Thank you, decoenthusiaste! I feel the same way about the Vanguard Riverside--I don't like the style, but I'm trying to find something of quality that I can afford. :-) I am also very attracted to the velvet and would love to have a velvet couch. I've never had anything of this size reuphoslstered, so I have no idea what the cost would be.

Re-up on those sofas would be well over 3K around here. (not a sum I'd ever spend on Lexington) Can your space take the height/visual weight of the Vanguard? It looks in the best shape of the three. And it would be the most fun to design around. What is your style?

ps- what are the measurements of each?

Listed online.......

Well. I'd probably do the Vanguard, and have the backside cut down, You're going to need about 20 yards of a solid fabric. Even at fifty per yard ( about as low as you will get ) there's a grand. Depending locale? Anywhere from 1500.00 to more .....for labor. Depending cut of the back, condition of foam in the cushioning, springs......etc.

The point is.........if you know for fact it is comfortable, and do you want to invest in it ? To the tune of at least 2500.00? Plus any sales tax

3500 - 5,000 will get you an eight way hand tie, brand new.....of very nice quality compared with previously enjoyed. No, that won't be an online purchase. You go through a dedicated furniture store, or a designer. You can't "click" your way to that option.

But the first thing you consider is the delta in price, Between the two options. Re do...or new. And how long you expect to have it in your home.

The Vanguard looks to be in the best shape. I don’t think you need to reupholster that one.

As another idea, you could drape a throw over the high back and it will visually recede. Especially if the sofa is placed on a wall and the throw is the color of the wall - poof - it disappears... like magic.

As another option, you could get the Lexington, and if it needs to be covered, just get some slipcovers. You can buy ready made or DIY, or do custom - or partial custom.

You could use a local tailor, and I have done similar with a dry cleaner/tailor; the cushion covers can be sewn by the tailor - and then you DIY wrap and attach fabric to the sofa body. Lots of tutorials online re: DIY slipcovers - with or without sewing.

The Vanguard is the only sofa I would consider. Other than changing the covers on the toss pillows it's a great sofa that can be pushed either contemporary or traditional depending upon what you place around it.

Very similar to the Lee Industries sofa that I love to use.

Thank you all very much for your feedback and advice! I have the same qualms about the height of the Vanguard sofa. The Lee Industries one has a more fluid, graceful line to it, although they're fundamentally similar.

The points you're all making about buying a new versus used sofa are giving me a lot to think about. I've never actually bought a new piece of furniture. I am kind of obsessive about certain qualities that I realize now I've taken for granted. I live in a house built over 150 years ago. I love old furniture (where "old" means pre-1950s). Solid old hardwood frames built to last forever, 8-way hand-tied springs, mohair velvet or heavy, dense cotton or wool fabrics, down (or, you know, horsehair!) cushions (though Spring-Down is my new love), etc.

I love a classic Lawson style so I can rotate the cushions; I like a high, rounded arm to lean against when I read and seat deep enough to tuck my knees up alongside me (at least 23-24")...but not so deep that it overwhelms my very small living room. And to add to those challenges, I have a very limited budget, so I've been looking for a sofa for 2 years! The pandemic really put a crimp on my estate/yard sale shopping. So, I've been looking at used furniture because I know I couldn't afford a new piece of true quality that I will really be happy with.

So...maybe I should keep looking?

Thank you all for taking the time to help!

Finn

@ hollybar,

thanks for your questions!

My style is very mixed--I love warm, rich colors, and I mix all kinds of things together. For example, I have one of those old red velvet movie theater seats that I got at a yard sale in my living room with a 1940s-era wingback chair, an ancient wool kilim rug I got in Morocco a million years ago, a Victorian platform rocking chair upholstered with some kind of crazy rococo fabric, bookcases lining every wall, and a lot of awesome original art of all kinds, including African masks and wooden animals I got at an architectural salvage yard. A couple of tables handmade by a friend out of salvaged barnwood. Nothing matches but it all lives together comfortably.

The dimensions of the sofas I posted above are:

E.J. Victor: 84"W x 34"D x 36"H

Lexington: 90"W x 34"D x 26"H (this is the best size of the three)

Vanguard Riverside: 87D" x 40"D x 38"H (I think the back really is too high)

Thank you!

I don't see anything wrong with the height of the back of the Vanguard sofa.

This is the Lee Industries sofa that I placed in a living room area. Unless your room is really small this should work just fine. People like sofas with support.

I love the sound of your style! (I'm a sort of curated maximalbookalist myself ;-) How high is that 40's era wingback? Maybe it could help inform your decision re:Vanguard? I like the depth but then I'm a lounger. And since I'm nosy, what color are the walls,height of ceiling? Would the new sofa be against a wall or floating? Yada,yada...you know all the details to consider. And I am willing to bet your spaces work well.

