apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Check out the Ava Sofa. It's under a $1000.

http://www.highfashionhome.com/sofa.asp?id=1300

craigslist. AT classifieds. ebay. I've bought stuff from all of the above, all very good experiences, including a ligne roset togo sectional for $500 (which retails for 5k). a lot of dealers post on craigslist too. 9500 is an absurd amount to pay for a couch, period.

I got my mid-century sofa from Two Jakes in Williamsburg, and I totally recommend the store. I think I paid about $900, and it's in mint condition. Even cooler: It was made as office furniture for the Time Life building in the '60s.

http://www.twojakes.com/

you might want to look at ikea or west elm as inbetweens.

Maybe Urban Outfitters? They have a nice selection of fake mid-century sofas.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/category.jsp?_DARGS=/urban/catalog/common/highlited_itemcount.jsp_A&_DAV=true&_dynSessConf=1472498024804958803&itemCount=60&pushId=A_FURN_FURNITURE&id=A_FURN_FURNITURE_SOFAS&selectedProductColor=&navCount=28&navAction=poppushpushpush&sortby=&prepushId=APARTMENT_FURNISH&popId=APARTMENT

These are just like the sofas the Air Force gives out as loaner furniture, but they have a maple frame and brown pleather upholstery.

There must be thousands of these kicking around.

Every Urban Outfitters sofa I've seen in person has been incredibly rickety...like only enough to last for one or two semesters for college students.

Craigslist. For instance,

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/fur/680611199.html

$85, and spend your money on luxurious upholstering. In Baltimore people aren't attune to mid century stuff as much so there are some decent finds here. This may be the case in Philly too, which isn't TOO far of a drive.

I think we might be the same person...I'm also moving into my first "grown-up" apartment with a tall boyfriend, a cat, and a love for mid-century design!

I agree with greeps. Try craigslist, I've found some great deals, and when you're spending 100$ on a couch -- you can take the money you save and put it towards recovering it in a fabric you love!

I understand what you mean. A lot of times I read AT and wonder what tax bracket most of you guys must be in to even begin to consider a lot of the furniture featured on here. :)

just saw this similar couch on NYC's craigslist:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/fur/679230486.html

only $175

you could definitely re-upholster those cushions if bright orange isn't your thing.

or, for a REALLY budget-friendly option, check out the lillberg sofa at ikea. we bought this because we needed an "in-between" couch, and had just gotten a puppy so we didn't want to dump too much money into it (the covers, in true ikea fashion, are removable, washable, and easily replaceable)...and over a year later, still like it and find that its airy style keeps the room feeling clean. plus, when my 6'3" boyfriend falls asleep in the living room or 6'6" brother stays for the weekend, they just hang their feet out the side. perfect! and in a year or two when we're ready to upgrade, it will be a great addition to an office (or my brother's dorm room).

NUMBER ONE HINT!

ebay, and filter "nearest first" and find something fabulous...

it'll cost you a couple of hundred to get it delivered or pick it up yourself... it's amazing what you can find, i've gotten 2 chairs, a sofa and a credenza for under 1000 for all 5 pieces. all vintage mid-century teak...

You can get a teak frame mid-century sofa, with nice lines, similar to the picture above for somewhere between $250-1,000 through Craigslist or by looking in used furniture shops.

I recently bought my first "Grown up" sofa and the advice I was given was invaluable: Take your budget and add on another 10-15%. Its not just about the dollar sign - its about quality.

It took a lot of convincing for me to justify this. I'm frugal by nature (30 years old and still eat boxed Mac n Cheese) It was a big purchase (a DWR floor model, down from $3000 to $1500) and something I couldnt seem to wrap my brain around. A friend who has worked in furniture manufacturing sat me down and patiently explained that my sofa was likely to get more wear and tear than any piece of furniture in the house save for my bed. What I saw as a monetary splurge, he was counseling as a wiser investment. By spending a little more I could get a better product. In the end I took the hit (and finagled the price down another hundred bucks :) and I'm completely content with the purchase. One caveat, if something costs more YOU need to determine if the quality is better, i.e hardwood frames, types of foam, types of fabric, wear & tear, stainproofing.

A little homework about how couches are made will go a LOOOONG way.

I like Room and Board for similar "new" stuff. I also agree the DWR sample sale is great. I ALWAYS sell my unecessary (but fabulous) vintage stuff on Craigslist or Ebay.

UrbanOutfitters is filled with imported garbage - total waste of money for future landfill.

There was a great article on SFGate today about how antique furniture is falling out of favor, and therefore the prices are coming down:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/14/HO8OVQB2V.DTL

I'd look at used furniture shops/Craigslist/eBay before buying new junk from U.O.

I am without my own place for now, but I have a storage unit. I have picked up a couple of kitchy items that I like for less than $10 at yard sales and two fabulous chairs that need a little repair and reupholstered. They have great design and great foundation. Plus they are comfortable. I actually found them on a curb. One minus a cushion. It may seem odd, but with the price (free) plus the cost of having them recovered ($200 ) once I do have a place of my own, I already know the price of my furniture. They are likely 30 years old, but that proves how well built they are. I have see a lot of outdated couches that need recovered, but are structurally sound on curbs. I do not have room for a couch in storage, but it is an option. the town I live in has a lot of people who put nice items out 3 days before trash day in hopes of it "getting a new home".

As always take a whiff before taking it in. Most likely cleanable, but be aware of that before deciding. My own precious easy chair ( bought for $5 at a yard sale for my dog, turned out I liked it better than my lazy boy. I don't know why, I just do.) Anyhow my chair was defiled by a cat multiple times. It took me 4 hours to steam clean the entire thing throughly, but it did come out smelling sweet.

The lazy boy was from someone who bought a size too small. (They come in a few sizes) and decided to buy a bigger one. I in turn gave it to my mom who likes it a lot.
The same lady gave me a chair that I still have and a couch that I gave to my brother. I am not really sure where that went. It had been her mothers and when her mom died she put it in the basement until she found out that I needed one. That IS a Midwestern thing.

Sorry I'm running on today. I hope you find some of this useful.

Hi guys, thanks for the suggestions!!

I'm already planning a trip out to Two Jakes this weekend :) and will search out a few more shops like this in the city. Has this ever been the subject of a AT post?

Valerie, that's so interesting that this kind of sofa would be adopted by the Air Force as a standard style!

ebay, like everyone said.

e.g. http://cgi.ebay.com/MODERN-SOFA-DAY-BED-EAMES-ERA_W0QQitemZ160240467966QQihZ006QQ

Wow, M!

My search terms must be way too specific - your link is awesome.

Somebody here needs to buy that sofa m! just linked to -- it is too cool!