How a new living room sofa led to a life changing idea
A well-worn couch
The year is 2019. The month is May. My partner-in-crime and husband, Chris, has been married to me for almost 3 years at this point, but we had been cohabitating for almost 7. And it was time for our first big furniture purchase together – a new couch.
When Chris moved into my downtown condo in 2012, it made sense that he would move his relatively new sectional couch in with him. The sectional couch had survived many a Cleveland sports celebratory party, six years of Cooper paws and fur, and countless hours (days? weeks? months?) of lethargic yet glorious Netflix binging. But we knew it was finally time to start looking for a replacement when each section of the sectional would not stay connected and the seat cushions were holding less of their own shape and more the shape of our you-know-whats ?
Searching for the perfect sofa
It was time to get down to #adulting and start furniture shopping. But where to start? We hadn’t purchased furniture in awhile so we didn’t know what to budget for or where to start. From online-only sites to big box retailers to local mom and pop shops to thrift stores—the options felt endless. So…we just started looking anywhere and everywhere for the perfect couch.
Not only was the search of where to shop and how much to spend a challenge, but deciding what to get was a challenge in and of itself. With all the mish mosh of hand-me-down, thrifted, and use-til-it-breaks furniture and decor we had accumulated, we didn’t really have a design style we had to match. Debates on color, style, size, textures, and comfort ensued between Chris and I until we finally found common ground on a few things and narrowed our search.
After hours of online research and in-store browsing, crowdsourcing feedback from friends and family on instagram, reviewing and re-reviewing a stack of material swatches against paint swatches…we finally landed on THE couch.
The sectional that started it all
We found it at a local furniture store. It was mid-tier – not premium quality, but not value either. We were able to customize some of the details, such as the rounded arm rests, the orientation and the size of the two sections. The overall style was pretty neutral and would pair well with some of the furniture we already had plus could be paired with any future pieces as well. And most importantly – we chose a gray textured material so the blonde dog hair that would inevitably end up on it could blend in (as opposed to a dark couch that would show every single fiber of hair or a lighter colored couch that would show dirty paw prints).
After we finally got the couch in and set up, we sat gazing upon our new sectional throne. I looked at Chris and said, ”So now that the couch is in here, what do you think our style is?”
”I don’t know. Midcentury modern?”
I took a beat. No, our style wasn’t midcentury modern. The steps, discussions and considerations we took into account before ultimately buying this couch didn’t lead us to a home decor style. It led us to an outcome that would make us happy, but was within our means and balanced our wants and needs. It wasn’t a style—it was a lifestyle.
I responded, ”No, not midcentury modern. It’s midpractical modern.”
I responded, ”No, not midcentury modern. It’s midpractical modern.”
A midpractical modern beginning
And so this idea, this seed, was born in May of 2019.
I didn’t plant the seed right away. Life went on. There were some new beginnings and some sad endings. A new home found during a terrible pandemic. New friends and lost loved ones. And still, the seed sat idle, waiting to be planted.
So in 2021, I decided it was time to sow. But much like shopping for a new couch, I didn’t know where to start. Where should I plant the seed? When? What did it need to grow? What tools do I need to tend to it? Who can help to make sure it doesn’t die on the vine? How am I going to get my little seed, this flicker of an idea, to be a thriving, growing garden?
Here we are in 2022, a few years later, and that seed is starting to sprout ?
I hope you hang around to see the garden grow (excuse all my plant metaphors, I promise I’m almost done ?). I want to share my midpractical modern lifestyle with you so you can take something away from it and apply it to your own life, whether you learn a new tip, try a new recipe, develop a new habit or just get inspired to tackle something that you’ve been wanting to do.
And…so the next time you need to buy a couch, you’ll be ready ?.