My New Living Room Sofa
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure PolicyYesterday I intended to tell you all about my new living room sofa, but instead, I got caught up chatting about the recent photo shoot and my life as of late. No worries, however. I’m back today to share the sofa details.
As you might know, decorating for Christmas is one of my favorite things. In my mind, you also need a cozy place where you can sit and gaze at your beautifully decorated Christmas tree. So back in October, as I was planning my holiday decor, I realized I needed a couple of pieces of furniture to fill out the living spaces in my new home.
Choosing a Living Room Sofa:
I had a plan for the furniture in my family room (You can see the details here.) but had yet to figure out what to do in my living room. After looking through photos online, I was inspired to try something new and was drawn to an English roll arm sofa. I especially love the arms and legs of this style of sofa and thought it would work well with my overall design aesthetic for Bayberry House.
I began searching for options. I found sofas I liked at Restoration Hardware, Interior Define, Basset Furniture, and Pottery Barn. After considering material, timing, size, and price, I ultimately decided on the Carlisle Upholstered Grand Sofa from Pottery Barn. It checked off all the boxes for me. Plus, I happen to live near a Pottery Barn store so I could view fabric samples in person to ensure I was getting the right color.
Carlisle Upholstered Sofa:
After looking at the fabric samples, I chose the Basketweave Slub Ash. I had had a gray color in mind, and this seemed to best suit my space. Based on where I wanted to place the sofa, I went with the Grand Sofa 91″. I also upgraded to the down blend wrapped cushions, but I was able to buy the sofa for 20% off during a Friends and Family Event.
With my selections made, I placed the order and waited for delivery. About 6 weeks later, my new living room sofa arrived!
Overall, I’m extremely pleased with my selection. The sofa is incredibly comfortable. The color works well with my freshly painted walls, and the fabric helps to disguise cat hair, which is always a plus. I haven’t had any spills yet, but the material feels durable, and I was told it’s easy to spot clean.
The only thing I’d change about the sofa is the height of the back. It seems a tad high to my eye. This could be because I don’t have incredibly high ceilings, or maybe I’m accustomed to the horizontal lines of a lot of contemporary furniture.
My perception of the sofa height might also be due to the location. When you enter the house and look into the living room, you’re greeted by the back of a sofa. However, I’m hoping to improve this view in the near future by adding a narrow table to the back of the sofa. I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect sofa table!
And there you have it, my dear friends – my new living room sofa in all its glory! I know some of you have been wanting the details, so I’m glad to finally be able to share them with you.
Just in case you’re curious about my green velvet chairs: those came from Anthropologie. You can find them here. They are currently around 40% off.
If you have any other questions, please leave them below in the comments.
I am considering the same fabric. Has it held up well? Is it soft to sit on?
Hi Karen! Janet here (another follower of IBC). I’m late coming to this conversation but I had to tell you that I have the same upholstery fabric (basketweave slub ash) on one of my PB chairs and it has held up extremely well. We have had the chair over a year now and I can say it is easy to keep clean and there is no pilling whatsoever and it is very soft to the touch! I did spray it with a fabric protector actually recommended by West Elm when I bought one of their sofas. Just this evening I spilled some cooked tomatoes on the arm of the chair and I quickly got a damp washcloth and sprayed some fabric cleaner on and voilá the stain disappeared just like that. I do recommend this fabric for all the above reasons. It looks fantastic on Michael’s sofa, a style I love. Hope this helps.
Hi Michael! So glad I found your post. We are considering the Carlisle for our farmhouse, but the reviews of Pottery Barn furniture aren’t so hot (though I think it may just be customer service oriented). Have you had any issues with the sofa as of 2021??
Thanks again!
I love your sofa and color selection as well! I would love to know how the Basketweave Slub is holding up for you as I’m considering a slipcovered sofa same fabric and color? It’s 100% polyester and not a performance fabric…there are some really mixed opinions out there! I’ve poured balsamic and oil on the samples and it’s cleaning as well as the PB Crypton fabric. Thank you!