How about a pretty pic to enjoy!

Notting Hill · More Info

Thanks, hollybar! My living room walls are a sort of deep golden yellow, and my study (probably was the living room), which is just off the LR, is a really deep crimson red (I have my great-grandmother's gold brocade curtains up in that room). The colors of the two rooms enhance one another.

The wingback is higher than the Riverside, but there's space for the height in that corner. The wingback works great because it's comfy but it doesn't take up a lot of depth or width.

The sofa would have no choice but to be against a wall, because one short-side wall is all a big window and built-in bookshelves, and if I put it width-wise facing the window--floating, as you put it--you'd have to climb over the sofa to get into the room.

There is not a lot of room for depth--but having as much interior seat depth as possible is a major "dealbreaker" item for me--the problem is that most sofas with that kind of depth are just too enormous for the space. That's actually the main reason the Lexington appealed to me--the interior seat depth is 26", but the overall depth is only 34". That and the fact that it has down cushions.

I think probably the largest size the room could handle without being impossible to walk around in would be about 90"W x 40"D. I don't have a lot of height to work with because I have a stained glass window--the windowsill is about 59" from the floor, and I have a bunch of small pictures arranged underneath the window--obviously I could move some things around, but they look nice together. With what I have hanging right now, the highest the couch could be is about 36".

Actually, I would totally keep the sofa I have now--a beautiful Stickley Lawson roll-arm---except the seat depth (21") is just too shallow. I can't get comfortable, and I only have space for one sofa--so it's got to be comfortable! I got the Stickley for $75 at an estate sale years ago, and it took 4 big guys to get it into the house, it's so solid. I love the shape and style--but I need a sofa I can camp out on to read, work, etc. I work a lot at home so I'm either at my desk or on the couch most of the time. I don't know if any of y'all have some magic trick to put an addition onto a couch, do you? :-)

I really don’t understand all of this. If the Lexington is in your budget, and it has good size/dimension for your space (plus if it is still available) why not just get that one??

As I mentioned, you do not have to spend a fortune on reupholstering, if it needs it. And actually, with how you have now described the slyle of your living room and decor - i.e. the gold/yellow walls, plus your eclectic style - the current upholstery/fabrication on that Lexington sofa might really be perfect for you. You could consider just having it professionally cleaned, if it needs it, a ”green” cleaning - gentle. But it may not be necessary, it may be just fine as is.

(ETA: As i now enlarge the Lexington sofa image and look closer, the upholstery does look to be in “pristine condition” - which is also amazing for the age of the sofa and the fact that it is done in a linen/silk blend + in a light color. It is not always easy to tell the upholstery condition online, much less at a quick glance, and particularly with the fabrication on this sofa I had to enlarge and look much closer to see it. It looks good.)

You seached and found 3 nice sofas that are within your budget and could work within your general style. Are you really going to wait for another 2 years (or more) to find another sofa - and/or spend 6 - 10,000K for a new one? For what?

And actualy with how you’ve now described your style - and with the red walls in the adjoining room - this one might also really be fabulous - AS IS!!

You know what you are doing; and you know your style and what you like.

With everything you are saying, I get the sense that you’ve been leaning toward the Lexington - for the size, the down cushions, the current fabrication (which does look Luxe). And the Lexington does give you more flexibility to go in a more ”modern” direction, if you wanted to. In other words, it’s a flexible piece in that sense; it can easily fit within any number of style/genres, depending on the fabrication on it. And again, the existing fabrication on the Lexington may be perfect for you. I can see why you indicated that you like it.

I think either of these sofas could potentially work well for you. The E.J. Victor or the Lexington. And I believe both of them could potentially work - as is.

Depth I am talking about inside seat depth ) is not the only factor in comfort. The word "pitch" is rarely considered. You can find TONS of deep seated sofas, and some will be marvelous, and others will feel as if you are sliding right out to the floor !! ( notably, Restoration Hardware ) . That is PITCH. The just right for you sink in comfort - you are in the sofa fully, your thigh backsides are not cut off at mid point, and yet you still can get OUT of the sofa. Your own back tells you when the pitch is right for you. About the only manufacturer that even used the word was Baker. The high end of the upholstery market. So ....don't be misled by just the numbers.

You don't select a sofa with "pictures on a wall" being the decider for anything. . Shop local second hand stores, where you can SIT, test drive. and then buy a slip cover if you find a keeper.

I had an E. J. Victor sofa similar in age and fabric that I got at a thrift store. It was the most comfortable and well built sofa I had ever had. Wonderful for curling up or sleeping in as the seats were very deep. But the arms were much higher than the one you are looking at. More like this one, might have been this one in a different upholstery:

So I wonder if the E. J. Victor you are considering has arms high enough to lean against comfortably.

