I resisted owning a couch for a long time, well into the post-college years, well well into adulthood. Couches represented some sort of commitment to a space that I never expected. Multiple apartments in multiple states can attest to my lack of residential continuity. But, finally, in April I finally took the plunge and bought a couch. Well, an Ikea couch - which is like 1/4 of a real adulthood couch - and it was only $200 on craigslist, so a little more than a really nice pair of shoes and about 1/10 of what you would spend on a quality piece of couch-ness. Be that as it may, I have for some months now been the owner of a 'sand' colored Ikea Karlstad couch. Who buys a beige couch? I did, because it was one of two decent options for sale at the time. It is very comfortable for napping.
There it is in the background, doing not much of anything, blending into the other-tone-of-beige wall.
I've wanted to get a grey cover for the couch, but they retail for $150. What???
That Isunda Gray though, it will haunt you.
It seemed wrong to spend almost as much on a cover as I did on the couch itself. So I covered it with throw pillows and a blanket and realized it was ok-meh just being beige.
Then, one night, I was looking for picture frames and I saw this....
Oh Lord. There it is. Having had to disassemble and then reassemble the couch when I bought it, the size and shape were very familiar. Please please please please please don't be covered in parakeet vomit and mysteriously technicolor stains. Please.
(I approached cautiously, waiting to be disappointed)
....
(I approached cautiously, waiting to be disappointed)
....
No parakeet vomit.
No smells.
No pet hair.
All the pillows present and accounted for.
Some random extra wood screws in places, ok, I can handle that.
No legs, who cares? I'm not here for the couch.
Is this really here, and happening?
Yes.
Off I went, to get my tool kit so I could loosen those hex nuts just enough to separate the armrests from the center section. I stripped off that cover - easy as pie - its only attached with velcro anyway. In one place the previous owner had screwed through the armrest cover, but it is in a spot you can't see once the pieces are assembled. 10 minutes later the pieces were in my washing machine and on their way to becoming part of my living room update.
We'll see if the guys even notice once I change it out. That's a story for the next post.
Happy freestlying, don't be afraid of a lil' bit o late night disassembly.