I am in much the same position as the person you are working with, Bee. I really need to do something about my sofa ad while I'd love to buy The Perfect Sofa TM, my experience tells me that 1. It takes me *forever* to find the sofa I like and 2. I can't afford the sofa I want just now. Like others, I have tested the Ektorp and found it very uncomfortable for an evening of laptopping and tv watching. I had a great experience with my last Macy's sofa (under $1000) but they've changed brands and I just don't care for what they currently have to offer (though I am tempted by the Martha Stewart velvet chesterfield-- but that's a very different look than you are going for). I'll say this-- I am far from an "everything in its place" person and I like a comfy, lived-in look but I just don't think I could live with the rumpled seat backs and wrinkled slipcovers (steam them? maybe but not likely.. iron? never). For the Cote de Texas look perhaps you could lean in a different direction-- a linen or velvet upholstery on a more casual style. I am seriously considering reupholstering my roll arm leather sofa in a flax linen-- not for the Cote de Texas look but I think it could surely go that direction. I also so a more refined slipcovered sofa recently-- not sure where it was (darn it).. maybe Williams-Sonoma? Maybe Bob Williams? I'd still be wary but it might be worth looking into. I saw some interesting JCP furniture online-- but this board sent huge warnings out when I was considering a chair there 5 yr ago so I've just not seriously looked there since. Is there a showroom anywhere near here? There used to be a very small one in Lancaster but I think they shut it down. This area is HORRIBLE for upholstered furniture IMO. I've shopped them all-- Gerharts (or whatever it is called.. near Ashcombes and Country Market), David's downtown, Whitco in Linglestown, Wolfs, VCF, Bonton.. everything is so uninspired to me. Heavy on run-of-the-mill traditional or cheap contemporary.

* The mantle of Mrs. Grundy - a figurative name for an extremely conventional person who worries about being different * The Grand Guignol - a Parisian theater that opened in 1897 * The "qui vive" of expectation - Que vive? Is a question: Who goes there? To be on the alert, suspicious. * Carlyle on the Dutch (who was who and who did what?) - Carlyle was Scottish writer/philosopher in nineteenth century who wrote social/political criticism. Not sure about the Dutch reference. Any ideas? * Cassandra could have looked more gloomily prophetic - Cassandra was the royal daughter at the time of the Trojan War. She rejected ApolloâÂÂs advances and in retaliation, he made it so no one would believe what she said. (Perhaps âÂÂgloomily prophecticâ due to this?) * A veritable colossus of negation - âÂÂcolossusâ was a huge ancient statue on the Greek island of Rhodes, so perhaps this refers to how immovable negativity is when people espouse it strongly * Fox (re: pity?) - not sure about this one. * Bib and tucker (clothing) - refers to oneâÂÂs best clothes; first used in 18th century. âÂÂBibsâ were similar to current day baby bibs, except these were worn by adults over their clothes (mostly women). Made of lace and fitted over the bodice; sometimes called âÂÂpinnersâ or âÂÂmodesty piecesâÂÂ. âÂÂTuckerâ were bibs that were tucked in. (Pinners/Bibs were pinned and tuckers were tucked.) Linked with âÂÂpinaforeâÂÂ, âÂÂpin-a-foreâÂÂ: a pin/bib thatâÂÂs pinned on the front of clothing. (Taken from Patricia Brent, Spinster - Herbert Jenkins.)

Do you have experience with jupe tables? Do you find all the "joints" end up being crumb-catchers or do the pieces come together very tightly so it does not catch everything?

As an update to my February 10, 2021 post about Revolution “Hailey” fabric - it’s been 14 months and we could not be more pleased. It gets heavy use - my kids and husband sleep on it and they spend every evening on it watching TV (and all day Saturday/Sunday watching sports). No pilling and no visible wear - it looks like the day or teas delivered. It is a tight weave which I believe lends itself to a superior performance over some of the other patterns referenced in this thread. We have not tested it for stains - so far no accidents.