Are Backpack Sofas the Next Big Thing?

While it’s not unusual for sofas to be multi-purpose (think sofa beds…), this one caught our eye because we feel it takes multi-purpose to whole new level.  As Dave LeClair writes in Gizmag.com:

“For anyone who has a ton of stuff in their house that they just cannot find a place for, this new Eastpak sofa might be right up their alley. It’s sort of like a backpack and couch combined into one piece of furniture. It has pockets for your tablet, laptop, remote and almost anything else you could want to store in your couch.

This couch might look a little odd, but for people in small spaces where storage is at a premium, it could be a useful fix.” [Read the full article here]

The Eastpak certainly appears to be functional and is guaranteed to be a conversation starter, but we really don’t feel it will be featuring in the majority of living rooms any time soon.

We’re not saying that the Eastpak doesn’t have a market.  Though the price is a bit steep for a piece is a bit steep for many people who reside in smaller living spaces (based on the assumption that, if money were no object, then larger accommodation would be sought), we can see such these sofas being popular outside the lounge, e.g., teenagers’ rooms or even family rooms where clutter is often a risk.

However, we strongly believe that a lounge is for lounging, and there are other sofas on the market that fulfill the needs of those with smaller living areas more adequately.

For example, when space is limited, sectional sofas like the one pictured above are well worth considering.  Though the Rieti is not as versatile as some, it can still fully utilise the corner of a room, without taking up valuable space with ‘arms’ in the way that other seating options do, and the chaise is reversible so you’re not restricted to a particular corner, etc.

Basically, these sofas (often known as corner sofas) tend to offer more seating for less floor space, without compromising on the sort of comfort we expect from a sofa that’s fit for a lounge.

Small leather sofas for multi purpose rooms

Do you have a home office that could double as a guest bedroom with the right choice of furniture? If so, you’re not alone! As Lynn Underwood points out in article ‘Turn your home office into a holiday-guest bedroom‘ for The Taunton Daily Gazette:

“For most of the year, they function as flex spaces for offices, playrooms, dens or craft rooms. But when overnight guests descend for the holidays, it’s time to transform those spaces into quiet sleeping quarters as warm and cozy as a fleece robe.” (Click here to read more)

Small leather sofas are great options for home offices. They create an air of sophistication and professionalism, while being sufficiently compact to fit into a limited space. And the good news is that you can buy small leather sofas with built in beds!   We’ve had a look some small leather sofas with sofa bed options that are available online and would invite you to check out the Hilton 2-seater sofa bedfrom Harveys, pictured below, which has a big discount on the price at the moment (a £773 saving on the after event price).

  These small leather sofas have arm pads that are cushioned, which means they are both stylish and comfortable at the same time! Also, there are a number of neutral colours available for this one. We’ve shown the Brown shade in the image above. The ‘Extra Comfort’ cushions have centre stitching feature and are filled with fibre.

As well as some great deals at up to half price in the Harvey’s sale, online customers can get an extra 5% off selected products until 4th February 2013.  The voucher code for this discount is AFFJAN13 and please note that it can’t be used in conjunction with any other offers/promotions.   The code applies to the following ranges:  This code applies to the following ranges: Monty, Clarissa, Cassie, Maine, Leo sofabeds, Oasis, Juno, Liberata, Modena, Vesuvius, Astoria, Charlie, Mica, Devon, Manhattan sofa bed and Francisco.

Another option for a room with limited floor space is a corner sofa, or sectional sofa, and it is possible to find these small leather sofas with sofa beds included in the structure. The advantage of corner sofas is that you don’t waste space with arms in the way that you do with a more traditional sofa.  The video below shows some examples of small sofas, which includes corner sofas.

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What’s been sitting on MY Sofa…?

After reading an amusing article, Do Bears Sit in the Woods?, on The Sun’s website earlier today, about a black bear who took a shine to a sofa that had been dumped in a Manitoba wildlife reservation and decided to sit down and put his feet up for a while (click here for the amazing pictures), we got curious and thought we’d see if we could find any other examples of our four legged friends in human-like poses.  Here’s what we found…

Let’s start with a frog sitting on a bench – and please note that the makers of the video give assurance that the frog is sitting in this position through personal choice!

Check out ‘the Real Garfield’ in this video.  Not only is the cat sitting on the sofa like a human, but he’s watching TV, too!

