What will you do? I understand your dilemma I too have a 1960 sofa that is 7 ft long, green damask – looks like an old lady sofa. However, the sofa is solid wood which a rarity considering the current sofas being produced and has good ‘bones’. If the color or fabric does not work with your room, then why suffer with the ‘pink’ elephant. I plan to have to reupholster mine, yes it will be expensive but if you like the sofa it’s worth the money. You can also paint the wood, which will give it a different look, as a temporary solution pending new fabric.

I like your sofa, and I can't tell you how many times I've looked at sofas to purchase, only to find that they are too short to take a proper nap on - the length of yours is a huge plus. I also agree with the other posters who said that they don't make them like they used to - all the oldies had hardwood frames and were built to last, most sofas today do not. While I don't mind the gold fabric (it still looks very vivid) if it was my sofa, I think I'd have 2 cushions (or maybe 1) made for the seating instead of the 4 which imo makes look a bit fussy. PS if you google "William Birch" sofa in images you will see your sofa in updated fabrics and these sofas are gorgeous - they will go in any style home - from traditional to modern.

Can you make a headboard out of it? You can have it recovered and still have part of it.

You could also try trading it for something you need on Craigslist under the barter section. Or you could reach out to area photographers or theater groups and see if they would be interested in using it as a prop. I'm also a huge fan of the rescue centers (abuse or homeless). In Dallas, there is a non-profit called Dwell with Dignity (www.dwellwithdignity.org) that refurbishes donated items with volunteer assistance, combined with new items from retail partners, to furnish the first apartment for families graduating from rescue programs. They have expanded into Atlanta, with more communities to follow. You have numerous options...so go with one that respects your aunt's legacy and meets a need.

We have a large trash pick up once a month - whenever I put something on the curb it is picked up by someone within an hour. People know when the trash pick up is and roam the neighborhood looking for things. I always am happy that someone liked whatever I put out enough to stop and pick it up - I just assume it went to a good family.

GET RID OF IT. My daughter in law inherited her grandmother's beautiful furniture as well as her father's. Thousands of dollars in storage fees later she has relented to sell, consign and donate these lovely ball and chains. I have cousin in Texas that has played the same song. He decided to cancel the storage and send everything to auction. Neither will recoup the storage cost of their loved ones but the monkey will be off their back. MOVE ON. Best of luck.

If you can't use it; lose it. However, when it has sentimental value then take a photo first. Start an album (electronically) for these types of pictures. When you want to take a stroll down memory lane, open the album.

Your really right that you won't get much for it on the secondary market. If I really wanted to keep it, this is what I would do. Have the orangy/brown wood frame refinished in a deep ebony shade. Then have a highly recommended reupholster come to your home and discuss the possibilities of restructuring this cushions. Think about having two long cushions for the seat and two or three cushions for the back. Use Sunbrella fabric and pick ivory or another light color that looks good with your carpet. Have throw pillows made or just purchase some for pops of color. Voila! Old sentimental furniture piece renewed for use in this century!

I have this exact sofa at my house (although without the sentimental attachment); mine was a great buy at a local vintage shop. I had a hard time fitting the large piece into my living room as well (the gold color was a bit hard to work with as well). However, I recently painted my living room a very dark navy blue. the new color complements the sofa. However, if you are just hanging onto it for sentimental reasons, I say give it to someone who has a use for it - it's a big piece of furniture to keep out of guilt. Hopefully your Aunt gave you other items that you value as well; display those items instead.

I have these sofas. They were a gift from my mom I dont know what can i do with them, can i use the same leather and remodel them ?? I want something modern :(
This is a pic that I found on internet of the same loveseat and 3-seater sofa.
HELP !!

My mother in law had the same type couch and even the donation centers wouldn't accept it because of the length. Put it at the curb! Keep the memory - let go of the object. Not unlike her couch, there is nothing 'attractive' about it - except those memories!

Since it doesn't fit your rooms, then you must pass it along. And since it is still useable, it should go to someone who can use it. In your rural area, it will not fetch top dollar or perhaps any cash at all. Still, I'm sure that there is a school, youth group, library, community center, day care center, senior center, church, etc. that would be thrilled to have a donation of ample comfortable seating in good condition. If you can deliver it for them, so much the better. The one thing that isn't a reasonable option IMO is discarding it or burning it in a trash heap (not until you've done your best to "place" it). Trust me, I am channeling your aunt right now and all she wants is to see the sofa being used by someone who really wants and needs it and will hence enjoy it.

$1000-$2000 to reupholster depending on where you live. That's a lot of money. Your not going to love it any more than you do today and it is always going to be big.

Yes, the color is not the problem, is the size !! they are big for my living room !! Thank youu
ohh well !!

If it is a size factor please don't cut it down. Someone some where will love it as it is. I'm a junk ( as my husband call's it ) collector. Minus are appliances & bedding, all our furniture is reused. Put it on Craig's list, Ebay anything but the saw. There's a butt for every chair. Good luck in deciding.

