Finding Our Perfect Couch

We were moving from our studio apartment in Boston to a 2 bedroom apartment in the suburbs. The new place had a living room so enormous you could practically echo in it. Naturally, we needed a big, comfy couch to fill the space (and to prevent us from awkwardly standing around like we were at an art gallery opening).

In our studio, we had this cute little loveseat from Walmart that cost us about $180. We got it in 2020, but by 2022, it was barely holding together—a bunch of splinters and fabric pretending to be a couch. Sitting on it felt like trying out for Cirque du Soleil—every single beam made itself known, and the cushioning seemed to have retired early.

But here’s the thing: I loved that loveseat. Not for its comfort (or lack thereof), but for its color. It was the perfect shade of blue, like a summer sky that hadn't been tainted by one too many rainy days.

Looking back at old photos, though, I realize the loveseat was completely out of proportion for our studio apartment. It was too small! My husband, however, still insists it was the perfect size, arguing that anything larger would have swallowed up the whole apartment.

Fast forward to 2022, and one day I spot two single sofa seats sitting on the curb outside our building, just waiting for a new home. They were practically begging me to take them in. So, I did what any sane person would do—I dragged them upstairs and swapped them out with the loveseat. My husband was, let's say, less than thrilled. He took one look at those curbside treasures and saw a history of unspeakable horrors. To him, they were plague-ridden relics from some bygone era.

But I was DONE with that tiny, worn-out loveseat, so I begged and pleaded, promising him that these seats would be fine. The problem? Our apartment was so small that we couldn’t keep both the loveseat and the new white seats without turning our living room into a furniture obstacle course. Within ten minutes of dragging those new seats in, we’d already stubbed our toes on the displaced loveseat more times than I’d care to admit.

So, we made the executive decision to move the loveseat to the apartment lobby. I even struck a deal with my husband: if the loveseat was still there the next day, I’d consider dragging it back upstairs and returning the white seats to the curb. But, miracle of miracles, someone swooped in and took that blue loveseat within minutes! (A little piece of me still hopes it's living its best life somewhere.)

My husband, however, never warmed up to the new white sofas. He was convinced they were infested with bugs and blamed every skin issue he had on those poor, unsuspecting seats. Meanwhile, I’d sanitized them within an inch of their lives and refused to dwell on whatever escapades they’d endured in their past life. I loved those seats—they were the perfect size! The happiest day of my husband’s life, though, was when we finally moved out of the studio and unceremoniously ditched those white sofas. RIP.

A few months before the big move, when the hunt for a new couch began, we quickly realized that my husband and I had very different visions for what constituted the perfect couch. For me, the number one, non-negotiable quality was that it had to be pretty. Like, Instagram-worthy pretty. Preferably in blue or yellow, though I could be persuaded by a stylish grey. And tilted legs? Yes, please!

My husband, on the other hand, was all about comfort. He was adamant that our new couch should be a fluffy, cloud-like oasis. I argued that anything would be more comfortable than our old blue loveseat, which doubled as a medieval torture device. I mean, even the white sofa seats (from the curb!) were decently comfortable in my book. But my husband? He was on a mission to find the sofa equivalent of a warm hug.

The one thing we could agree on was the budget, which, to be honest, wasn't exactly going to land us a luxury couch fit for royalty.

So, we started our quest online, scrolling through endless options. And then, like a beacon of hope, we saw it:

1. Velvet Square Arm Sofa Bed from Wayfair

I loved the color—it had those stylish tilted legs and even doubled as a sofa bed. Originally priced at around $600, it was marked down to $400 (and, funnily enough, it’s still at that price two months later as I write this!).

After a few days of debating over the Wayfair sofa, we spotted a giant clearance sale sign (one that said "EVERYTHING MUST GO!") at a local shop in our neighborhood called the Boston Bed Company. So, naturally, we went in to check out our first in-person couches during the great couch hunt.

The first sofa that caught my eye in the shop was this:

2. Ashfield Black Sleeper Sofa

It was a bit on the low side (height-wise), but I loved the texture, and it looked like a fluffy cloud—so I was sold! Plus, ever since I searched for ‘couch’ on Wayfair, I’d been bombarded with ads for similar cloud-like couches, which were all going for around $2,000 with zero reviews on Wayfair. This one seemed like a dream come true.

But my husband? Not so much. He wasn’t thrilled with the couch, mainly because it didn’t have armrests. And at $679, it was a bit pricey for something he wasn’t completely on board with.

Next, I was drawn to this:

3. Light Blue Sofa

I was really into the color, but my husband wasn’t impressed with the comfort level. He wasn’t a fan of the color either, and since it was priced around $600, we decided to pass on it as well.

Then, this sofa caught our attention:

4. Chaise Sleeper Sofa

The best part? It was marked down from $1,500 to $760! It also transformed into a nice queen-sized bed. But, I wasn’t too thrilled about the flaps for pulling out the extra cushions—they were just hanging out at all times. Still, the price almost convinced us to buy it.

We barely made it out of the store without putting down a deposit—the markdown was really tempting. But the whole experience made us realize we should probably check out some higher-end stores since we were already considering spending about $700 on a couch.

