Well, it all started one day while I was just perusing the
Room Service Store website. For those of you who have not experienced Room Service, it has the coolest furniture and accessories. A mix of glam Hollywood Regency and sleek Mid-century Modern style with lots of crazy 70's colors. I spied this beauty, the
Koening Sofa, priced at $2,195 with gray-blue leather encased in white high-gloss painted wood. The obsession had begun.
Truth be told, I love the gray color but am not the biggest fan of the leather, just because I personally prefer the cozy feel that fabric provides. Nonetheless, I was in love. It was really the fact that the sofa was encased in wood that got me, plus those curvy little legs and cute bolster pillows didn't hurt either. I love things that are unique, and to me this sofa seems so different and unexpected. It was not until months later that I noticed they also make it in
natural wood, priced at a mere $1,995.
This one really got me going. That being said, I'm almost always a big fan of painted wood over unpainted. I've just never been into having a plethora of natural wood in my home. My personal belief however is that you must have some of it to warm up your home visually. Natural wood just has a certain depth and richness that paint can't provide. I'm very particular about unpainted wood, but a sofa enveloped in the right hue of it sounds delightful to me! I recently spotted this vintage
rosewood one on ebay for $3,200.
I literally had my jaw agape when I saw it; it was such a fine, genuine mid-century beauty! My boyfriend inquired about what I was freaking out over. When he looked at the computer screen he simply said, "Oh yeah, I could make that." What, make my wildest dreams come true? I was so excited! He and my friend swore they could make me a wooden case sofa, no problem! So, when I have more space to get a new sofa there is absolutely no doubt that I will be taking them up on that. That fabric is not gonna fly though. In my daydreams the sofa wears velvet, probably a cut velvet like the
Du Barry line of Osborne and Little. I literally have no clue which of these colors is the most gorgeous. I want them all.
Just for fun I started perusing the internet for other pictures of wood-encased Danish sofas and found this picture from
Mad Men on flickr. See what I mean? This sofa is soooooo swanky! I have been wanting to start watching that show just for the decor and clothes!
The ebay sofa listing also pointed me in the direction of
1stdibs, which has tons of sofas like this for much more. Here are a few of those pretty lil guys for your viewing pleasure, all vintage Milo Baughman. These range in price from $5,625 to "contact seller", aka "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" ;)
This concludes my ode to the beautiful sofa. Hopefully one of these days I'll have my own custom-made version!
XO Athena
Athens Chaise Settee in Smoke from Target
