I would do some research first. Call at least three businesses that do upholstering and/or slipcovering for prices. The couch looks to be in very nice shape and the style is traditional. I would eliminate the skirt if the legs are pleasing. This would ease the style into more of a transitional vs. traditional one. I don't see any stains , wear, or sagging in the cushions. Personally I'd jump at the chance to own that couch...I guess some folks just have money to toss LOL. I could never see getting rid of a well made piece of furniture that perhaps, for my taste, I had grown tired of. There doesn't appear to be a thing wrong with it, other than the fact that you're not in love with the fabric. Slipcovering or upholstering it would be my choice. Good luck and please let us know how it turns out. BTW, if you decide you don't want it and it's located in mid-New York State, I'd be happy to take it off her hands ;o)

Luckygal, branding has been around for a very long time. For example: Vernon and Irene Castle slapped their names on everything and anything you can imagine and stuff that you can't from candy to cigars, shoes, records etc. This was back in 1912. They were the pair that put ballroom dancing on the map and made it extremely popular. Irene set many fashions trends in her day including the incredibly ugly but very popular stove top hat and was one of the first to bob her hair setting off a new look for hair in the 1920's flapper. They owned nightclubs and dance studios. The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers dancing that we all recall fondly in their old movies was based on Vernon and Irene's innovations in dance. My kids (aged 30 and 26) are not swayed by such nonsense and neither are their friends. I think there has always been (and always will be) people who feel safer purchasing something endorsed by a "name" and others who look for quality, value and style. Sky Here is a link that might be useful: wiki Vernon and Irene Castle

I struggle with the "shoes off" in the house policy. In theory, that would be my preference. And certainly in bad weather, my kids all take their shoes off. However, I have four kids, and two of them are outside playing all the time. They come in and out for a variety of reasons, so requiring them to take shoes off each and every time just isn't manageable (especially since one of them has fine motor skills problems, so just tying his shoes is difficult for him). I usually take mine off when I come inside, unless I'm wearing sneakers and coming from the store where I have to make multiple trips to the car. That said, I also have three entry points. The kids go in and out through the garage, which is underneath the main floor. If they are coming in and staying in, they usually leave their shoes in the garage just outside the door (a huge pile which I'm trying to organize - used to be a big basket but too many shoes, so now I have an organizer to put together, but not sure they will actually put their shoes in each compartment!). I always use the front door and kick my shoes off at the front door - there is a basket there by the door, so if I'm going out again later, I leave my shoes there, but if not I bring them upstairs to my closet. I wear slippers in the house. We also have a mudroom but it is accessible from the back door. There was a time when my kids always used it after school/coming home from somewhere, but now my key no longer works in the lock so they always use the garage instead. The mudroom, however, seems to store whatever shoes they haven't left in the garage (as well as shoes that are not in use regularly, like cleats, church shoes, etc). They each have their own cubby, and a basket for shoes in their cubby. I find it perfectly normal here where I live to see a basket of shoes near the front door. The only houses where I don't see them are my friends' homes who have homes that are more formal (don't look very lived in), or if they have a mudroom or other main entry for family. I just read the two posts above mine and see that they both have four kids like me. I had to laugh at choclot b/c her battle sounds like mine! Mine each have their own cubbies and STILL I find their things all over the mudroom - coats laying on the bench instead of hanging on the hook, shoes on the floor *right next to* their shoe basket, socks they've taken off and left in their cubbies and then wonder why they have no socks after I do laundry! I do call them from wherever they are to fix their mistakes, but much of the time I'm off doing something else and don't notice right away. My kids are 8, 10, 12 and turning 14. My oldest has actually become very organized (she keeps all her shoes in an organizer up in her bedroom after years of using the mudroom), hangs her coat in her room, etc. My 12 y/o is a slob, but he is incredibly organized with his schoolwork, binder, etc and judging from what I hear from his friends' mothers whose boys are constantly losing things, forgetting to turn in schoolwork, etc, I figure I'll take that over him not putting his shoes away properly!

Thanks for the votes of confidence! I'm beginning to get nervous spending so much sight unseen--but it's handknotted, a Safavieh, all colors mentioned are on the warm side in my room. It shipped and scheduled to arrive on the 18th. For those following my duvet thread, the paisley duvet also shipped (early, yay!) and is scheduled to arrive on the 16th. Sounds like I have some rug moving to do next week. We're having guests over for Thanksgiving so will be nice to have it all in place before then. Cross your fingers for me!