looks great to me! will it not being open at the bottom like the inspiration photo one bother you?

The York is a bit more traditional-looking to me. Of the two that's what I like but that's because I prefer traditional styles. Come to think of it, I'm not so sure those very contemporary (and fun) pillows would work with it.

I prefer the Hennessy, because it is more of a transitional style. The York is traditional. My first thought, tho, would always be comfort over style. Whichever one feels best to sit on should be the choice. After all, that is the purpose of the piece first and foremost.

Since the Hennessy is the first one that caught your attention, that's the one I would go with. I do worry about the cat hair though.

Laurie

You list more 'pros' than 'cons' about the Hennessy. The two 'biggies' in deciding are comfort and price. You say the Hennessey is cheaper. You say the Hennessey is more comfortable.

Unless the issue about needing the couch for overnight guests is very important to you, and hence needing removable pillows instead of tightback, I would go with the Hennessey.

I think the Hennessey looks way better. Neater. Crisper. The other one looks wrinkled in the photo and the style looks like what people buy to put in their basement rec room.

The pillows you bought look like they are for the Hennessey. They would not look good on the York. I think you subliminally want the Hennessey.

What dilly said! Another vote for the Hennessey.

Wow, thanks for your feedback, everyone!

It's funny - I didn't even mention what I wanted the style of the room to be. I'm thinking more transitional/eclectic... some slightly more traditional pieces (I like the media consoles from Restoration Hardware and Ethan Allen), some more modern touches (an as-yet-to-be-identified colorful modern abstract print over the sofa). Maybe a small Asian cabinet at some point.

Here are the media consoles:

Restoration Hardware Larkspur

Ethan Allen Tango (couldn't embed a picture of it, but here's the page)

I guess I've been hanging onto the York because style-wise, it's exactly what I was looking for - I wanted a very homey kind of style that kind of envelopes you a little (without actually enveloping you - I don't like the real sink-in types of sofas that you can't get up from). The Hennessy is a major departure for me style-wise. I never even looked at other tight-back styles - I thought I didn't like them. ;-)

Steph, the sofa not being open at the bottom doesn't bother me at all. It might be good, actually - less place for my cats to lose their toys. ;-)

Pbrisjar, do you really think the pillows wouldn't work with the York? That's horrifying to me! I thought the York was pretty neutral in style and could go either more traditional or more contemporary depending on the pieces around it and how it was accessorized.

Laurie, are you concerned about the cat hair because of the color? So am I. I'm just baffled as to what to do... I just realized that I could actually go back to that sage green color I wanted because C&B has that same Doss fabric in sage (Room & Board doesn't carry the fabric in that color), but I just held the swatch up to my colorful pillow and it's the wrong color. I could get other colorful pillows. But I like this one. ;-)

I should not be allowed to furnish my own home. I don't know how I got through choosing everything for my kitchen & bathroom renovations. :-(

Oh, one more note. I don't have a basement rec room, or a family room. I'm in a NYC apartment. ;-)

Hmmm...I remember when my bathroom design switched from being traditional to contemporary. That was quite jarring too.

It's funny - I didn't even mention what I wanted the style of the room to be.

I had assumed you were purchasing the 'main piece' and would paint and decorate, adding accessories and purchase other smaller piece, based on the couch as the anchor for the room.

I am confused about the media cabinets you are looking at. One is a cabinet style to set a TV on top, and the other is to hang a flatscreen TV on. If you are in an apartment you probably cannot hang a TV on the wall? Are you also getting a new TV and do not know what kind of TV to get? Do you really NEED a lot of media storage? Nowdays people do not usually have so many things to store. No VCR. No cable box. No clunky tapes to store.

I like the RH one you show because it can be multipurposed. The other one is sort of limited in it's function but if it is necessary to get one of those to hang a TV on instead of the walls so be it.

For the media console, I only want the cabinet part. I wouldn't be getting the video panel shown on the Ethan Allen page. I don't even have a flat screen tv right now - I have an old 27" Trinitron, and I won't be able to afford a new flat screen any time soon what with the renovations and redecoration and such. ;-)

I do have some other media components: cable box, TiVO, VCR/DVD. Maybe someday a game machine. The storage drawers in the console would mostly be used for general storage. The RH one has three drawers, the EA one has two. Probably a single glass door compartment with TWO banks of drawers would be best - I can get that from R&B's custom line, but it would cost quite a bit more. (Might be worth it, though, to get the extra storage. Hmmm...)

