Back in my bachelorette days when my most major purchase was what I will delicately call a ‘posture-improving wicker settee’ (read: hard, small couch bought by a desperate college student that forced me to sit upright whether I was so inclined or not), I fantasized about the perfect sofa.
What would it be?
Long enough to lay on.
Not made out of the same materials as Easter baskets.
Plush but with good bones and a definite shape. No mushroomy blob of a thing.
An investment, to be sure, but nothing that would add seriously to my credit card and student loan debts.
I admired everything from ballsy Chesterfield leather couches to gently rounded feminine models upholstered in plush neutral velvets. But slowly I began an infatuation with the clean lines of a couch from Design Within Reach — the Bantam. Both current and timeless, its subtle sexiness it evoked everything I adore: a well-tailored suit, a trench coat, good lighting, leaded crystal, abstract perfumes.
I was mad for it but the thing was almost $2,000, much more than I could hope to afford in the next year. Or two. I looked at other couches and always found them wanting in some way. Then one night I happened into a Macy’s furniture store and as I looked for the exit, I saw what I would come to know as the Corona sofa. It didn’t quite have the grace of the Bantam. But there were the buttons, yes, and the studied proportions. Almost reluctantly, I sunk into it and found it more comfortable than the DWR option. Could this be? It absolutely was so.
I turned a critical eye to it. Aesthetically, the three-cushion seating paled in comparison to one long bench seat because it broke up the clean lines. The upholstery materials were all synthetic boucle as compared to the Bantam’s 100% cotton and cotton-linen composition. There were no notes about its joinery and craftsmanship…I was skeptical about its quality. But after much digging online and reading reviews, I brought the Corona home a 1.5 years ago. The reason? Most customers seemed to be happy with it and I scored the 82″ model for only $649. And it has been an absolute love affair.
The couch hugs my body when you sit or lay, yet retains its shape. The boucle is an easy-to-maintain texture and the Cafe Noir color I chose resists stains. There has been no sign of pilling or other damage, despite the fact that my husband and I sit on the couch far too much. Yes, it’s sexy, though more like well-executed American coffee than an Italian espresso. It doesn’t feel the least bit precious, like the DWR model, but it does feel special, solid, rich.
The stock photos of the Corona don’t do it justice. Appreciate it instead in some of the homes of real people here, here, and here. Intrigued? You can buy it at Macys.com now but I urge you to wait for the sale — it’s worth the deferred gratification.
UPDATE (10/23/09): For a snapshot of my sofa, just scroll down to the comments section and take a look.
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