I bought my Robert Michael Ltd. "Main Street" sectional in "Passion Suede Chocolate" microfiber in 2006, and I'm still sitting on it (super comfortably) as I type this comment right now. It is THE most comfortable sofa I have ever sat or slept on, and I can't actually believe that I've had it 17 years. It's survived being hauled to and from storage across 3 different moves, and withstood the assault of multiple adults plus at least 5 different dogs (including a Siberian Husky), so I definitely reiterate the sentiments of everyone else on here who has said these sofas really do stand the test of time. The Husky has tried to dig/tear at the fabric on several occasions, yet only succeeded in making a couple tiny holes in the back pillows--which is astonishing, as this dog can eat through a plastic airline kennel--so it seems that the microfiber is pretty tough. It's so easy to wipe spills and stains from this fabric, as well. It's true that the loose back pillows and seat cushions squish and lose their shape due to their being filled with down, but even if they don't look the greatest anymore, they don't ever stop being comfortable. I definitely didn't buy this sofa because of the looks--I had originally gotten it new and made to order from some no-name hole-in-the-wall import furniture store on La Brea in Hollywood (CA). It was my first major furniture purchase, so I had simply asked the salesman, "give me your most comfortable sofa in a dogproof fabric and color that will last a long time" and this is what he recommended, and boy, was he right. When I remove the upholstery covers, there are definitely feathers everywhere inside the cushions, but honestly, I haven't had issues with feathers escaping the covers. I have other down accent pillows that literally litter the room with feathers if you even sit near one, but the sofa has been totally fine. I only wish I had known how to take care of the cushions as well as I see now that many of you have, but alas, the reason I'm here is because 5 minutes ago, I just dragged the chaise portion of the sectional out to the curb :/ I had just made the decision to finally get rid of this sofa because the fabric and inner cushions have finally become so dirty and gross after never having been formally cared for in 17 years (no fault of the sofa's), but since I haven't been able to find something that I like nearly as much yet, I decided to keep just the "sofa" portion for the time being, which is what I'm still happily sitting on right now, until I find a new sofa. So, when I took the chaise cushion off to throw it out, that's when, for the very first time, I saw the label that stated Robert Michael Ltd, Santa Ana, CA! I Googled it and thus found this page of comments...and now am super sad that I may not ever be able to get this sofa again, if Robert Michael is truly out of business. I have not been able to find the original furniture store again (not sure if it survived the pandemic), so I don't know what to do. This sectional was huge, approx 108" wide (from one arm to the end of the "L") and the chaise was 60" deep, and I'd paid $1700 for it in 2006. I'm just shocked at sofa prices now (upwards of $5k even for non-sectional sofas, and even without down cushions!!) but regardless of price, I've checked out sofas from RH, West Elm, Crate & Barrel, CB2, Macy's, Ikea, etc plus any number of vintage stores and so far, have not found anything remotely approaching the comfort and sheer heft/quality of this Robert Michael sofa. I'd been hoping to purchase essentially the same sofa, but hopefully with a more updated design so the shape is a bit more modern, but with the quality and comfort preserved. I had a small velvet loveseat from World Market for just 3 years in a different room, and in just that short time with light use, a spring gave out and made the sofa basically unusable. I'd definitely rather pay for good quality furniture, especially if they last as long and feel as good as this Robert Michael sofa!! If anyone has ideas for what other brands are comparable to the quality of this Robert Michael sofa that are currently available that perhaps have a more trendy design, and hopefully are under $3k for a non-sectional sofa around 86-90", I'm all ears!!! If it's possible to get something that feels as good that doesn't use real bird feathers, that would be even better, but I think that would be asking for the moon. :( I'm really sad now that my chaise is gone. :(

