Thursday, February 28, 2008

Comfort!

Oasis in Sand

Today we finally ordered a new settee. The one we've ordered is similar to the one above though its a 3-seater.

It has taken us MONTHS, no YEARS, to decide on what we wanted.

The one on the right is the MFI version of one we'd been considering before Christmas (though in a lighter colour like the cushions). You can get it from John Lewis, which is where we'd first seen it, for £895. During the January sales MFI had it for sale at under £700. Now its currently on there at over £1100 (I think) - I questioned this since I could see it was exactly the same as the one John Lewis still has on for around £900 and she confessed that right now they are in a "price establishment" phase. And quite honestly do not expect to sell anything for the next two weeks or so until their prices come down again as "reduced" or "sale" or something like that... she also agreed that it was exactly the same as the John Lewis one, even if its not called the same thing. Its a sofabed and the mechanism is amazingly simple. But we don't need a sofabed, that would have just been a potentially useful extra. It wasn't a reason to buy it.

And when it came down to it, as a settee, the one at the top was just SO much more comfortable. Jim liked it straight away too. The ends have recliners built-in and he loves them! (So do I!) We saw it last week and went back and ordered it today.

In our sitting room we've had an extraordinarily uncomfortable seat for ages - its a futon and far too hard despite all the extra cushions I've made for it. I've been feeling desperate to get something more comfortable for years. We've even had the money earmarked for it for over two years... now we've just got 12 more weeks to wait as, unfortunately, that's the lead time on the one we've chosen. Its funny how I've been quite patient really, not buying one that wasn't right, but now we've committed I wish it was being delivered tomorrow!

What I've learnt from all this is that I now know that when we are struggling to persuade each other to buy something it means don't buy it! Wait until we see something that really is what we both want.

I've also learnt that one should never, ever buy anything from one of the big furniture places unless it is on sale. The rest of the time its in "price establishment" and no-one is expected to buy anything during that time.

9 comments:

andrea said...

Makes me want to toss the hard, uncomfortable futon we have parked in our family room. You'll never get up now, you know!

Anonymous said...

I spent four years researching lounge suites for the perfect one and during that four years we were SO uncomfortable until our favourite choice was finally on sale :) A year later we still almost weekly exclaim how ECSTATIC we are having bought the new lounge, it makes life so much more pleasurable ;)

Caroline said...

Andrea - Jim asked me how I was visualising using it and I said that I saw myself getting up in the morning and then reclining in it all day long. I know its just a dream but I've not felt like that about any of the others!

Anonymous - I'm glad to hear it. Only 11 weeks 6 days to go now...

Anonymous said...

Hheheee, we had to wait for similar time until delivered - you will be even more joyous once it arrives! Having to put up with the old one is more bearable because you know it won't really be 'that' long ...

Anonymous said...

At least it's on its way - it looks very comfortable.
Price establishment period! What will they think of next?

Tony LaRocca said...

"Fetch... the COMFY CHAIR!"
:)

Joy Eliz said...

Looks VERY comfy and here's a synch... We are just starting to look for a new sofa and we both agreed that we wouldn't rush into it (like last time)- We would take our time and find exactly what we both want. :)

Krimo said...

Oasis in sand?
You and Jim could go on a date among the palm trees...
;o)

Joanna said...

It looks very similar in shape to the one that I am sitting on, except for colour, as ours is dark brown....keep up the countdown to comfort!