Help identify this sofa
October 27, 2013 12:37 PM Subscribe
Came across this sofa and loveseat at a consignment shop last week and wondering if it's worth ~$1000 that the owner is asking for them.
Pic 1
Pic 2
Unfortunately these are the best photos I was able to take with my phone. The handwritten tag attached identifies them as "modern sofa and loveseat". Otherwise no tages under the cushions, in the back or underneath.
The upholstery is fabric, maybe cotton or linen, that comes off with zippers for washing. Velcro underneath the cushions to keep them on the seat area. Metal feet. Firm cushions. Seems to be clean. Feels pretty solid but for all I know could be an Ikea couch in disguise in which case I'd avoid it.
My research online for modern or mide-century modern sofas led me to the Knoll SM2 as the most similar in design. The owner of the store called the owner of the sofa and they believe the brand or designer's name starts with the letter "M".
I know this is kind of a shot in the dark to ask for help with this but I thought I'd give it a try.
Thank you!
Unfortunately these are the best photos I was able to take with my phone. The handwritten tag attached identifies them as "modern sofa and loveseat". Otherwise no tages under the cushions, in the back or underneath.
The upholstery is fabric, maybe cotton or linen, that comes off with zippers for washing. Velcro underneath the cushions to keep them on the seat area. Metal feet. Firm cushions. Seems to be clean. Feels pretty solid but for all I know could be an Ikea couch in disguise in which case I'd avoid it.
My research online for modern or mide-century modern sofas led me to the Knoll SM2 as the most similar in design. The owner of the store called the owner of the sofa and they believe the brand or designer's name starts with the letter "M".
I know this is kind of a shot in the dark to ask for help with this but I thought I'd give it a try.
Thank you!
Another thing I see is a lack of welting, or piping, or any special finishing around the seams. I have two blue "mid-century inspired" Rochelle chairs from Crate and Barrel I am able to flip the cushions and there is piping. These are velvet in the link. I paid around $600 each for a cotton-linen blend upholstery.
posted by Fairchild at 12:56 PM on October 27, 2013
posted by Fairchild at 12:56 PM on October 27, 2013
Another red flag is that the owner doesn't know the couch's provenance. Not that this is a huge deal, but. If you're going to drop 1k on a couch, you'd think the owner would know more about? Or try to find out? Maybe it's a sign of a sketchier shop than the actual article, but this would give me pause before spending that kind of cash
posted by furnace.heart at 1:06 PM on October 27, 2013
posted by furnace.heart at 1:06 PM on October 27, 2013
While I don't think those are super high quality, I also think that $1000 isn't totally ridiculous for a medium quality set that includes a sofa and love seat. I probably wouldn't pay that much but it's not completely out of line to ask for it. A high quality set of vintage or custom upholstered furniture could be 4 times that much if it's in good shape.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 1:22 PM on October 27, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by otherwordlyglow at 1:22 PM on October 27, 2013 [1 favorite]
I third the suggestion that the velcro attachments are a sign of poor quality. Couch cushions really must be able to be flipped to increase the life of the couch.
I don't necessarily think that the lack of piping indicates a lack of quality; piping is a style or design choice, not a structural one.
What are the cushions made of? If foam, what's the density? What kind of foam? Is it down or feathers surrounding a foam core?
What kind of wood is it made of? Is it hardwood? Veneer or solid? How are the pieces joined? Do the legs screw off or are they permanently attached?
What kind of fabric is it? Cotton? Linen? Wool? Blend?
$1000 for a couch and a loveseat is not very expensive, but expensive enough that I would want to ensure that it's decent quality and not, say, Ikea.
That said, I really love the style and would love to have them in my house.
posted by primate moon at 4:31 PM on October 27, 2013
I don't necessarily think that the lack of piping indicates a lack of quality; piping is a style or design choice, not a structural one.
What are the cushions made of? If foam, what's the density? What kind of foam? Is it down or feathers surrounding a foam core?
What kind of wood is it made of? Is it hardwood? Veneer or solid? How are the pieces joined? Do the legs screw off or are they permanently attached?
What kind of fabric is it? Cotton? Linen? Wool? Blend?
$1000 for a couch and a loveseat is not very expensive, but expensive enough that I would want to ensure that it's decent quality and not, say, Ikea.
That said, I really love the style and would love to have them in my house.
posted by primate moon at 4:31 PM on October 27, 2013
If it's comfortable, it's probably not IKEA.
$1000 would be a not-terrible price for these if they were new or good-as. I think the cheapest I found that was similar was Macy's, and there (even during a sale) you'd be looking at around $500-600 for the loveseat and $700 for the sofa. That being said, I don't think these are designer, or even particularly high quality pieces -- as Fairchild notes, high-end and velcro don't go together. They wouldn't have a resale value, if that's a factor.
What material is in the cushions? High-end cushions tend to have at least some down; foam alone is generally indicative of a lower-end product.
posted by pie ninja at 4:32 PM on October 27, 2013
$1000 would be a not-terrible price for these if they were new or good-as. I think the cheapest I found that was similar was Macy's, and there (even during a sale) you'd be looking at around $500-600 for the loveseat and $700 for the sofa. That being said, I don't think these are designer, or even particularly high quality pieces -- as Fairchild notes, high-end and velcro don't go together. They wouldn't have a resale value, if that's a factor.
What material is in the cushions? High-end cushions tend to have at least some down; foam alone is generally indicative of a lower-end product.
posted by pie ninja at 4:32 PM on October 27, 2013
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Do you mean that the underside of the cushion has velcro attached? This is a sign of poor quality. High quality cushions should allow for flipping. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy it but this is a sign of a discount furniture brand. Kind of like the mattresses that are sold in wholesale clubs -- they only have cushioning on the top side and are unflippable.
I was thinking of M for McCreary furniture but it most likely is not McCreary if there is velcro sewn to the underside of the cushions.
posted by Fairchild at 12:51 PM on October 27, 2013 [1 favorite]