Room of the Month—Mr. Peacock

Here’s a peek at Mr. Peacock from the monthly feature, The Room, in the upcoming May 2009 issue of the San Francisco lifestyle magazine, 7x7.

I’m really hooting it up here on my sofa! The numbers on the photo correspond to text on the 7x7 website (and layout in the upcoming May issue), click here to read the full copy.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve moved many times over the years, and I never had a “real” sofa. I would usually have a large table with chairs in my living room—easier to move than a large sofa, and great for large dinners. People didn’t like coming over to my place, because there wasn’t anywhere comfortable to hang out. A friend in the furniture biz convinced me (with a great price too) that it was time to get a nice, adult sofa. Well, being a Gemini, I had a difficult time deciding and committing to a single sofa style. The sofas that were visually appealing were unfortunately terribly uncomfortable—and visa versa. Many of the sofas that were super comfortable, looked like an upholstered beached whale, with piles of pillows. I even went to the Salone Internazionale del Mobile (the amazing furniture fair in Milano) on my quest to find the ultimate sofa with perfect form and function. I did find two comfy and nice looking chairs in Milano, and was ready to order them, however, they didn't meet the fire codes (or something problematic) in California and it would have turned into a big project to get them here...

Above: I like the look of this IKEA "Karlstad" sofa. It would look great with a patterned slipcover!

In the meantime, another pal told me to just get a cheap IKEA sofa as a temporary solution, and then get rid of it when I decide on my “permanent” sofa. I took his advice, but wasn’t too crazy about the shape and silhouette of the IKEA "Nikkala" sofa I selected (now discontinued)—but it was super comfortable, and not too bulky. When it was delivered, however, I was taken aback by the tyvek used as upholstery fabric under the white cotton slipcover, and thought that it wouldn't be very durable.

Above: I like this black on white stylized peacock fabric at IKEA. It also comes in the reverse—white on black fabric. I think it would look interesting on a sofa.

Well seven years later, I still have the $400 sofa from IKEA, and the foam is just as firm as it was the day I purchased it. I’m shocked too—I think they have a 10 year guarantee on the sofas. I was never a couch potato in my life, but I have to admit, I’ve taken many naps and lounged on this inexpensive comfortable sofa.

After 7x7 Magazine heard my sofa testimonial, they asked me if I would share my tips on how I styled my own IKEA sofa on video for their website. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the darn video to embed here on the blog, but you can watch it here. The photos (above and below) are stills from the video by Jason Jurgens.

I’m sill on the hunt for the sofa with “perfect” form and function, but until I find it—I’ll keep making different slipcovers for my comfy “vintage” IKEA couch.

I want to thank all of the folks at 7x7 Magazine (including the editor of my piece, Leilani Labong; the photographer, Joe Budd; and the videographer Jason Jurgens) for doing such a great job, and making me feel at ease. And also, thanks to the folks at IKEA for being so accommodating for Mr. Peacock. Thank You!

What kind of sofa do you have—do you love it? Is it comfortable, or just look good—or both?