I vote for the Hennessy...mainly because it is a sofa I love, and it is SO comfortable. I think the style would be great in an apartment. If you're at all tight on space in the apartment, it has an airier feel than the R&B one, and the dimensions are smaller. I also think it would pair nicely with the other pieces you're looking at.

That said, the R&B one is attractive too and would work fairly well in a transitional space, I think.

Good luck!

Dilly Dally, again, took the words right out of my mouth.

Credomk, do you have the Hennessy??? Very interested to hear your experience with it!

So two things appeal to me about a loose-back sofa - I already mentioned the bit about being able to remove the cushions for someone to sleep on it, but also being able to reverse the cushions if something happens to the front of one.

My mom likes a tight-back because the loose cushions can get messy looking or get smushed down on top. (That happened with my current sofa, but it was a very cheapo sofa from Seaman's - I remember when I bought it, sofa and loveseat together for $699!)

Any comments on tight-back vs. loose-back?

Sorry, I like both of them and from what you are looking at to me seems like either would do. For me when I finally find two that I like I go with the most comfortable one.

Well, we've had both. I loved the loose back sofa because hubby and I could toss the pillows and snuggle up together on it. Which means there would be more room on it, but unless someone is staying for along period of time my guess is the tight back would work well for one. I know I've taken many a naps on our tight back sofa. And for that matter on our attached pillow back sofa.
I'd think about how often I have over night guests and how long they'd stay. If just for a night or two either would do. If longer than that neither would be comfy enough unless your guests are young.

I am a big fan of tight back sofas. (Remember my red sofa in the green room...you and I have similar color taste!) They just stay tidier looking day-to-day. I think that's important in a small space, to keep it clean visually. I also imagine that sofa will see a lot of use, being the only sofa. That said, I have a small love seat with loose-back cushions that I spend an inordinate amount of time on, and it stays looking pretty good. (It's from Ikea...you don't want it!)

I just want to chat with you about pillows. I know that finding special pillows that you really love is a happy thing. My favorite pillows are giving up the ghost and I am in a panic because I know I'll never, ever find pillows I love again. ;-) I just don't think you should let pillows drive your decision about sofa fabric...cart and horse and all that. This is general advice, not specific, given to you by someone who once planned an entire bathroom around a set of towels.

However, if the colorful pillow does not work with the sage green fabric, then maybe that says something about the sage green....that it's too earthy a green and won't fit your vision of bright colors. There's a message about color there.

Of the two sofas, I prefer the first, but that's because I don't care for the skirted look, even if it's solid. As someone else already said, I think an airier look in a small space is preferable. Where are you with the chair decision? Isn't there a chair in your future? Maybe that should be considered in the equation as well. I think either of those media consoles would look fine but the RH one is more appealing from a "traditional/eclectic" point of view.

Hey Charlikin....just a heads up. I had never seen the Larkspur console before, so I took a peek and decided that the large one would be perfect for my LR. been looking for something for quite some time now. Well, they are sold out. I asked about the smaller piece for you and they don't have many left. So, if you want it, you'd better move on it. I am really bummed out...

Don't have Photoshop but this is what I came up with:
{{!gwi}}From Misc

Not real fond of them together. I think the lines/styles are wrong.

Charlikin, I don't have the Hennessy, but it's the one that always catches my eye when I'm in C&B. I did consider getting it but decided something with just a _little_ more visual weight (not a lot--our current sofa is too big) would work better in our open-floor concept living/family room. However, ever time I see it (and see its price tag compared to the one we're saving for) I'm tempted.

Personally, I like the look of the Yor, but you lost me at loose back cushions. Too messy looking for me.

I used to ahve a sofa that the back cushions looked like they were loose back but the were actually attached. I liked that, but it had very cheapo fabric (and seat cushions!) and only lasted me 2 years. I actually kept it for an additiona 2 or 3, but it was in bad shape!