The sofa finally got a bit icky looking since everyone, including cats and dogs curled up in it. It needed to be reupholstered but the cost to do it was staggering. I donated it to Habitat ReUse and bought a new Thayer Coggin sofa. Even more comfy and much more line with my style these days.

The Vanguard sofa back is great, especially if you are putting it against a wall. If you reupholster that one, it would be the least expensive to have done. You could even reupholster just the seat and back cushions and make it a little funky looking. But, are the arms high enough for leaning on?

The Lexington one is beautiful and has the highest arms, but that fabric looks to be the most vulnerable to wear. The great thing about new, quality sofas is that you can get performance fabrics that are quite beautiful. I got Crypton performance velvet on my sofa and it's super lux, you'd never know it was performance.

Not sure where you are located, but in my area, central North Carolina, there are many, many estate sales happening now that pandemic restrictions are lessening.

I agree with @JAN MOYER, check the price of reupholstering before buying something you intend to reupholster. In my younger days, I did my own reupholstering. Not difficult to do if you have some sewing and DIY skills, but even doing it yourself, the cost of fabric is crazy now and a novice reupholster should stay away from certain styles, like my E. J. Victor one was. Leave tufting to the pros.

Or maybe could you decide to go with two chairs instead and you could come shop my garage. I need to open a store called, "Pairs of Chairs."

Jan Moyer, tozmo1, and freedomplace1--thank you all VERY much for being so generous with your time and offering these wonderfully thoughtful and helpful observations and advice. I'm truly grateful. I'm in Western New York, and we used to have amazing estate sales around here, but I guess I've gotten so out of the habit during the pandemic. Now that spring is coming, and the pandemic is waning (fingers crossed), I will get back into that habit! Tozmo1, I really appreciate hearing about your experience with an EJ Victor sofa---and it's true, the arms aren't as high as I would ideally like. I was thinking that perhaps I could set some of the large, pretty firm throw pillows I have against the arms, and that might give enough support.

Jan Moyer, I had never thought about pitch--but reading your comment now, I realize that yes, I know exactly what you mean! In fact, this is why I always steer certain, more fragile guests away from my Adirondack chairs in the yard--they are comfortable, but can be very difficult to get out of for some people. I absolutely hear you on the need to sit on furniture before buying, which is the main reason I'm so uncertain and tentative about buying online. I think I'm driving myself crazy as well with too many variables.

One question that just occurred to me after reading the conversation here about reupholstering: would it be worth it to replace foam cushions with down? I would think that would cost a fortune, but maybe not. I had written off a couple of other sofas I found online that were appealing to me, mostly because there was no way to get any information about construction, cushion filling, or fabric content, unless there was a photo of a label with that info. Both of them are more or less the kind of classic, solid style that I like--though the arms are not particularly high.

This first one is by Kravet Design--I know Kravet fabric is very high quality, but I don't know much about their furniture construction. It's listed as being in "Excellent" condition, and the dimensions are 86" W x 38" H x 38" D, with an inside seat depth of 23. Cost is higher than the others but still seems very low considering condition and quality-- just under $1200 (w/tax and shipping).

This one is a Vanguard--looks like something in their American Bungalow series. I don't love the upholstery, but it's a cotton blend and is not bad. The cushions are just foam, though. Would it make ANY sense at all to consider replacing the cushions? Size is 92" W x 38" H x 40" D, inside seat depth 24". 92" long is a little longer than what's ideal, but it wouldn't be crammed into the space. Cost for this one is just under $900 (w/tax and shipping). Sort of in between the EJ Victor ($1,100) and the Lexington ($700) in price. (All prices include tax and shipping.)

Again, I can't thank you all enough for your advice and assistance--it's wonderful to hear from people with so much expertise and experience!

**And tozmo1: if you open that store, I'll definitely come and shop there!

I know prices are regional, but relative to my area those are pricey for good quality estate sale/consignment store pieces. Maybe my area just has a lot of people "of a certain age" who are down sizing or maybe it's that Spring comes earlier here and folks are moving out sooner, but I'm seeing a lot of good pieces around lately. It's probably the shipping costs that are driving the price up now that I think about it. Although those prices are still good relative to new pieces of equal quality. If estate sales and consignment stores are opening up in your area, I'd hang in there until you can test them out in person. I'd hate for you to get something that disappoints you, regardless of price.

I don't have any knowledge of changing a foam cushion to down, so no help there.

I still like the Lexington and the red E.J. Victor.

Did you find the E.J. Victor on Chairish? I know they sell/broker lots of unique and interesting items, generally of good quality, and are also good about providing accurate details and condition descriptions.

