One of these is not like the other…by Erin McLaughlin |
One of the single most important investment pieces to buy for your home is a couch. Years ago, I wrote a story for The Globe and Mail that lamented the fact that I grew up with an architect (my father) who didn’t believe in comfortable couches. As a result, our home was furnished with elegant (but they may as well have been made out of wood) couches by famous architects/furniture designers such as Mies van der Rohe. My obsession with the perfect couch has continued to this day, with a slew of couches in various styles coming in and going out of my life yearly. That is, until I met the brilliant furniture makers at Whittington Furniture Mfg in Mississauga.
A few years ago, I brought them a vintage couch that was the perfect scale for my back room. It was small and had a gently tilted back, just right for mid-afternoon snoozes. Unfortunately, I wasn’t keen on the rolled arms or the tired aqua velvet upholstery. Enter the talented furniture makers at Whittington’s. In one day, they re-formed the couch and created slim, tailored arms, giving the couch a perfect tuxedo shape. I upholstered it in a decadent linen by Robert Allen, and the couch took pride of place in my back room. Even my dad couldn’t complain! (In fact, I even caught him sleeping on it one day, something he never would have done on the Corbusier loveseat).
All was well in world of couches until the day my dog walker left my dog Janou with a large bone. Janou, as neurotic as ever, promptly buried the bone in the couch and destroying any integrity (or beauty) the couch had.
So back to Whittington’s we go. Here’s a shot of the sad couch - look how shabby it is compared to the others. But not to worry, in the hands of the Whittington’s talented team, I know it will be reborn - again. But this time they’re making a washable slipcover!
(BTW, the trick of flipping your sofa cushion over to reveal a new, unmarked side, only works 