Keep it and go bohemian, Use throws with pretty textures and designs. It doesn't have to match a thing. A sofa that will seat 4 people is a rarity and it has a nice design.

Pretend you are moving, now do you want to pay to have it moved?

My husband suggested putting it on the porch!

shortening and upholstering costs WAAAYYY more than this would be worth. find it a good home! You don't like it that much

The sofa has amazing lines, it's a classic, but deciding to keep it comes down to one question you have to answer for yourself. So ask yourself: Do I like it? Liking something can depend on many things (comfort, style), and definitely sentimental value is worth something, but do you like it in general? If no, well, then you have your answer and you choose your fond farewell. But if you really do like it, there are things you can do in the short-run to change the look (add colorful throw pillows for example and/or paint the wood as in Sondra's picture), and in the long-run when you have the funds (upholster in a white fabric to keep a simple elegant look with the brown wood; or paint the wood and add a colorful fabric or stripe). Take a step back and try to look at it with new eyes to make your decision. Best of luck.

Just found this webpage: http://www.remodelaholic.com/2012/05/home-sweet-home-budget-living-room-upholstery/ PLEASE look at it before you make any decisions. It shows a before and after of a sofa very similar to yours. Maybe that will help you decide!

Take a picture of it to keep the memories alive, but get rid of it. It doesn't look like the original cushions, so it is half gone already. Don't try to figure out all the negatives for ridding yourself of it, JUST DO IT! While you are at it, do the same to the rest of your room and all the boxes. This is a living room, NOT a store room. Then enjoy your space.

Our rural low income county holds a donation only flea market where the proceeds go to the charity of your choice, chosen by indicating your choice by filling out a short form. The volunteers offer to remove the item from your home and volunteers take shifts working the floor and handling the registers.I donated 2 couches that were not nearly as lovely as your Aunt's sofa, but I shopped there the day of the flea market, and they both had tags asking for 40 dollars each. Had fun shopping around that day too!

If it doesn't fit your room, then definitely get rid of it.

Your aunt had good taste and obviously didn't buy junk, therefore, it is worth the effort to try to find it a good home. Maybe a few phone calls to some interior decorators would be a good suggestion? That way you could sell it and give it to a good home. It might take some time to get rid of, but then again...maybe not.

It is so hard for me as well, to get rid of sentimental items. Since you obviously like the piece, or you wouldn't of kept it this long, My advice is to find some discounted upholstery material, and Just Do It Yourself, Its not so hard, Besides, there are so many DIY videos, im sure you can find one to show you the way. I wouldn't get rid of it either.. There a lot of potential there... Just gotta find the right style of fabric, to make it got Pop!!!!--hope this helps...

For the DIYer, here is a price list from a local foam wholesaler. Fabrics can range $8 on up.

http://www.garysupholstery.com/opencellupholsteryfoam.html
http://www.garysupholstery.com/foam.html

The existing foam in the seats and back is powder by now and should to be replaced. Foam can be glued together and is extremely sturdy if done right. Projects like this are a lesson in history. Now, if you only had a workroom large enough!

I'm reading that the sofa size is difficult but not impossible to work with. I say keep it - not just because it belonged to your aunt but because it is likely to last much longer than anything you will be able to purchase these days. My mom recently got rid of the sofa she purchased in 1956. That thing was nearly 9' long and the most comfortable piece of furniture I've ever sat on. Unlike today's too soft, overstuffed, glued and stapled pieces, it was made with dovetail joints and dowels, as I suspect yours may be. If it's comfortable, it's worth the price of reupholstering...but that's just my .02.

I hope you find a solution that works for you!

Many years ago when I did a bit of upholstery for pay I worked on a beautiful Henredon chair that had never been reupholstered and was at least 15-20 years old. It had plenty of cardboard, glue and other unsightly things one would expect to see in current pieces. I was very surprised. I also recovered a Lazy Boy sofa. It was absolutely the most complicated piece of furniture I had ever touched. Never again. It's always a history lesson and you never really know what your going to find until you open it up.

I collect chairs. I love my chairs. I had a chair that was from the 40's. Perfect scale and very comfortable. However it was falling apart and not worth repairing. I kept the chair for years because I could not bare to part with it. Until I put in a new fireplace. I took the legs off wood trim and put them in the new fireplace design. I still miss the chair but I still have the elements that made me love that chair. Perhaps making pillows from the upholstery will do the same for you.

Jeanjan, I love that kind of rethinking. This is perfect and how we should remember our old friends or leftovers (without the guilt).

It's too big for most homes so just donate it. Or, If you
have the space, and want to put money into it, it might look great painted and reupholstered in a contemporary fabric (a juxtaposition of old and new). I have seen old Victorian furniture reupholstered in a beautiful silk fabric and it looked great.

By the time you reupholster and shorten it it'll cost you a fortune....take a photo and move on...retro or classic maybe but unless you're putting it in your kitchen for your Italian mother in law to sit on get rid of it

Clutterbug18, what did you decide?

