they had a couple of really nice contenders. Might not work with your travel plans, but just a suggestion. If you do go this week maybe call ahead and confirm they are open.
Thank you for the recommendation!!
It’s easier to match paint to fabrics than vice versa, so it’s best to choose your fabrics before you paint! — A tip from my sister
Thanks Katie… and Katie’s sister! 🙂
Why yes I love furniture shopping – at the onset. If it goes on too long because you can’t find something, then it becomes frustrating. But just looking at options and daydreaming is fun.
I can honestly say we bought the most comfortable couch EVER. Why can I claim this? Because I literally sat on every single couch in my entire metropolitan area. And when I say “literally”, I’m not being facetious. I really did sit on every couch in every store (Slumberland, Hom, Ethan Allen, Ashley Furniture, furniture liquidators, dock 86, and on and on and on and on and on.) High end stores, low end stores. Liquidators. Boutique shops. Even couches we saw listed on Craigslist. And not only do we love it, but all of our guests sit down and say, “daaang, this couch is SO comfy!!” And you can sleep on it and spoon on it! And made for tall people who love to nap! Also the rolled arms are comfy to lay your head on, sans pillow. Perfect head-height. And the back cushions are attached, so none of that constant plumping and lifting to put your pillow backs in place (however there’s still zippers on the bottom so you can stuff them after a few years if need be).
The aforementioned couch: We finally settled on the Pembroke couch made by LaZboy – purchased at Slumberland (but you can get it online from a million places). It’s very very deep, and very very long, and it comes in any color you could imagine. We got the “basil” (green) color because that was the store model we liked – the fabric is soft and feels amazingly comfy against your bare legs (I pretty much live in shorts at my house).
One important note about this couch: reinforce the frame after you get it. Our middle support board broke after 3 years (and we don’t have dogs or kids nor are we big people). We found out from our local Ace Hardware handyman that all we needed to do was put an L bracket and a bolt through the support boards and it’s good as new. However if you get a warranty for this couch (we didn’t), you would be fine. This doesn’t happen to everyone.
Here’s a link to what it looks like:
http://www.la-z-boy.com/product/5778-7375/Pembroke-Sofa-With-Rolled-Arms/#
Before we found out we could easily fix our couch, we ended up purchasing a second couch, and it’s comfortable too. But not AS great as the other couch above. But still, good. I don’t love the look of it as much, but it actually looks much more neutral in person than it does in the pic. It’s not the prettiest couch in pictures, but in real life, it really blends into neutral decor. It’s also huge and deeper than most sofas. It was my back-up couch, not my main couch. Here’s a link, you can buy it from elsewhere.
http://www.thefurnituremart.com/Products/115486/Living-Rooms/Sofas/Richland-Amber-Sofa
Good luck, hun! It’ll be over before you know it, that’s the only blessing of the business of moving. And I promise, the movers will be the best money you have EVER spent. After our move from Chicago-Denver, we swore we’d never do a move without movers again!
I love furniture shopping! It’s so much fun to decorate I love everything about it. Good luck on your move!!
Thanks so much!!! We’re excited! 🙂
I have a laz-boy and I love it. It was fun picking it out!
Hey Julie!
You mentioned you were looking for a super comfortable couch- ours is amazing and anyone that sits on it never wants to get up, it just sucks you in (but is still a good looking couch). Check out Jonathan Louis- they have couch with extra cushioning that make it SO comfy 🙂 And I LOVE the chaise on the one end of ours!
This has absolutely nothing to do with furniture, but you should definitely have a meal at Dandelion Market. I ate their with friends last week and it was amazing. It is a tapas restaurant, which I normally hate (small portions and high prices dont work for hungry people like me), but Dandelion’s food is amazing and their prices are very reasonable. Since it is tapas, I wouldnt recommend it for a night when you are super hungry, but we went late one night after a game which was perfect for us.
We’re STILL in the process of moving (across town with a TON of stuff, plus cleaning. Ugh!). I can’t wait until we’re completely finished. Good luck with your move!
We just replaced our couch with my Sister-In-Law’s old one, a corner sofa which is very sinkable-into. I love going couch shopping, but we’ve never bought one new. We’ve said when we move this time though, we’re going to choose some new furniture ourselves rather than just have some hand-me-downs.
Good luck with moving. I just love furniture shopping and searching for my dream pieces. If I had an unlimited budget our house would be filled with Pottery Barn 🙂
You and me both!!
ahhh! best of luck with moving. sadie is going to love it! 🙂
We just bought our first home and were insistent on a big, comfy, white-ish sectional and after searching for what felt like forever, we finally found the perfect fit: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/radley-fabric-6-piece-modular-chaise-sectional?ID=1346283&CategoryID=35419&LinkType=#fn=FURNITURE_CATEGORY%3DModulars;;Sectional Sofas%26PAGEINDEX%3D2%26sp%3D2%26spc%3D157%26ruleId%3D%26slotId%3D%26kws%3D383808 (<- sorry for the super long URL, but I love it so much I had to share!). Best of luck with moving!!
Hi there, I just bought the Radley sectional and I was googling for reviews. They are mixed, but I’m curious to see how yours held up since you bought it a year and a half ago…. If you can respond that would be very helpful!! Thank you!
I just bought my first house in July and I decided that my couch would be my splurge/first REAL piece of furniture. I bought this monster http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/radley-5-piece-fabric-chaise-modular-sectional-sofa?ID=1101386 in mocha (which is really a charcoal color) and absolutely adore it! Plus the Macy’s service was incredible and their protection plan is insane!
It also helps that my puppy adores it 🙂
Hi there, just curious to know how your Radley sectional is holding up? I just bought it and have a window to return it if I want to. Thanks!
Good luck with your final move! Enjoy having movers and the new adventure with your new home. Nothing like making it “yours” with furniture shopping and settling in!
We have this sofa and it’s awesome. My husbands feet don’t even touch the ground when he sits back and he’s 6’2″.
http://www.valuecityfurniture.com/living-room-furniture/upholstery/sectionals/altavista-3-piece-sectional/1576802.aspx
Good luck!