It’s 3-for-Wednesday Reader Shout-Outs. First up: Natalie’s fabulous sofa. She writes:

Pam – I wanted to share with you the couch I purchased on Craigslist yesterday for $75. I have been searching for a mid-century modern couch for a few months now – going to estate sales, garage sales, and craigslist. It is hard for me to find the good items at estate sales since they start on Thursdays and Fridays and I have to work those days. Anyway, I was doing my daily search and came across this gem. I emailed the owner and he still had it! Turns out the couch was his Great Aunt’s main couch from 1952 to 2006 when she passed. When she passed, he got the couch, dining table, dining chairs (which had the matching fabric of the couch), and the beautiful china hutch. The table, chairs, and hutch were not for sale and the only reason the couch was was because the wife didn’t like it. Haha. The owner told me he remembered the couch sitting in the same place all the years he knew his Great Aunt, he even mentioned that his mom, who was born ‘53, remembered the couch from way back then. To me the couch looks like it has only been sat on a few times. It has a pull out bed and is the heaviest thing I have ever lifted – even without the cushions and mattress!  Under the arm rests there are metal bars that go all the way down the side – one of the pictures shows the first metal bar. And this couch is small to me. I think I am just used to the gigantic couches of today. Anyway, I think this is an amazing find and it matches our $40 record player coffee table (which is in need to a new something or other to make a loud buzzing go away).  Craigslist is amazing. Just wanted to share! Thanks! =)

I asked Natalie if there were any labels, she said: “No tag. I looked every where on it. It looks like there used to be one on the mattress but that’s it. Makes me kind of sad that I couldn’t find anything. Any other ideas?” Well, Natalie, no — but we’ll all keep an eye out. That’s a pretty distinctive sofa – and a great story. Congratulations, and thanks for sharing both with us.

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WHY DID SOFAS GET SO BIG? I do not know. But you have to admit these supersized sofas are statement-makers. And that’s before we even get to — upholstery. This 1972 wonder belongs to Lynne’s Lens, a flickr friend. She bought it 10 years ago from a house with purple shag carpet and Peter Max wallpaper. It had two more pieces that made it *too big* for her house and she gave them to a friend. Mr. Retro Renovation loves this sofa. Read on — you’ll like the next one, too, I promise…

Reader Cindy D sends this great find – Elvis’ Honeymoon Cottage, with a built-in circular sofa that is 64′ long. Yes: sixty-four feet. Maybe “conversation pits and built-in sofas came out Frank Lloyd Wright-esque design, where he built the furniture right into the house? This photo was featured on the Eastside Real Estate Buzz blog. Elvis’ and Priscilla’s honeymoon hideway is in Palm Springs. It was designed by William Krisel for developer Robert Alexander and his wife Helene, and it’s comprised of four perfect circles. (See a link about the house’s design here, thanks to reader Frank.) You can rent the house for events and such – check it out here. Hey: Another Retro Renovation Clubhouse site. After the MacArthur Foundation gives us one of those gazillion dollar grants.

Of course we’ve seen some other supersized sofas before, as part of conversation pits. Remember Leslie’s kitschy dreamboat time capsule? Hi Leslie, how are you doing! Buy any Moss lamps lately? Hmmm. I guess this isn’t an entire sofa, but you’re on the homepage again anyway because this is so in the spirit.

And remember this time capsule from Des Moines. Another super popular post, with a supersized conversation pit and much, much more in this utterly swoonable house — one of our very best time capsules ever.

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It seems like there are a lot of new readers lately, including those with their own blogs. I hope this means that (1) the real estate market is picking up, (2) midcentury homes – “modern” and “modest” alike – continue to gain appeal and there are people who want to preserve their charms, and (3) you all are having so much fun reading this blog that you want to start your own. Hey: That’s the way it should be! A recent addition to our retro renovation community:  Susie, who writes, ” …We recently bought our first home, built in 1957, and we”re having a ball getting settled in and putting our personal touches on everything.  I’ve really enjoyed looking at your site, especially the flooring section (getting ready to redo our kitchen, probably with classic black Armstrong).”

Read more about Suzie’s new-old house which includes the fabulous “Exclusive Style Crest Custom Quality by Bass Bros.” sofa pictured above, at her blog, The Gonce House. Welcome, Suzie!

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My taste is most certainly evolving to the wackier and wackier. It’s like: Show me something I haven’t seen!

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Armando in LA sends us this appeal:

My search for a retro/vintage sofa has begun. I, like most of your readers (as noted after reading Bob’s sofa story), am obsessed with finding the right sofa for me for the right price. Since the feedback to Bob’s story included some comments from readers including examples of sofa’s that were similar to Bob’s and where to find, I wanted to know if you could post a photo of vinyl black sofa that slipped through my fingers recently. It was listed on Craigslist in TX, I’m in Los Angeles, and it would have been too expensive to buy/ship. I didn’t feel comfortable with purchasing something I didn’t see first. I don’t know where I’m able to send the photo of the sofa to you, but I’d like to try this. I move into my new place in November and I am really hoping to have the sofa part figured out. Here is the sofa and thank you! I hope one of your readers can find something like it somewhere in Los Angeles. Thank you.

Thank you, Mando, for writing. That sofa sure is a classic beauty – very similar to Bob’s find from Macy’s! And please be assured, now that you have put your retro vibes out there, the decorating gods will send you the sofa that’s just right.

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Macy's Corona sofa

Update Aug. 31: I saw this 1950s T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb sofa on ebay. Very similar to the line of Macy's sofa - don't you agree! - Pam

Reader Bob sends in this great find from Macy’s:

Hi Pam,

First, want to say how much I enjoy your site. Okay, now my story! I’ve been looking (for the last 5 years!) for a suitable mid-century couch for my den. I’d been hoping to find a vintage one, but that never worked out. Then, while looking at Design Within Reach, I stumbled across the Bantam Sofa which was exactly what I had been looking for. Unfortunately, their design certainly isn’t within MY reach, so I kept looking. You can imagine my surprise when I came across an almost identical sofa at Macy’s, of all places. It’s called the Corona, and I just got mine about 2 weeks ago. Not only is it stylish and comfortable (great for naps!), it’s well made and someone said it “looked like it was stolen out of Rob and Laura Petrie’s living room!” That’s exactly the look I was going for! The good news about this sofa is the price. The Bantam is $1750.00. I got my Corona on sale for $630.00 (it’s almost always on sale.) It’s available in several colors, most of which I found unappealing. I got mine in “stone” which is basically gray. Thanks for the great site and all the great ideas!
Bob

Thanks, Bob! Great sofa, very nice lines! And I love how your gray sofa looks with those pink curtains. Pink-and-gray is a great color combo! Personally, I also like the Paprika (orange-red) color offered for the sofa, but then, burnt orange is my favorite color.

Bob's grey example. He points out that it's hard to see the button tufting, a great feature, in this photo. And says: "Also in the picture, you can see a bit of my step end tables and what I think may be a Harris Strong lamp. My den is very much a work-in-progress, so please pardon the patched plaster!"

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