I am in New York, also. NYC. And consignment varies, based upon many factors.

This is some DIY info on how to refill down sofa pillows. Using some foam along with the down, for additional support, is also mentioned as being one option. You may or may not be interested in DIY, but this might offer you some insights into the general process, in either case. And best to talk to some local upholsterers for pricing, if you don’t plan to DIY.

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/refill-down-sofas-103171.html

Jan Moyer mentioned Baker. This one is offered by Chairish, and it does have down cushions. It has a wool chenille combo on upholstery fabric. One owner only, since purchased.

Good price on sofa, but shipping is ‘Chairish high’. :) But if you can make an offer/negotiate a price on the sofa with that in mind - it might be another option for you. It’s a soft/muted gold color ! This one might also be perfect in your room. Fabric looks beautiful - some minor wear.

https://www.chairish.com/product/4124651/baker-furniture-english-style-sofa

https://www.chairish.com/product/4124651/baker-furniture-english-style-sofa

You all are fantastic! @tozmo1, those prices are high for my area, too (Western NY)--it is the shipping for sure. The problem I've run into over the past few years (even pre-pandemic) is that it's difficult to find this kind of quality locally--I see LOTS and LOTS of big-box-store sofas--Ashley, Raymour-F, etc.

@freedomplace1, The EJ Victor is that one posted on Chairish. It's also posted on FB Marketplace for much less--$350!--but I'd have to rent a truck and cope with a 6-7-hour drive each way to get it. The Lexington is also on Chairish--for only $300--and the rest is tax and shipping. And thank you very very much for the DIY link, and for finding that Baker sofa for me! I will check that out!

ETA darn it! That fabulous Baker sofa the @freedomplace1 so thoughtfully found for me is just enough too big that, while I could physically cram it into the space, it would leave barely enough space to access the first two levels of the built-in bookcase next to it, and also to walk around it. But I am getting my measuring tape out right now and taping out the size on the floor JUST IN CASE...you're so right, @freedomplace1, this really would be great for me!

Update: I'm very sad to say that, while 92" L is OK, 44" D is just too much. The space really is small--when I taped it out on the floor, I can see that, assuming I moved my (much beloved, handmade from reclaimed barnwood by a local carpenter) coffee table closer, so that it would be about 10" from the sofa seat, I would only have about 28" between the table and the (very narrow, also handmade by the same person) bookcase. And the 2 (small) chairs set diagonally facing the couch at the outside table corners would only have 3-4" max of space to the table. I think 40" D is probably the deepest that would be manageable. But thank you so much for searching for me, @freedomplace1!

Another update: I just discovered an antique/vintage furniture shop that's only about 3 hours drive from me. They have some listings on EBay that look promising--AND I can go "meet" them in person before purchasing. I'm very grateful for your assistance and for this whole conversation--I don't think I would have discovered this place if it weren't for your advice! <3 Feeling optimistic.

Here are some of their listings on EBay:

Baker Sofa, down-filled, 89" W x 36" D x 32" H

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265535275868

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265557410049

Stickley sofa, 35" H X 90" W X 38"

Awesome! The Stickley looks like it has the right height arm to lean against. And a great looking sofa. Good luck, let us know how the road trip goes.

Those are both nice. @tozmo1 makes a good point re: the arm height on the Stickley. With the Baker, some type of reading pillow might be helpful; might come in handy, in general: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-reading-pillow/

The seat cushions and back cushions on the Baker look more plush to me. If it’s possible to add fill to the Stickley seat cushions that might be something to consider. It’s nice that you will be able to check them out in person. I like the fabrication on both sofas. The Stickley classic gold stripe fabric appears to be beautiful and in pristine condition. I think the Baker fabric may need to be seen in person to fully appreciate - but I think it’s possible that the texture + the red and gold mix on the Baker upholstery may really be amazing.

@tozmo1--Thanks! And @freedomplace1 thanks for the link to the pillow--that looks great! I'm excited about being able to see these in person too. And I will definitely report back to everyone here at Team Sofa to let you know how the journey ends...

You all have been so above and beyond helpful---I'm eternally grateful!

Cheers, Eli

I wish I had thought to look at second hand sofas before I ordered mine. I did a post last year about my problem with a Hickory Chair order of a 7K+ sofa, which I ultimately canceled because it seemed like it would never arrive. I ordered a Vanguard sofa last July, I believe, was told that it would be here before Thanksgiving 2021 and I am STILL waiting!

I have an amazing Harden sofa that I'm getting rid of, you all have me thinking that I shouldn't just try to get Goodwill to pick it up. It's much too nice to just give away, but I never thought about other options. Glad to have found this message stream.

One other source you could use if you don't already is online auctions. They are abundant in my area and sometimes have nice furniture.