Now we’d like to introduce you to yet another TV watching animal.  This time, it’s Bullet, the English Bulldog, who is a huge Family Guy fan.  Somewhat unsurprisingly, his favourite character is Brian…

According to her owners, Abby the dog thinks she’s human and therefore sits on the sofa like one, too.  And, if she gets bored with your topic of conversation, it appears that she’ll nod off like a human, too!

Did you ever have one of those days when you manage to drag yourself out of bed but can’t be bothered to get any further?  Junior the cat seems to know that feeling…

We slipped this one in because what it lacks in authenticity, it makes up for in cuteness!

So it seems that our four-legged friends (and even frogs!) can be extremely human-like given the chance to sit comfortably – though we did notice that they like to have the whole sofa to themselves!

Where can you put a sofa inspired by years gone by?

Established more than a century ago, Carl Hansen & Son, a Danish furniture business established more than a century ago, has produced modern furniture based on an old design.  In an article posted on the Core77 blog, Hipstomp/Rain Noe explain:

“In the section of their file room filled with work by Hans J. Wegner, the Danish Modern designer, they found blueprints for a sofa he designed in the mid-’60s. And now, nearly fifty years later, Wegner’s mid-century modern piece is once again rolling off of the assembly line, in two- and three-seat versions…” [Read the full article here]

The sofa in question is a smart, versatile piece, appearing more retro than traditional.  While it’s not the kind of ‘come here and relax on me’ seating that encourages the lounger to kick off their shoes and put their feet up, it can serve many other purposes adequately, in both the home and the workplace.

If you like the idea of mixing old and new, you are not alone!  In fact, each one of these great examples from Notonthehighstreet.com could be a real statement piece rather than an eyesore, if placed amid otherwise contemporary decor…

The above image shows the Savannah Beige Flocked Upholstered Armchair.   This awesome chair leaves nothing out when it comes to comfort, with deep set buttons at the back giving it a really warm, cosy feel.  Also, the neutral tones of the upholstery will fit into many existing colour schemes.

The absolutely stunning Upcycled Vintage Armchair pictured above is another 1940′s piece, which is undoubtedly a ‘one-off’.  Imagine this chair alongside contemporary, black leather sofas, pulled together with cushions in either a matching or complementary shade of red… a truly beautiful conversation starter!

The  Betsy sofa above is part of a range, described as “a fusion of design elements from different periods”. One of the best things about the contemporary Betsy range is that, being made to order, you can customise the piece to suit your tastes by opting for metal or wooden legs or choosing to omit the buttons from the back.   Indeed, the Betsy allows you to create something that fits into your home perfectly.

Fabio Cinema Sofa and Cinema Recliner Chair

Do you love the sound of a family cinema night in?  If you do, then take a look at the Fabio cinema sofa from Darlings of Chelsea and see how you could make this fabulous furniture fit into your living space.

The Fabio cinema sofa really does allow you to bring the cinema experience into your home.  It’s brilliantly designed and offers extreme comfort to the user.  Optional extras include built in storage, IPod speakers and drinks holders (see below).

In addition, you might like to include a cinema recliner chair as part of your custom designed Fabio cinema sofa, as illustrated within the image below.

Having a cinema sofa that is custom made gives customers a wide variety of options when it comes to buying the right combination to fit into your living space.  With the Fabio range, you can opt for a corner unit, as pictured, or alternatively there are standard sofa shapes and a round back sofa option. And, as mentioned before, there is the fab cinema recliner chair option, too.  Just mix the different sections to match your room!

Also, Darlings of Chelsea have a huge choice of colours on offer.  The leathers are soft yet durable, with a thin protective film coating, which ensures the furniture is shielded from many of the typical signs of age and stains, yet the beauty of the leather is preserved.  The retailer claims that the type of leather used and how it is treated makes the Fabio cinema sofa very suitable for people who are fun-loving and active, or for homes where children or pets need to be considered when choosing furniture.  In fact, you might need to include more than one cinema recliner chair to avoid arguments!

Here is a short video with an example of a sectional cinema sofa…

Darlings of Chelsea offer huge discounts to online shoppers and you will see on the website how the prices compare with buying in store.  So click here to take a closer look at the various colour and size options available to order, together with online discounts.

Spotlight on the Michelle 3 Seater Sofa from SCS

If you want a traditional style in you living room, take a look at the Michelle 3 seater sofa from SCS.

