Sit Down and Relax
We are closing on a vacation and eventual retirement condo on Cape Cod at the end of the month. Thus far, we have purchased exactly two items to go in it: a bed and a cable modem. Shows our priorities, I guess - as long as we have Internet service and a place to sleep, we should be happy.
Well, not really. We really want to have someplace to sit as well. Since we're likely to have friends and family members visiting, we thought it might be a good idea if the sofa could serve double-duty as a sleeper.
Over the past few weeks, we've been making the rounds of several furniture stores, looking for the various appurtenances of civilized living. Last Saturday, we drove down to Hyannis to hit the stores down on the Cape, thinking that if we bought locally, it might have a chance of being delivered in a timely manner. The big day of the empty condo is coming fast.
We did our research online, of course, but you can't tell much by a thumbnail graphic. Still, there were stores that had styles we liked. With high hopes, we arrived at the first store and were greeted by a very friendly salesman. Sleepers? Oh yes, they were in the downstairs showroom.
The strong odor of mildew stopped us in our tracks. Without the need for words, we agreed that it didn't much matter what this store sold or how good their prices might be, there was no way we were going to buy anything from them. If they can't even keep their showroom dry and clean, I can only imagine what their warehouse must be like.
Next was a smaller chain store. Sofas were bulky and overstuffed, but squishy and soft. You sank down into them. I like a little firmness in my furniture.
On to a major chain store. Hey, they had a Morris chair! I want a Morris chair. But this one was only pretending. A metal punch had been used to make it appear as if the furniture was put together with wooden pegs. The rest of their stuff was overly bulky and squishy-soft, except when it was a power recliner with built-in cupholders.
Finally, since we were in the neighborhood of the Cape Cod Mall, we stopped in at Macy's.
In all the other stores we'd visited, there had been a piece or two that we liked, and a lot that we didn't. Macy's was all good. Tasteful, restrained, well-built, comfortable. We met a very helpful salesman who told us that since we lived in Boston, where we really wanted to go was their furniture store in Framingham. It didn't matter if we bought on the Cape or Framingham, everything would be shipped from New Jersey. The Framingham store had a better selection. He also told us that the most important thing we could do is take our time. Yes, there was a sale on, but there'd be another. Take your time.
We visited the Framingham store on Sunday, and after circling the store three times, settled on a couch, an accent chair, and a bed frame we'll probably go for later. But we didn't buy them, we just took pictures of the item and the SKU.
There's still plenty of time.
Well, not really. We really want to have someplace to sit as well. Since we're likely to have friends and family members visiting, we thought it might be a good idea if the sofa could serve double-duty as a sleeper.
Over the past few weeks, we've been making the rounds of several furniture stores, looking for the various appurtenances of civilized living. Last Saturday, we drove down to Hyannis to hit the stores down on the Cape, thinking that if we bought locally, it might have a chance of being delivered in a timely manner. The big day of the empty condo is coming fast.
We did our research online, of course, but you can't tell much by a thumbnail graphic. Still, there were stores that had styles we liked. With high hopes, we arrived at the first store and were greeted by a very friendly salesman. Sleepers? Oh yes, they were in the downstairs showroom.
The strong odor of mildew stopped us in our tracks. Without the need for words, we agreed that it didn't much matter what this store sold or how good their prices might be, there was no way we were going to buy anything from them. If they can't even keep their showroom dry and clean, I can only imagine what their warehouse must be like.
Next was a smaller chain store. Sofas were bulky and overstuffed, but squishy and soft. You sank down into them. I like a little firmness in my furniture.
On to a major chain store. Hey, they had a Morris chair! I want a Morris chair. But this one was only pretending. A metal punch had been used to make it appear as if the furniture was put together with wooden pegs. The rest of their stuff was overly bulky and squishy-soft, except when it was a power recliner with built-in cupholders.
Finally, since we were in the neighborhood of the Cape Cod Mall, we stopped in at Macy's.
In all the other stores we'd visited, there had been a piece or two that we liked, and a lot that we didn't. Macy's was all good. Tasteful, restrained, well-built, comfortable. We met a very helpful salesman who told us that since we lived in Boston, where we really wanted to go was their furniture store in Framingham. It didn't matter if we bought on the Cape or Framingham, everything would be shipped from New Jersey. The Framingham store had a better selection. He also told us that the most important thing we could do is take our time. Yes, there was a sale on, but there'd be another. Take your time.
We visited the Framingham store on Sunday, and after circling the store three times, settled on a couch, an accent chair, and a bed frame we'll probably go for later. But we didn't buy them, we just took pictures of the item and the SKU.
There's still plenty of time.