I am writing in the same vein as Elizabeth, above. I am considering this sofa but wonder how it’s holding up a now that you’re a while in. Would u buy it again? Many thanks! Gorgeous room!
I still love the sofa. The only thing I don’t love, and I think I mentioned this in the post, is the height of the back of the sofa. It’s just a bit too tall. Other than that, I still love it and definitely recommend.
xo Michael
Now that you’ve owned the sofa for nearly a year, how is it doing? I am considering the Carlisle as a sectional and like the idea of a down wrapped cushion, but don’t want it to look too squashed as it will be used daily. Please rate the comfort and also, how are the back cushions looking? I have read said several reviews stating they were too plump and smaller than pictured on the PB site. I appreciate your help in this big decision, thank you E. Webb
Okay Michael, this is probably one of the strangest questions you’ve ever gotten, but I have to ask anyway…how do you keep your kitties from destroying your furniture? I have a darling long-haired tortoise-shell cat, Sarabi, who is the ideal cat in so many ways, except when it comes to furniture! She has destroyed one sofa already, and I’ve noticed that she has gotten her claws into the new sectional/cuddler sofa we just purchased last spring, sigh…She has a scratching post in her cat condo, but it obviously doesn’t draw her attention the way our furniture does. She has also destroyed each of the upholstered cushions of my dining room chairs, so they will need replacing. HOW do you keep your home and furniture so gorgeous with cats in the home? Your house is positively gorgeous, BTW! You certainly have a talent for design. Your kitchen remodel is fabulous!
Sharon, this isn’t going to be the best answer, but both of my cats are declawed. One was done 14 years ago before I fully understood the declawing process. The other was a rescue who was declawed before I adopted him. I’m obviously not recommending you get your cats declawed. I couldn’t / wouldn’t do this should I ever get a new kitty. Beyond that, I don’t really have much advise.
Thank you so much for your kind compliments.
xo Michael
Hello saw your Christmas pictures in home and garden. So beautiful, I am in love with blue carpet it’s the living room I think, has white tree with green ribbon. Where did you buy it??
I love your style. That is sofa is great and I love the way you accessorized it! Plus, those green accent chairs are so cheerful and striking. Nice job!
I know you’ve had the art print in the corner awhile (the one under the deer) and I’ve tried to search the site for the link but I’ve not been successful. Could you remind me where it’s from?
This sofa is absolutely beautiful! I was told about it right before I purchased mine and lemme tell ya, it made me pause! I love the lines so much and the down really intrigued me.
And your choice of fabric to disguise cat hair was a super good move… now excuse me while I go vacuum mine up 80 more times… 😀
Beautiful sofa! Looks very comfortable. Maybe you could add a bit of industrial by building your narrow sofa table yourself. It’ll be just a hint in your decor!
Beautiful sofa and perfect with your wall color! Love it!
I love everything! Can I ask if the throw and pillow are also from Pottery Barn?
I want to be your next door neighbor!
Love the sofa! I’m sure you will find the perfect sofa table to compliment it.
It looks lovely and the back is not too high at all, to my eye. You were wise to think about cat hair! I recently got a beautiful cobalt chair and now spend half my day armed with a lint roller! I love to browse antique malls in my area and noticed there are a lot of narrow sofa tables out there right now, VERY inexpensively priced. The thrill of the hunt!
This is beautiful. Your home makes me feel at peace and cozy, without even being there.
Personally, I love the height of your couch back. It gives the feeing of comfort and that life happens there, including snuggling with family and cats.
Feels perfect to me!
I have this sofa in the slip covered version and I love it! It’s nice to have the option of purchasing new cushions, if need be, as well as color, texture, etc with new slip covers. It’s a timeless style and built extremely well. Thank you for sharing. Love your style . . . Your home is beautiful!
What a lovely neutral backdrop for decorating! It’s ready for the IBC touch.
Perfect sofa. I love it!