Couch Hunting — With Lobster

Insider Tip: When shopping for a couch, never judge the firmness of the seat by sitting on the middle cushion. Why? Because everyone who comes in the store sits there, and the center cushions wear down more quickly than they would in your living room. 

How do I know this?

“I need to do some couch shopping,” my friend Julia said one day.  I told her I wanted to go along, because I needed a new piece of furniture as well. My beloved chaise, bought a decade ago at the Crate and Barrel Outlet in Berkeley, was no longer working for me and The Boy. 

When he was an infant, the two of us fit on it just great. Cuddling there while we read or watched “The Octonauts” together was equally splendid all through the toddler years and even beyond. But when we were reunited after the pandemic eased, we discovered he’d grown and takes up more space than before. We managed for a while, but then I started pondering replacing the narrow chaise with a chair and a half. 

Over several weeks, Julia and I drove to nine furniture stores in the North Bay and the South Bay. We sat on many, many couches together, and I also tried on assorted chairs and a half. We learned how couches are built, we learned how cushions are made and we learned about different types of cushion fillings. 

At the Sunrise Home Furniture Store in San Rafael, we learned that two resident cats had the run of the place — and we were charmed. 

At each store, we also learned that few couches were actually available. Though Julia could order just about any couch she fancied in any fabric and any size, delivery would be delayed for six to eight months. Furniture manufacturers had shut down during the early days of the pandemic, we were told, and when they opened up again, they were confronted with a global shortage of foam, a key ingredient in couches. Also, at most stores, bargains were hard to find. “Nothing is on sale right now because everyone is looking to buy furniture,” confided one bold saleswoman. 

Early in July,  I was ready to make a purchase. But what to buy?

I revisited my initial goal of acquiring a chair and a half. On a whim, I measured the wall and briefly considered buying something bigger, maybe a loveseat or small full-sized couch. I also recalled my great enthusiasm for a leather Bennett Duo recliner that I'd curled up in at a La-Z-Boy store, though the price was high and the chair fit just one. Then I reminded myself the whole point of shopping had been to find something that The Boy and I both fit in comfortably for however much longer he is willing to snuggle with his grandma. 

Late one Sunday night, I scrolled once more through the options on the Crate and Barrel website. Way down at the bottom I spied a chair and a half that was on sale for $300 less than full price! I promptly put it in my cart. When the store opened the next day, I walked in and asked to see the relevant fabric swatch (truffle) and to sit one more time on a floor model in the Lounge II line. The salesman said if I placed an order that day, I could get my chair by Thanksgiving. Probably. Maybe Christmas. 

I told him I’d seen one available right now on line — and on sale. Calmly, quietly, he told me as kindly as possible that no furniture was on sale. Period. I persisted, so he went to his computer to check it out. He ran back across the showroom floor, his words spilling out: “I found it! I found it, and there is just one in the warehouse," he said. "If you want it, or even if you think you want it, I wouldn’t wait.” 

I wanted it. On my phone, I found the chair and a half still in my cart, and said aloud that I’d just push the PayPal button so the chair soon would be mine. With a look of horror, the salesman drew back and intoned, “Please don’t break my heart!” 

When I complimented him on both his sense of drama and his salesmanship, he explained that every day, customers came into the store, sat on several couches and went home to think about what to buy. “Then they make the purchase on line,” he said, “and I get no commission.” Of course I told him I would let him sell me the chair, which was delivered just days later — a bit of a miracle, in July 2021, as new furniture stories go.

Curious about the lobster reference in the headline? 

Julia and I carefully timed each of our furniture shopping trips to include lunch out. By chance, on our first two expeditions we ate at restaurants that featured lobster dishes on the menu, and we indulged. On our third trip, we went all out, purposefully driving to the New England Lobster Market & Eatery in Burlingame. 

Furniture shopping, especially with friends, has never seemed arduous to me. Add a lobster roll or lobster ravioli — and the experience is even better.