The Family Couch

Three years ago we bought "the family couch."  It's a super sized, oh so American, hulking sectional that we bought for one reason.  Comfort.  Oh, and a place for Drew to sleep while his spot in bed was monopolized by babies.  My loyalties to this mushroom colored monster waned these past few months.  I started scouring catalogs and craigslist looking for something less, well, ugly and drab. 

Drew did what he does and rejected my new couch overtures with silence and/or general practicality: That's too much money.  We don't need a new couch.  The one we have is fine.  The couch you are showing me a picture of looks exactly like the couch we have right now.  I don't understand how a used couch on craiglist can be described as "new."  Gross, that's a used couch.  Stop showing me pictures of new couches.  Etc.

When my mom was here she asked, so what's your problem with this couch?  The color, I confessed.  I hate the color.  This couch has a lot of life left in it, she said.  You don't need a new couch.  This is a couch you live with.  It's functional.  Just get some new pillows to brighten it up.

New pillows!  Brilliant!  Who would have thought?  Oh, everyone but me.  That's what you do to spruce up an "old" couch.  Home decorating 101. 

So, I switched gears from obsessive online couch shopping and started pillow scouring instead - no spousal consultation here.  I just went for it.  Lipstick on a pig did the trick.  For now.