This traditional leather sofa is 100% genuine leather with a solid hardwood trim.  It is 95cm in height, 190cm wide and 85cm in depth. The picture shows the Michelle 3 seater sofa in dark brown, but it comes in other colours, too, at no additional cost.  Usually priced at £899, this particular sofa is currently on offer at £799 and there’s a 4 year interest free credit deal, too.

Another thing that the Michelle 3 seater sofa has to offer is the other options available within the range, such as the power recliner chair (pictured below).

The dimensions for the Michelle power recliner chair are 95cm high, 90cm wide and 85cm in depth.  Also, there is currently a significant £200 discount on the original price, bringing the cost down to £1,299.  There is a standard armchair in the Michelle range, which is currently £649. This price includes a saving of £100 on the original price.

The matching footstool, coffee table and lamp table in the Michelle range are also on special offer, all with £100 off the original prices.  The Michelle coffee table, pictured above, demonstrates well how the design within the wood follows through all the items, which means you are sure to have perfectly coordinated furniture in your living space, should you choose to purchase various pieces from the range.  This is ideal if you are not confident about matching up styles of furniture in the room because you really cannot fail!

In addition, as they comes in neutral leather shades, the Michelle 3 seater sofa, 2 seater and armchairs (including the Michelle power recliner) would fit very nicely into the majority of colour schemes.

You can find out more about the range available, together with special offers, by clicking here.

Samantha Pynn gave some good advice in the Windsor Star this week when a reader, Elaine, wrote in explaining the problem she was having with her husband, Brian, who wanted to make their patio furniture multi-purpose by bringing it indoors during the winter months when it wasn’t being used outside. Elaine wanted to Sam to let Brian know the idea was insane.However, to a point, Ms Pynn disagreed and said:

“Good looking woven tuxedo sofas, armchairs and even coffee tables can work indoors…Moving the entire woven set to the basement, however, may look like you brought your high-end patio furniture inside because you had no where else to put it.” [Read the full article here]

Having ‘a domestic’ about interior design tastes is not uncommon. Though some couples may agree the majority of the time, there are likely to be occasions where this is not the case.Ms Pynn shares a few wise words about this:

“My mother has told me many times that there are no black-and white rules in this world and that relationships are all about compromise. I guess the same can be said for decorating, too.”

The thing about the ‘C’ word, i.e., compromise, is that it’s all very well if one half of a partnership agrees to, say, a holiday that wasn’t their number one choice, because it’s done and dusted in a couple of weeks. However, when you are buying furniture, which includes major purchases such as sofas, you are asking someone to live with your choice on a daily basis for years to come… which means you have constant reminder in your lounge of how you don’t see eye to eye!

It may sound trivial because, after all, it is only a piece of furniture, but this item could easily become the symbol that highlights incompatibility in other areas of a relationship which the couple may be trying to ignore. Although the majority of relationships are likely to face tougher challenges than the odd interior design tiff, we think it is definitely worth considering how you are going to make such choices in the early days of a relationship.

We’re not quite saying ‘if you can’t live with his choice of furniture, you can’t live with the man’, but reaching an agreement on something like sofas can make for good discussion practice so you can see how your proposed partner responds generally in a disagreement situation. And, let’s face it, regardless of who gets their way, it’ll be one less thing to argue about later!

In today’s ‘throwaway’ society, if you are decorating your living room, it often means replacing sofas. Here in the UK, there are some fabulous schemes that make use of furniture that’s not yet considered to have ‘had its day’ so the less financially fortunate can take advantage of other people’s supposed frivolity.In some districts of Sydney, Austrilia, ‘council clean-up time’ sees people’s discarded items adorn the pavements for all to peruse.Not only that, but it’s now been made legal for people to pick up items that others have cast aside.

Salvage Sister Matilda Campbell observes in the Sydney Morning Herald:

“(O)ur parents and grandparents… had sheds and sewing rooms where things that were broken, out of fashion or no longer needed were fixed, remodeled and stored for use at a later date… They passed things down from one generation to the next and
“made do when things weren’t quite to their taste or standards. Do we really no longer have space or time for this, or is it that we have become so style conscious we have to have the latest in everything or be judged critically by our peers?” [Read the full article here]

At some time, it appears we got less appreciative of our belongings.However, we have to ask the question:”Since we started to take more of a detailed interest in our homes, have we created living spaces that are less homely?”

