The Great Couch Dilemma

To Buy or Not to Buy - The Great Couch Dilemma

Ever find such a great deal on something that you just can't pass it up? That is exactly what happened one day up at the outlets in Kittery, Maine. I had been on the hunt for a new couch for quite some time. I knew what I wanted but just couldn't find it. They were always the wrong color or wrong size or just didn’t seem right. I walked into Crate and Barrel Outlet that day not expecting to leave with anything but as I strolled down into the furniture section there it was, exactly what I had been looking for all this time. The icing on the cake was it was 70% off! The amazing 70% off sticker price however had a catch that could have derailed this purchase all together. It turns out it was missing a pretty important piece. It was missing the ottoman that would make it into a sectional. Without it the cushion would just dangle off the edge.

Instead of being discouraged and walking away I saw this as a challenge and was not leaving without it. Right away I had my dad come in from Barkley (my dog) watching duty in the car and we started brainstorming. My kitchen and living room are fairly open to each other and decided I could easily build an ottoman that would match my shiplap wrapped kitchen cabinet. My dad agreed (would he never not agree…🙂) and the couch was coming home with me. It was really a simple project once we got at home. We made the four block legs for the ottoman to match the tapered shape and color of the couch legs. Next we built a simple box frame with 2x4’s, attached the leftover shiplap from the kitchen to the sides, added a top for the cushion to sit on, some white antiqued trim that got the same treatment as the kitchen cabinets and voila!!! We had an almost $2k couch for around $500. Not only did I save a ton of money but I was also able to add a unique customization to tie the kitchen and living room together. So next time you see something for a great deal that’s just not 100% perfect think of it as a challenge instead of a hurdle and sprinkle your creativity on it!

The finished look and bonus picture of Barkley my happy helper.