So, off we went to Crate and Barrel at Natick Mall. Let’s just say, we got a reality check! We walked in thinking $700 would get us something decent, but even with their big 4th of July sale, the prices were still way out of our league.

That’s when my husband spotted the sofa of his dreams:

5. Barrett II Leather 3-Seat Sofa

He told me it had been his childhood dream to own a leather sofa like that—seriously, who dreams about leather sofas as a kid? I felt a little bad for my husband because, well, leather sofas are basically my arch-nemesis, and that particular shade of brown? Let’s just say it’s not winning any beauty contests in my book.

But, I have to admit, the man’s got taste. The way his eyes lit up when he saw that couch almost made me reconsider my anti-leather stance. I thought, “Okay, maybe in 10-20 years, I could possibly warm up to the idea of having this thing in our living room.” But let’s be real, it wasn’t going to happen—not only because I wasn’t ready to betray my love for non-leather furniture, but also because it was priced at a cool $2,000, down from $4,200. Ouch. So, for now, the dream of a leather sofa stays just that—a dream.

On the 4th of July weekend, we headed to Ikea to pick up some other furniture for our apartment. Near the Ikea in Stoughton, we noticed an Ashley Furniture outlet, so we popped in to check out some more couches.

As soon as we walked in, the first couch we saw was this:

6. Reveon Lakes Sofa

I was all about the green color—it had that perfect pop of freshness—but my husband? He was not a fan. The price tag showed $750, but the salesman whispered that it was actually on sale for $500. We decided to explore the rest of the store before making a decision.

Then, this thing caught my eye:

7. Maimz Sofa

I wasn’t thrilled with the white color, but the colorful cushions were winning me over. Plus, those tilted legs were speaking my language. The price was reasonable, too. But, of course, my husband wasn’t having it. The cushions weren’t comfortable enough for him, and he’s not exactly the president of the Tilted Legs Fan Club.

Then, the ugliest, most comfortable recliners in existence captured my husband’s attention.

8. Ugly Comfortable Recliner

I don’t think I have ever seen a more hideous sofa than this one. But my husband really liked it. He made me sit on it and fully reclined it. I was able to see why he liked it so much. 

He painted this vivid picture of us lounging on it, watching TV, and drifting off to sleep. I was almost convinced to overlook its unfortunate appearance in favor of comfort.

I was half-heartedly on board. The price was $900 (down from $1,100), so it seemed like a decent deal. We nearly bought it. My husband even promised that I could choose the rest of the living room seating—rocking or accent chairs in blue or yellow, whatever I wanted.

We were about to seal the deal, but at the last minute, my husband had a change of heart. He decided he couldn’t subject me to that level of ugly in our living room!

So, we backed out and told the salesperson we needed more time to think it over. He kindly agreed.

Next up was this beautiful Ballina Couch.

9. Ballina Couch

Even though it was almost white, the black cushions added a nice contrast. The seats were comfy too. But the price? A cool $1,000. So, we had to pass on that one as well.

Then we stumbled upon this gem:

10. Cashton Sofa

It was priced at $500 (down from $650). We were SOLD. The seats were decently comfortable, and I loved the blue color. But my husband, ever the voice of reason, thought our main couch should be neutral, with color added through a rug and accent chairs. (He’s never going to hear the end of it for vetoing the blue couch, though.)

Honestly, I wasn’t in love with the look of it, but I was relieved we weren’t going with that hideous three-seater recliner.

When we finalized the purchase, the total came to $750. My husband was ready to just roll with it, but I had only settled for this couch because of the price. So, I asked about the extra cost, and it turned out they’d sneakily added a $100 protection plan... just because. We got that removed but opted for home delivery and assembly, which added $100, bringing our final total to $630 (including tax).

The couch wasn’t in stock at the warehouse, so it was scheduled for delivery on August 13th. No big deal for us since we weren’t getting the keys to our new place until the end of July anyway. Plus, I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy over this couch (at the time).

The Arrival

The Couch arrived right on schedule. But there was one small thing we hadn’t realized in the store—THE COUCH IS HUGE!  which isn’t a problem though, since our living room is huge too.

So, my husband did a double-take when he saw the cushions that came with the couch. He probably thought they were a bonus gift or something, but honestly, they’re the only bright spot in my otherwise grim couch saga. Seriously, with all these cushions, it’s a challenge for just one person to squeeze onto this thing without feeling like they're trapped in a pillow fortress.

In-person, the sofa looks way more glamorous than it did in the store. I hate to admit this, but the seats are ridiculously comfy. When I plop down on the middle seat, flanked by a cushion army on either side, I feel like I'm the Queen of a very plush kingdom.

The cushions (both the seat ones and the ones on top) are so fluffy it’s like being hugged by clouds or angels. I’m officially in love with this couch, especially since it’s the most comfortable one I've had since moving to the USA. My only wish is that it ages as gracefully as a fine wine and doesn’t develop wrinkles or sag too soon.

On the flip side, this couch sometimes gives me a touch of adult anxiety. It’s like a constant reminder that I’m officially a grown-up now, no more student lounge vibes.

All things considered, we’re really enjoying the couch and are pretty thrilled with how it turned out.