Wikipedia defines ‘home‘ as ‘a place of residence or refuge’. A residence can be wherever you lay your hat, but a refuge is somewhere that an individual can feel safe and protected.When we discard the things that make home feel like ‘home’, is there a negative impact on emotional security?

The argument for renewing rather than restoring is sound.In the past, women traditionally stayed home, so there was the time – and the mindset – to fix, rather than simply replace. Also, steps have been taken to increase academic opportunity in recent years, with the result that many people in UK society are missing those vital ‘mending’ skills that previous generations have taken for granted.

Another sound argument for new furniture is the fact that, if you know where to look, you can find good quality cheap sofas. The term ‘cheap sofas’ is no longer restricted to sofas that are cheaply/badly made, but encompasses a whole collection of discounted items waiting for buyers to snap them up to make way for new stock in the showroom. In fact, you can find some real bargains if you check out clearance sales or look for special offers online.

Posting on the Futility Closet website, Greg Ross provides an answer to the following:

“In 1966, Austrian mathematician Leo Moser asked a pleasingly practical question: If a corridor is 1 meter wide, what’s the largest sofa one could squeeze around a corner?” [Read the full post here]

If you click on the link, you will find an answer of sorts.Though this answer may be frustratingly inconclusive, the question got us thinking about where our focus often lies when it comes to purchasing a new sofa, and whether it was worth reconsidering…

On this very blog, we have been known (0n more than one occasion…) to stress the importance of measuring rooms and items of furniture you intend to keep, to ensure the sofa you are planning to purchase will fit in with your existing pieces, etc.However, what can you do if you find a sofa that’s just the right size for your room, but then find out that you can’t get it through the door or up the stairs?!?This hilarious Friendsstoryline demonstrates the point perfectly:

Funny, eh?
Rather than ascertain whether your new sofa will fit in with your existing decor, ideally you need a way to find out if your couch will fit into your home at all!Doorways are easy to measure, but corners are more complex.However, help is at hand in the form of this clever interactive demonstration from Wolfram Mathematics:

So now you know how it’s done!However, if you want to try to avoid the problem altogether, you might want to consider corner sofas, often known as sectionals because the pieces can be moved around.Although not foolproof, separating the pieces of a sofa can make negotiating corners and gaps in doorways far easier than the more traditional ‘all in one’ alternatives.

To end, let’s return to the fantastic Friends and watch this blooper video to find out what really happened on set that day…

The hilarious 21st Century Boy, Jake McMillan, wrote an article a couple of years ago on his blog highlighting the number of women in his life with OCD, i.e., Obsessive Cushion Disorder.Apparently, his own mother has no fewer than thirteen cushions in her lounge.He explains:

“These extra cushions serve no purpose, being just sofa decorations and provide no extra comfort at all. In fact, they actually cause discomfort as the cushions get wedged into the gaps of the proper sofa cushions and push them out. You end up moving the cushions to the other end of the sofa or chuck them on the floor.” [Read the full article here]

And your point is…?!?Yes, Mr McMillan, we know it’s often a good idea to chuck surplus cushions on the floor when you’re actually using the sofa in question – for orthopedic purposes if nothing else – but, to keep a sense of harmony in the home, you boys really need to learn how to put them back again afterwards!

But do extra cushions serve a purpose other than looking pretty and being annoying when you try to sit on them?Well, although we tentatively agree with the 21st Century Boy that it’s possible to literally overwhelm a sofa with cushions, we think that they do…

Cushions can be used to really pull your room together from a colour perspective.For example, if you have a beige sofa and blue walls, choosing cushions that contain a shade of blue in the same spectrum as your wall colour could make your sofa seem ideally matched with the rest of the room, rather than merely being a neutral piece of furniture.

If you like the look of cushions, but worry that you’ll make a unfortunately poor style decision if left to your own devices, you could consider buying a sofa that uses cushions to good effect, such as the Nicola 3-seater in chocolate from Sainsburys, as pictured below:

Finally, we cannot sign off without thoroughly recommending that you have a look through the 21st Century Boy’s blog.If you’re sense of humour’s up to it, his Bad Things to Say on a First Dateis particularly ‘laugh out loud’ funny. So much so, that you may well find a real date is unlikely to be anywhere near as entertaining as reading about Jake McMillan’s disastrous attempts to chat up women…