Amy, you're cracking me up! Yes, the sofa will get a tremendous amount of use... it's actually one of my worries that since the Hennessy seat is softer and more - uh, bouncy - does that mean it won't wear as well as the more solid-feeling York seat. (OMG, the things I worry about!)

I totally get the idea of planning a bathroom around a set of towels. I planned my kitchen by choosing the countertop *first*.

So you're thinking maybe I should go back to a color that won't show the cat hair so much (like my beloved sage green), and just get *different* colorful pillows? How practical. Hee hee. Oh, just read your comment about sage green being too earthy. Sigh. I do like the more muted colors, but I did seem to be drawn to the way the colors on the pillow *popped* against the dark background. And here I was so determined to be practical!

As for the chair, I'm thinking a simple chair (not too massive) in a light-colored neutral fabric. I've now veered away from that fantastic abstract print from R&B I was considering - I still love the fabric, but my friend convinced me I should go more neutral on the chair and spice it up with the pillows. She said that with neutral sofa & chair, anytime I want to change the look of the room, I can just change the pillows.

Besides which, once I decided I wanted a slightly loungier chair than the R&B Quinn (my original choice), I fell into a hole at R&B. There's a Bacall chair that's pretty comfortable, but I'm afraid it might be a little small-scale next to the York - the York is 36" high with the cushions, and the Bacall is only 32" high. At C&B, I've got better choices - I can either get the Hennessy chair that goes with the sofa, or the Tracy chair that's might be slightly more comfortable. Quite happy with either, and if I buy both sofa & chair from a single store, I can save on the delivery charge.

R&B Bacall Chair

C&B Hennessy Chair

C&B Tracy Chair

I think you should go for comfort if this is a sofa that will be used daily. I too think the pillows are very modern and go best w/ the Hennesy. But you have to choose what you will be happy with!!

Hmmm...I am running here, got a project on my hands. Those chairs are a bit matchy for the sofa, IMO. The second one is better, but I'd stay away from a chair identical to the sofa. What about Clara or Parker? They have a slightly different feel, but you want an evolved look, right?

Got back to C&B yesterday and looked at the chairs. The Clara didn't appeal to me - too traditional-looking. The Parker looks nice, but I didn't think it was as comfortable as the Hennessy or the Tracy, so I think I'm going to go for one of those...probably the Tracy since it's at least a *little* different in style from the sofa.

Now I have to choose a fabric - since I want an "easy-care" fabric for the chair as well, I'm considering various microfibers. I was wondering if it would be too matchy to get the same fabric on the chair as on the sofa, but in a different color? (I do like that the Doss fabric looks a lot like a brushed twill with that thin "stripe".)

The alternatives are a tweedy-looking microfiber that I actually like but wonder if it's too, uh, tweedy for the more contemporary style I'm veering off into. Or there's a zip-zag design that I like a LOT - I have a sample in a light green called "Dial Spring" - have to see what other colors it comes in. I actually like the "Dial Spring" - I had been considering it at one point for the sofa, but thought it was too yellowy-green for that; but I think it might be refreshing on a chair. The shade does go with my uber-colorful C&B pillow ;-), but I wonder if I should stay with neutral on the chair... ???

Unless I go back to the idea of getting the sofa in sage green, which is an option at C&B, and just return my uber-colorful pillow. I've had my various fabric samples sitting on the arm of my current sofa for my cats to experiment with. The dark brown definitely shows cat hair; the sage green doesn't. (Who knows, maybe I need the dark brown to remind me to varcuum the sofa more often. ;-))

Final vague thought to the obsessing... I did stop by R&B also, since it's only a few blocks from C&B. Took another look at the Hawthorne, which I think is kind of between the York and the Hennessy in style - it has looseback cushions, but it's a little more streamlined and less boxy than the York. (The photo of it on the R&B site isn't very nice - it's more attractive in person.)

In feel, it's very much like the York - a little hard. And I still am not crazy about any of the chairs at R&B, and I'd like to avoid paying two delivery charges (if I bought the sofa in one place and the chair in another).

I'm nuts. I know I'm nuts. You've all been very patient with me - thank you!

I think if you love the Dial Spring fabric, go for it! It sounds like it will be lovely with the couch and your cool pillow. Good luck deciding!