No idea where to start - L shaped sofa!

pennycrayon_3

First time poster, i did have a search for a similar thread but couldn't find anything.

The OH and i got our own place a year ago and have been making do with hand me down furniture, but have finally saved enough to be able to buy new things of our own. Terribly excited but haven't got a clue on where to start to buy certain things. Buying a new TV wasn't too bad, managed to get a 32" Sony Bravia for £374.99, but a sofa is a completely different matter.

Bur home is a 2 bed apartment and we were thinking of getting an L shaped sofa but as I've never had to purchase one before, I have no idea what a good deal would be and where I would be getting good quality. Any help would be greatly appreciated before I have to put up with any sulking from him for having to be dragged around shop after shop!

TiTheRev

From personal experience dont use Argos.

You should be able to get a decent price/deal at the usual superstores. January is coming and with the credit crunch pressure i'd not be surprised if you get some silly deals there. Most places will have excess old stock and just want shot of it.

We have a local industrial complex with 2/3 stores all with similar sales, maybe just do an afternoon there if you have one. You can see what's there, get a feel for prices and what style you want etc and it's not shop after shop after shop annoying hubby

pennycrayon_3

Thankyou! I'm not totally convinced with an L shape any more to be honest, hubby has lost all interest in any kind of furniture shopping as he isn't too keen on parting with cash . Ikea seem to have quite a few lovely pieces for the style we like, but then the question of quality comes in. I never do well at January sales, five minutes anywhere in that kind of atmosphere makes me all flustered and desperate to get home :rotfl:

TiTheRev

IMHO Ikea are like a Scandinavian Argos, more about quantity than quality. Ive also bought a few things in Ikea, but rarely have they lasted longer than a couple of years before needing replacment. I have also purchased from DFS though, and got a sale suite with free foot storeage/stool and although an armrest broke within 9/10 months it was fixed within a couple of days at no cost and the materials used are sturdy lumps of wood!

pennycrayon_3

Bah! If it all gets too much, I'm going to resort to sewing a few beanbags to fall onto.

TiTheRev

Hope you get it sorted, a good sofa is important for unwinding! You have the TV at least

pennycrayon_3

The one we have at the moment was one his mother was about to throw out. I padded out the cushions and made new covers for it, and threw on a throw. It works for now but it would be nice to finally tie everything together rather than it look like a student home! I suppose I feel the same as most people in that we work such long hours and work so hard for the money we earn, I find it hard to bring myself to part with it :S

TiTheRev

You also cant take it with you if it's money you've worked hard to earn, why not treat yourself

pennycrayon_3

There is just so much yet to do it's unreal - bathroom floor tiling, flooring the the spare room, little bits and bobs. I seriously miss living at home

TiTheRev

But the satisfaction of doing it your way and with your money is worth it! There's still loads I need to do at home, but as we can afford it we are doing bits and pieces...slowly it's become our home, rather than a house

pennycrayon_3

You're right, we've been grinning from ear to ear since we got the TV as it was the first purchase we'd made that we did for our pleasure rather than out of necessity. Even though he keeps saying 'I don't know who to look at on the screen'. I've spotted a few designs so far that are ideal, I'll take him to the shops tomorrow for a sit down test and then we can wait for the sales to commence.