I don't know how old the Peggy Sofa is in the picture "Mid-Mod Bungalow Style" (picture by Hayley Lawrence) --I linked to the article through a follow up article on Apartment Therapy. I could not your link to open.

Anyway, the one on Apartment Therapy already looks bad in terms of quality and that's a Pinterest picture. And the one in the Awl article looks like it was thrown out the window of a fraternity house.

This is why I don't understand why people say "if it is going to cost you $1000-$1500 to reupholster an old sofa you might as well get a new one, You can get a perfectly good sofa for $1500. (I realize Peggy is under $1000).

I don't think you can. If you have a sofa old enough to reupholster and you are considering it, it must have proved itself somewhat over time. A new sofa is a complete crap shoot.

I'm stuck on the one to three year lifespan with light use part! I just finally parted with couches from my husband's family that were probably 30 years old (granted, the upholstery did give up about about 3 years ago). Hell, my mom is just starting to notice wear on her 10 year old Ikea sofas.

I grew up with a couch a tiny bit like that, but it lasted and lasted, through a recover and then a lot of time in dad's office. Like maybe 30 years or more. But I do remember catching heck for even thinking about touching the buttons. Eventually on the reupholstered couch they did cushions without buttons.

that's exactly the difference..those couches lasted and lasted..

even when they were sleepers, unfolding, like futons..they still were a) really comfortable b) lasted and lasted

that's one of the reasons I'm hunting second hand when I can

it was nothing special long time ago, I'm sure, Not like it was top of the line furniture

now though..in comparison to "affordable"..it lasted 50 years before I layed my eyes on it, and continues to do so

Great read!! I hope people are really getting their money back.

I love the floors in the photo of the couch. I can walk into West Elm and "smell" cheap. Don't understand the attraction. IMO, any furniture store in a mall is a ripoff.

This was hilarious (especially since my 11-year-old couch and love seat look almost new) but at the time probably was not funny for all these unhappy and frustrated owners. The couch in our TV room belonged to my parents and had seen heavy use for 20 years by them and daily use by us for 9 years before it finally gave up. My husband then sawed it in pieces and put it in the trash over a period of some weeks (good tip from someone here for getting rid of this ginormously long couch).

One to three years? Really? The sofas in my house date from 1941 and from the early 1950's! Of course, they have been recovered many times over the years, but are still solid as a rock.

BTW, a high quality sofa is going to cost a minimum of $3000-5000 not including the fabric. A lot of money? You bet! But you'll have it for life.

But that's ok because it'll be dated after 1-3 years.

On the other hand WE offered a full refund to buyers.

This is why I don't understand why so many people are buying large item furniture online.