Is this a real Pearsall sofa?  

889-S?
889-S?

I think so, mcgee,
but someone did a whitewashed number on the walnut frame. Yikes.

That's what I was wondering...
The ad from the site claims that these may have come in blonde, but that doesn't really look blonde to me. Hmmm.

Well it's not a Pearsall...
... but I purchased it anyway. Custom-made, just like all the other furniture in the house. Main differences are that it only has four legs, and it doesn't have walnut rail on the sides of the tables, which are Italian marble. I think I can probably have some sides fashioned for it, strip the front, and stain it all to match. Probably wouldn't be too difficult to add some outrigger legs, also. Also the back cushion is completely free of the sofa, and merely leans against a thin, curved brass rail of sorts. Not uncomfortable, just strange. Anybody have any experience crafting additional parts for pieces of furniture like this? Girlfriend always wanted one of these sofas, and I'm hoping I can give it to her for a serious fraction of the price.

Well now, I really need some help...
... perhaps this is a 615-D2T?
I think the pictures I looked at for this model were mislabeled, and that I might have been wrong. The image in the catalog for this model appears to only have the walnut along the face of the couch, and I can see a couple expired sales images that match what I've got.
Any experience here?

Repost
Repost.

Here are a couple pictures.
I can try to take more a little later. As much as I like the walnut wrapping the tables, I'm uneasy altering it if I think it might be an original piece. I'm starting to suspect that they had the couch custom painted, and probably reupholstered. Can't find any tags of any kind, but the back of the walnut face is handwritten, sloppily, '615'.

Well, consider this case closed.
http://adrianpearsall.com/615D2T.pdf

And reopened!
I'd love it if anybody with any experience working on these sofas could look at this listing and tell me if it's worth devoting time to... I think I'm gonna try to buy it anyway, but it'd help to know if it's been seriously messed with.
I love the way it looks, anyway, but I'm really just curious about the metal plate on the side and what I might be undertaking if I grab this for my re-upholstery learning. Am I biting off way more than I can chew? Is it possible that the previous owners simply had the entire thing altered to their tastes, or what? I don't really care if it's real Pearsall or not... I love the shape. I just wonder if I shouldn't try my hand at a chair or something before attempting a redo of this monster.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Couple more...
The underside.

That does not look like
Pearsall to me. The style sort of does but the base isn't quite the same--the front rail of the base on a Pearsall would be flush with the front edge of the legs. As if it was all one piece of wood, for lack of a better way of explaining.
Also, the arms: the inner arm has two planes---vertical where it meets the cushion edge, and slanted above that. Pearsalls, I believe, only ever have one slanted plane.
The curved piece of wood on the underside is also a clue. A lot of thinner profile sofa decks have this for strength. My sofa has two of them. I am not positive but I don't think Pearsall sofas have this curved piece at all. I think they just have straight boards for added strength.
The springs: pretty sure Pearsall just used elastic webbing, not these flat steel springs. I upholstered some armchairs once with these exact springs. They were made by FlexSteel, an American company that made decent quality furniture. The gold-painted steel bars on the underneath are just for added strength and should be covered by a black cambric dust cover over the entire bottom of the sofa (before the walnut base is attached).
This is an ambitious upholstery project for a beginner, but doable if you are good at following instructions and you have the right tools and the time to commit to it. I recommend the 1978 Sunset Press book on furniture upholstery (extremely thorough step-by-step instructions, lots of diagrams--i taught myself upholstery using this book and it's still the best one out there, in my opinion--lots of copies available for a few bucks on Amazon and Ebay). This sofa most likely has a conventional hardwood frame that is essentially the same as a traditional sofa frame. The only thing that will be different is the back, which has the two short end sections. Just pay attention to how it was done as you strip it, and take lots of photos and notes!
Also, get a Berry staple pulling tool. You're gonna need it.

OK, yeah--
I just googled "Flex-steel springs" and that is definitely a FlexSteel sofa. They are still making sofas and chairs with those springs so I think it's a safe bet on the quality (not at all on par with Pearsall, totally different animal). Buy it if you like the style!

Thank you...
... for the tip! I'll try to find a copy of that book and a staple puller, pronto.
It's mostly the angles of the armrests and the slope inward that looks off to me, but yeah. Flex-Steel, hmmm. Further investigation makes this the likely answer. Thanks!

Whoa there, not just
"a staple puller" but a Berry staple puller. You can get them online. My life was changed forever after getting one. Don't bother with other types! (or screwdrivers, they are awful.)
You will also need a pair of diagonal pliers for pulling staples. The Berry tool gets them out partway and then you go back and get them out all the way with the diagonal pliers. Spring-loaded handles are best--saves a lot of wear on your hands when you are pulling thousands of staples, and enables you to go faster. You can count on spending at least a day stripping. .