Dear Sophia Loren,
You know, if you were my daughter I would have named you Sofa Loren. I really love a good sofa. I’ve been searching for a new one for quite some time. My old sofa was great. Totally big mid-century piece. But it took up way too much space in my living room because it was 110″ wide. Which I loved but it left no room for side tables, which I believe to be a necessary part of having a sofa if you want to host parties because where else will people put their drinks?
I loved the shape of this sofa. Very clean lines yet still interesting.
Emily and I found this piece for $99 at Goodwill. It was completely disgusting when we found it but we could tell it had potential. It was filthy and it needed new foam and everything, but according to our upholsterer the wooden frame was still very strong. And it’s 80″ so it leaves plenty of room for side tables. The best part about this sofa is that it’s a sofabed, which is a huge thing for me because I live in a one bedroom apartment and I have nowhere for any visitors to sleep. Tears.
Unfortunately the inner bed mechanism had to be replaced, which added $200 to the budget. This is the sofa mid-way through the process, before the new bed mechanism was installed.
This is how dirty it was. <Insert barfing noises>.
And here is the finished product. Yay!
I chose to cover it in a beautiful peacock blue velvet I bought for about $25 a yard (I needed 16 yards). This soft velvet feels like the tender touch of an angel.
The lines of this sofa are very similar to the old one. Sloped arms, tufted back. I love it all.
I accessorized the sofa the same way I did the old one and put it on the same gallery wall. I’m kind of loving it and I can’t wait to have a guest so I can show them the super crazy half-spring/half aerobed mattress I got for it. It’s SOOOOOO comfy I considered sleeping on it instead of my real bed.
In the end, here’s how the cost of the sofabed broke down:
Sofabed: $100
Fabric: $400
New Bed Frame: $200
Upholstery: $600
New Mattress: $300
Total: $1600
So all in all it’s a $1600 sofa. Which isn’t super cheap but is pretty good for a custom sofabed that no one else in the world has. I know I love this new addition to my family. This Valentines Day I’ll be sending it Valentines and asking it to be my mine. I can’t wait!
Love,
Orlando
PS: Stay tuned for pictures of the sofabed styled as a bed. It’s pretty luxe…
Where do you get your re-upholstery done? And do you know any good upholstery places in NYC?
wow…i recently voted on twitter for navy blue velvet for a sofa…the contenders were GREIGE VS NAVY BLUE…either fabulous, but blue…aaah there’s something about blue, by itself, mysterious, sexy, like being wrapped in the arms of the night sky: infinite…YIKES, i got all poet-y there! BUT YEAH, I love blue in all its hues…turned our fabulous, but I know you knew it would! (well I guess you knew it would!)
dear orlando,
i think you and your sofa are fabulous! it is wonderful to give old cool furniture a new, modern life. i also think your rug looks great.
love,
leah
It’s beee-youtiful! And not filling up a landfill somewhere!
I’m still saving up to get my pretty little mid-century settee upholstered. It’s currently a dirty pale blue velvet, and it might just be dreaming of becoming peacock blue.
It’s so beautiful – I’d send it a Valentine too, if I were you!
Looove!
That sofa looks awesome…..dare I even say Ridonkulous
Orlando: can you share your source for the mattress? I am looking for one for my sofabed. sofabeds weigh a ton, but are so versatile! thanks.
I got mine on overstock.com. It’s called Air Dream. Hopefully it doesn’t pop like all my other Aero beds have!
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/AirDream-Sofa-Bed-Mattress/4750780/product.html
Gah, so freakin gorgeous. I’m sitting on my ugly faded scalloped back sofa that should have been reupholstered 8 years ago (the cobbler’s children have no shoes thing – the sofa is this decorator’s shame) dying of jealousy.
great post. i have a sofa i’d like to reupholster, so it’s nice to get a ballpark figure as to cost.
You really chose an awesome color of velvet for this couch. It totally changes the lines of the piece, adds elegance, and modernizes the piece. You guys did a really beautiful job. Who’d ever guess that it once was that and is not … this beautiful thing! i would send it valentines too! Bravo!
Absolutely jealous of that sofa…May attempt a kidnapping. (o;
well done. beautiful color.
orlando – we’re looking to redo a club chair, love the peacock velvet, love to know the resource… thanks…Mike
Pretty! I have a mid century chair waiting for the money to send it to the upholsterer. It has loose cushions which I could probably sew but I like the idea of it being done professionally. I’d hate for it to look like I sewed the cushions or have them wonky and waste the fabric! Are you going to change out your rug or keep it the same?
beautiful results! can’t believe you got such a great deal on the reupholstery job! can you please please please share your source for those of us in LA?
Ok, the sofa is beautiful.
But I have to tell you something: you didn’t get a deal buying used and refurbishing it. You could have gotten brand new for a similar price. However, I commend your greenness.
It’s beautiful!