Well I am overwhelmed with all of your comments, suggestions, ideas and creativity! Thank you all so much for taking the time to help me with my dilemma. I didn't think anyone would respond! lol Well, I was intrigued by some of your ideas with regard to reupholstering and painting the wood and am tossing them around in my head. Those of you who spoke about the quality are correct - it is a very solidly built sofa and has stood up exceptionally well over time, probably because my Aunt cared for it so well. I love the idea of changing the four cushions to two. I also was inspired by the idea of using it as an extra sleeping spot! To those of you who made suggestions for donating it, well, it seems in the US you are a bit more on the ball than we are in Canada. I have called theatres, women's shelters, the Re-Store (Habitat for Humanity), and various other organizations to donate items but it is time consuming and not everyone wants your items and if they do they don't want to come and get it. So...to answer your question - I think I am going to get a price on re-upholstering it. If it is extremely costly, then I will sell it. Thanks again to everyone. Now...what's next on my list. :)

Good for you!!

I just googled William Birch (thank you) and was inspired by the photos. Lots of great ideas for this style of sofa...and then the idea light bulb shone brightly and I thought - slip covers! Less expensive than reupholstering. The sofa images showed that the length can be worked to an advantage by either having two back and two seat cushions or one seat cushion and two back cushions, so that is a possibility - as long as I can work the room so it fits. So I'm thinking it may be worth keeping...for now. Thanks again everyone!

I think starting with slipcovers is a great idea. If I may, I also think having two seat cushions and one back cushion is the way to go. Also, if you would like some additional help on furniture placement in your room (since you said the sofa is large and challenging to work with), take some pictures of your room as well as the dimensions of your room and post them. You might get some helpful ideas. In any case, I'm glad you were able to make a decision about your sofa that pleases you.

I LUV this SOFA.....use in den or office as guest day bed...agree that to remake is expensive...
I had a similar experience and decided to keep chair and donate sofa...the chair remained my fav for many yrs....
Keep chair..donate sofa....

Besides it is fun to shop for new furniture!!!!PS...LUV the color

I saw a photo a while back that was gorgeous. It was a sofa similar to yours in an aqua tufted velvet. They had painted the wood white as in the photo below your first one. Wish I could remember where I saw it, but this photo can give you a good idea, if you can just imagine aqua in place of the mustard colored fabric. I like the idea of two cushions also.

Sorry, I should have said turquoise rather than aqua. It was quite beautiful.

Na, $$ us way off AnAhitA.. Turfting itself is very pricey. Can't wait to see what you decide to do with this piece.

I used to make slipcovering. Couch that size I would charge $600 labor and you would need approximately 20yards fabric that could cost you $200 or more. You might just reupholster it and do it once.

I really can spell. I am on my kindle.

AnAhiA Nazeri, you are very lucky to find this Greek. That would never happen where I live. Closeout fabs are the only way to go if you have a source. Its beautiful.

A few ways to keep the costs down: Fewer buttons/ tufting. A simple solid fabric with no repeats for the upholsterer to have to line up. Don't go crazy with welting, piping.

Had a sofa upholstered for $800, 7 years ago in Chicago. It was about this size, but more work because the arms were more complex than yours. The fabric was additional, which I got on sale at JOanne Fabric for $12.00/yard.

Many people have have had very good comments. It hurts to see some people so dismissive of other's sentimental feelings.
I have had a lot of furniture handed down, some that didn't work no matter how hard I tried. I buy almost everything second hand so I finally decided everything I had probably belonged to somebody's grandmother, we were just trading stuff for things that work better for our situation. There are people out there that will love your couch if you really can't use it.
My idea is it would make a gorgeous sofa for a brides dressing room in a church. Perhaps you could pay for, or help pay for, reupholstering and you could get a tax receipt for a donation.

It is often more expensive to reupholster than to buy new, however the average life of a new couch is about 6 years. It can be well worth it to redo the couch in the long run. Older couches will last far better. I say redo the couch! Its a good financial decision.

I would give the sofa to someone who truly loves the French provincial style. However, if you would keep it, I would agree with malmssummit about reupholstering it. Many items from the past were made much better than the new furniture made today.

You may think it is comfortable, but trust me... your neck will hurt eventually, and it will be hard to get comfortable on it. It has a low back - very low - I have 2 low back sofas, and I am now ready to get rid of them, because they are literally a pain in the neck! I was going to reupholster mine too because they had classic lines, but after using them as is for 3 years I have come to realize that comfort in the family room is more important than "looks"... but I still will not be putting a big bulky bubbly lazyboy sofa in there either. Unless you live in a old house that you are trying to decorate with antique furniture - you will be better off letting it go.

I understand. I still have my old childhood dresser, which is literally falling to pieces. I keep saying I'm going to fix it up, but I never have. I thought the other day that I may just toss it out. I've had it since I was 9. It's been through several family members, including my two sons. I'm 66 now. It's time to get rid of it.