The Challenge: our downstairs has a great open layout, but a tiny living room. The Solution: finding the right sectional to maximize space, without scrimping on style.
When I hear “sectional,” my imagination conjures a very specific character. His name is Bob (pronounced “Bahhb“), he’s a fan of the Bears (pronounced “dah Baaairs“), and he has a passion for multi-tasking (as long as the multi-tasks include watching TV and eating).
His skin is a saggy beige pleather, and he exudes a natural fragrance of cheese and onion pierogies and stale beer. He comes equipped with fold-down armrests (the kind with cupholders, duh), and he has no fewer than two seats that recline (and these two seats are, of course, positioned for optimum viewing of The Game).
While I’m sure Bob is a lovely guy, I wasn’t too keen on bringing him around my living room. Something about sweaty pleather and remote-controlled footrests just seemed to clash with my vision of modern farmhouse.
Little did I know, Bob’s got some mighty-fine brothers.
First up, there’s Bob’s brother Barry. He lives in Chicago, can’t drink beer because it upsets his stomach, has a strict no-feet-on-the-furniture policy, and kindly requests that you use a coaster for your drink.
Barry’s all about the mid-century modern aesthetic:
While mid-century modern has a soft spot in my heart, I wasn’t convinced it would work with the rest of our decor.
So, we kept on moving on down the Sectional Sofa family tree…
Next, we met Lord Baxter (not an actual Lord). He speaks with a British accent (though he’s not actually British). He prefers the term “drawing room” and refuses to keep company with a television, though he does enjoy spending time with his close-knit network of snobby throw pillows (he draws the line at blankets).
We loved the tufted look of chesterfield sofas, but we were concerned this look wouldn’t fare well with our furrier family members.
Third time was a charm with Bob’s brother Billiam (no, not William. No, not under any circumstances Bill for Short). Billiam is a hipster who prides himself on being the ‘cool dad.’ He’s not actually a dad, he just had a dad body and makes dad jokes.
The perfect mix of square edges and plush cushions, and with an emphasis on soft fabric upholstery and neutral grey color palettes, Billaim felt just right.
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