Our library (TV-room, but all bookshelves) sofa is Naugahyde and it looked fine when it was put into storage in 2013. It is sturdy enough that everybody stood on one of the arms and stepped onto the back in order to retrieve books from the top shelves. We were allowed to eat in there once we were old enough to eat without making a mess, but we had to use a little table . One cushion seam came undone and a button or two popped off the back and had to be put back on. But people hate naugahyde now because it's plastic. It's also indestructable and in the finish on this sofa doesn't feel that much different than leather. If I was starting out with young kids I would use naugahyde hands down. I have no problem with it being plastic. Our basement sofas were wide wale corduroy and my parents held parties where everybody ate and drank, sometimes to excess and then the grandchildren played down there with practically no supervision at all. One of the pair was fine from 1975, the other got a rip on the outside corner of one arm. These sofas had arm covers. I am going to recover the smaller one but really it's in pretty good condition. Both living room sofas are in perfect condition and both are almost 50 years old but both were reupholstered in 1987. We did not eat in there, but we were allowed to have drinks in there if we were using the room on holidays. The big sofa got a lot of use because people would read books or nap on it. I may not even recover these, and just use them as is. Kids were not allowed to use markers in the living room. The dog ruined the original crewel on one cushion of the sofa because he would sleep in that spot. No cats in that house. We used our furniture fully but they got vacuumed every week and if we got crumbs or spills we cleaned them up. I don't know what to say. A couple things got more damage when my parents were really elderly and didn't notice spills and things like that than they did when there were kids around, but in general we certainly didn't baby anything. One thing is though that every sofa in that house was heavy and sturdy enough that a adult sized person in our family could stand on the arm or the back without doing any damage at all and the cushions were quality enough that they did not crush. The living room sofa is also an extremely heavy cotton and silk tapestry flame stitch that would be very hard to snag or damage in any way during normal use. We also never kept plastic or a throw or a cover on anything. My parents said if you had something that you had to treat too carefully maybe you shouldn't have it, that most things were bought to be used, and not covered up until company came. They also felt the cover made people more careless. When my dad would see an expensive car straddling two spaces he would say "If you are going to own a Rolls, it should still be just a car to you and you should expect it to get dinged up like a regular car." As for cats: I think more people who had inside cats used to declaw the front paws more frequently and with less guilt than they do now. I personally would never declaw a cat, but then it is luck of the draw as to whether you get a scratcher or not.

First off thank you to everyone who put their time and ideas into this post. I am truly humbled. I apologize for the late response. This has been a very tough week at work with a huge project closing out. I truly value and appreciate everyone's input and recommendations. This post turned out to be exactly what i needed. I love most of the ideas given. I have always enjoyed the concept of interior design but know nothing of it. Perhaps when things slow down I will take time to educate myself. Grover thank you very much for taking time to do the renderings. They are very helpful and make it easy for me to visualize some of these recommendations. Seldens and you both provided great art examples that I really like. Beth your recommendation for the snake plant is spot on. I actually purchased the white pot at the bottom of the stairs for that very purpose. Sixzero6 I actually own the place and purchased it about 1.5 years ago. I love your idea about the wooden shades. I have indeed struggled with adding textures. Pinkmountain thanks for your kind words. That color took me nearly a month to figure out. I knew I was going to spend a lot of money and wanted to be sure that I used a color that would be unique but not offending. The pictures dont do it justice as it seems to slightly change color depending on what time of day it is. Certain times of day express the green undertones more than others. The bookshelf is actually an Ikea version that I installed mid century legs on and painted it. Unfortunately I learned the rule of scale the hard way. It seems too large for the area. I like some of the replacement options given. If there is anything that will never change here it is the couch. It is a pulled Italian leather couch with memory foam cushions built extra deep. It is pure heaven to sit/lay on and will zap your productivity if used during the wrong time of the day. :) My short list: Pull the couch and rug up to allow for a generous walkway behind it (rear couch legs off of the rug) De-clutter bookcase and remove stuff off of the top Center TV between windows Change pillows to add texture Add meaningful art (non-symmetrical layout) Obtain a snake plant for my empty pot Long term list: Evaluate windows treatment options (wood shades or drapes) Add an accent chair (love this one) Possibly replace bookshelf with something different I will update this post as things come along over the next few months. I currently have a huge Christmas tree in the room right now which halts any rearranging but after the holidays I will give it a shot. If anyone sees any patterns or pillowcase recommendations feel free to let me know. Also if anyone views this post later then feel free to add your thoughts. I love hearing everyone's perspective.

Is there room for the piano on the opposite wall? If so... I think it would look better there. I’d then move over the dining room set with a rug to ground the dining space. Some don’t like a rug in the dining area but I personally would have one there. Not sure of the size, but you could try your current rug underneath it to see if you like it. Quick mock up I think she may have meant mother-in-law‘s tongue plant?