So, I'm getting a sofa. Most of my other furniture is vintage, matching the date of the house: 1958 (mcm custom).
I have two small children. Now comes the question - since a sofa is such a big part of the room, should one go vintage with a notable design (F. Knoll or George Nelson), or a bit cheaper but brand new DWR Bantam or the like?
Yes, a personal decision - but I wonder if there's any thoughts on how a sofa is used and what might be preferable from a design/utility perspective? I've always had crappy old sofas that held me off the floor, but offered no design attributes beyond that.
A new sofa is pretty seductive, but I've always favored living with some flaws in an original modern design. But on a sofa?
not a parent...
but i would assume that children of the small variety are rough on furniture..it could go either way, just keep the build design in mind i.e. materials and construction...nothing to dainty....and as far as a vintage piece....its harder to replace than something new and ergo less for you to worry about....let the kids be kids....
No brainer from my perspective
vintage is the easy choice for these reasons (in no particular order):
Cost. You often can get a very nice vintage sofa (and totally reupholster it if need be) for less than you'd pay for a new sofa. Especially if you are looking at a higher end piece.
Investment. Generally, most of the money you spend on your vintage sofa you can recoup if it no longer suits your needs and you have to sell it.
Quality. A great many vintage sofas were built with better craftsmanship and materials than are available today. The most important part of your sofa (the frame) is the part you don't see. Many perfectly nice looking sofas available today just can't compare to vintage pieces when you see the structure. I often say that Dunbar sofas are heirloom pieces. You can change the upholstery as fashions and trends change, but the classic Wormley designs and impeccable construction mean that they will last for generations.
Ease of living. If you go to a store and buy a brand new sofa, it's like a car. It's only new once and after that, not only is it worth less the second you take ownership of it (when it becomes "used" furniture) it also makes you uptight. You will be more upset when something is spilled on your brand new sofa than you would on a vintage piece that more than likely already has a spot or two. I've never owned a brand new car and I prefer it that way. If there is already a couple dents and dings, I don't have to worry about parking next to the cart corral. Likewise, I don't worry that my kid or company will harm my vintage sofa if it's not in pristine condition when I buy it.
The environment. With so many good quality vintage sofas available, either in useable condition, or easily refurbished, it seems wrong to me to have more trees cut down in order to make a new one. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Simple.
I think Pegboard outlines the...
I think Pegboard outlines the advantages of buying vintage beautifully, but I have to add that there is a fairly steep learning curve and it's easy to make mistakes when you're new at the game. I know I've made my share when I first got into collecting this stuff. But I love vintage modern and would never think of buying something new. If you are someone who isn't so oriented toward vintage and would just as soon buy a new piece, I think it might make sense to wait until you find a new sofa you like at a greatly reduced price -- dealers seem to have very good floor model sales pretty regularly.
Build Quality
First off, no matter which way you go, know your build quality. What's the frame made of? Whats the spring system like? How old is the foam?
Secondly, the kids (and adults) are going to impact the sofa in two ways.
1. Surface. Whatever fabric/leather you get on the sofa make sure it's stain resistant and durable. Check or ask about cleaning codes - can you uses just water or do you need a solvent cleaner? Leather is always more durable than fabric - when its real leather. Bicast/bonded/split etc. are just crap thats inviting disaster.
2. Frame. Eventually even the most durable of fabrics can be cut or marked up beyond repair. That's where the frame comes in. A solid frame can be recovered in-perpetuity. Knowing what it's made of and how its made can help your decision.
However these two things are harder to ascertain on a vintage piece than on a new piece.
I'm not against DWR products. I've got a Neo sofa from them that has held up against me, my boyfriend, 2 old roommates and a particularly evil cat. A friend has the Theater sofa in leather and that has held up to her boyfriend and her great Dane. We both got them about the same time 4 years ago.
But if you get the cheapest sofa you can through DWR you can bet it's got a cheap fabric on it. (or any dealer for that matter)
Thirdly, I would buy new. It's just an ickyness thing for me. Vintage hard surfaces - wood, plastic, plywood - I'm fine with. Anything vintage and upholstered gives me nightmares about bed-bugs.
everything changes when you have kids..
i have a little girl and i'm very happy she can sit, sleep, eat, drink, jump and play on our fairly cheap ikea sofa.
dont underestimate the destructive powers of the little ones.
i too have some vintage collectable furniture but not a single piece with any kind of fabric attached to it.
cause let's be honest, kids will be kids, and accidents will happen.
just my 2 cents..
I have to agree with the abov...
I have to agree with the above. I do use a vintage sofa, but we've really been considering something from IKEA. We just don't have much room and don't want to rid of the vintage one so we'll see. The sofa has suffered a few spills but nothing too bad. I'll be getting it professionally cleaned and scotch guarded before long.
That being said, I've decided I'll never rid of it so I might as well not be uptight about it. Honestly, I've done a good job with that. If you can't lighten up I would suggest IKEA. I know eventually the sofa will be recovered anyway, given that I'll never rid of it. If something happens I'll flip the cushion, add a throw, and just wait until my little dude is old enough to know better to get it recovered.
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