Posted on January 23 , 2012 dot 12 comments
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The worst thing about our studio apartment has been not having a couch. I know that may seem silly, but to us the couch is where we (dogs included) could all sit together and eat, watch a movie, relax, read, etc.  Without it, Josh and I resorted to the bar or our desks. It was also awkward when we had to have guests sit on the bar stools.

I didn’t think there was a way we could fit a couch into our space without it looking awkward and cramped.

I decided to try and see if anyone else had the same problem and found tons of inspiring pictures online of people who had made it work.

The key seemed to be finding one of the right size that structurally fit in with the rest of the room. I needed to give it a shot.

couch

So there is our loveseat! It’s not much to behold but it was the smallest couch that lined up perfectly with our bed, was the same angular structure, and still allowed for all of us to snuggle and lean back comfortably.

Pros

  • Fits structurally.
  • Perfect size.
  • Dog-proof, washable cover. (We put a blanket/throw on top just because… Well, our dogs are messy.)

Cons:

  • It didn’t come in brown or another neutral shade aside from black and white, so we were forced to go with a canvas cover.
  • It’s quite short and you can’t lay your head on anything.
  • We had the hardest time agreeing on pillows. Still hunting for the perfect ones, but these are fine for now. I actually love them, but I still can’t decide if they match our brown-black living room well enough.

I come home and finally feel like I’m…home. A couch is a must!

Do you think you can survive without a couch to bum out on? I certainly did, but I missed it terribly.

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Comments
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  • http://rusticmayhem.org/ Meaghan

    I would definitely not be able to survive without a couch! I would love to live in a studio like you! :) I know this guy who is an interior designer in Hong Kong (and the spaces there are SMALL!) so he suggested to make your furniture seem modern and use colors like white to make your space seem bigger. :3 I saw his apartment in HK & it was a HUGE change.

    I love the pillows you put on your couch. :3 I was thinking of getting something like that when I move out of my parents’ house.
    I think it matches. Black & white match with everything! :D

    • http://one-parade.com Marjorie | One-Parade.com

      I’ve seen videos of some very creative architects and interior designers living in Hong Kong… It’s amazing what they can do with such a small space! I wish I could have all white furniture but I live with my fiance and he doesn’t like white furniture. :( Right now it’s black and I think it makes our space look so much smaller. Oh well, maybe one day I’ll get my white furniture. haha. We stuck with black because it’s what he had from his “bachelor pad” a few years ago. Might as well keep it around and try my best to lighten it up! And there’s always painting as a last resort, right?

      Thanks! The fabric on the pillow is really neat too. Glad to hear it matches… I was in the store for about fifteen minutes trying to figure out if it would work!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=19510160 Paola Lancaster

    Since we used to live in a tiny apartment before we moved to NV, we also have a loveseat! It’s actually a really beat up old thing that my parents bought when I was still in middle school. They were moving away right as I was moving out of their house, so I inherited a lot of their older furniture. Now that we have space, we want to buy a full size couch because to be honest, the loveseat is battered and doesn’t have much cushion anymore, plus we’re so squished into it when we sit down to watch a movie or something. We used to eat all our meals on this or at our bar, though, so I feel the pain! When I got to have my dining room table back since we had space for it here, I was sooooo excited hahahaha. Also I like the slipcover, I’ve been thinking of getting one for ours.

    • http://one-parade.com Marjorie | One-Parade.com

      My parents have a beat up loveseat they’re trying to get rid of but don’t want to pay to ship it to me. LOL! Luckily IKEA is right down the street…

      Ours is small too, but I’m so excited just to be able to sit on a non-hard surface that isn’t the bed. Yay! Lucky you, having a dining room table… I can’t wait to get a bigger place.

      The slipcover is a huge plus. I already need to wash it because apparently the dogs like to move the blanket away when we’re gone and get their black paw prints everywhere. Sigh.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=19510160 Paola Lancaster

    BTW, forgot to tweet this to you when I saw your announcement, but the new design is awesome~~

    • http://one-parade.com Marjorie | One-Parade.com

      Thank you! I did this over the weekend. Isn’t that shocking?! You know I usually take months… LOL! This weekend I’m tackling the book review layout and hopefully completing the race to finish The Dove Keepers…!

  • http://ivyology.net/ Ivy

    I think your couch goes pretty well with your apartment (from what I can see in that photo), especially when you have a blackish blanket over it. The pillows are nice too!

    Yeah, I don’t think I can survive without a couch…if I had a TV in front of it. Now that I am living at school in an apartment with a random roommate, we technically don’t have a living room. It doesn’t bother me though. I do have a TV in my room, but no couch, of course. It’s still nice to have a couch.

    • http://one-parade.com Marjorie | One-Parade.com

      Thank you! The couch matches our walls but we have black/brown furniture so I had to dry and add darker accessories to it. The couch had an option for a black slipcover but there’s no way that would have survived our dog hair situation…

      I’ve lived in many different situations as well. I agree… It’s always nice to have a couch. :)

  • http://twitter.com/shattere shattere

    Couches always make my place seem like home. I was lost without one when I moved in with my boyfriend. Now that we have one, it makes the living room look more livable in. It makes my place seem like a home.

    By the way, love the new layout. So very simple and just plain you. :)

    • http://one-parade.com Marjorie | One-Parade.com

      I agree, it gives it that home-y feel! And thanks so very much. :)

  • http://sgd.three-words.net/wordpress DEI

    Seeing as how couches have served as a make shift bed nearly everytime I’ve moved, I definitely could not do without a couch. The one you chose is so chic and looks so comfy! Even if it is short. I love the pillows and the throw blanket! Black and white is a color scheme I tend to stick to with a lot.. hm, I may do that when I get my studio apartment with a dash of purple or plum. 

  • http://essencious.org/ Krystal

    You can always get some brown/cream/peach cushions and throw to match with the rest of the room. Is that couch from Ikea? I think I’ve seen something similar at Ikea.

    I’m guessing that’s your bed behind your couch?