Worth the Splurge: I Spent $2,000 on a Couch and Don't Regret It - Here's Why

I'm a big-time planner, so when I decided we needed to replace our old, tired couch with something larger and studier, I spent a good month researching sofas. This was especially necessary since I had never actually bought a couch myself, having instead either inherited one from a family member or scored a free one on the side of the road that may or may not have been infested with bugs. While shopping for my new couch, I had a list of criteria that had to be met in order for me to drop some major cash. First things first, it had to be sturdy. I needed a hardwood frame that could withstand two adults, two active kids, and a 50-pound dog. It also needed to be stain-resistant with removable covers that could be thrown in the wash whenever necessary. I also wanted to avoid leather (both vegan or real), mainly because I hate the feeling of leather seats sticking to your legs when you stand up in the hot summer months. I also needed something big; 100-inches wide or bigger. Someone on Reddit recommended Albany Park as a good place to find high-quality furniture, and I immediately loved the aesthetic of everything on the site. It's a mix of cozy mid-century modern pieces with funky color and fabric options, and while I would have loved to have gone with the mustard yellow velvet, but with two kids and a dog, I figured I should probably choose a more forgiving fabric. The couch I ended up going with is called the Park Sectional Sofa with a left-facing orientation in the fabric option that's listed as simply "grey" but actually has a spectrum of shades ranging from white to dark grey. The kiln-dried hardwood frame is incredibly sturdy, and it has removable cushion covers that we've washed several times and have always come out spotless. I especially love the mattress-quality foam cushions that are topped with a layer of feathers. I've taken countless naps on this thing and it's just as comfortable (if not more-so) than my actual bed. Oh, and this thing is big. I included a grumpy baby in my photo for scale. I could go on and on about this sofa, but here's the last thing I'll say about it that proves how amazing it is. Our friends came over a few months after they bought it and were very impressed. The next day, they asked for a link to the website, and shortly after ended up buying the exact same one, but with black legs instead of gold. They weren't even in the market for a new couch, they just dropped two grand on one after sitting on ours for a few hours one afternoon. If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.

Here's a fun coincidence: my editor Mary has the same style in green! In need of a cozy reading chair to round out a nook in her home office, Mary picked up the Park Armchair last year and has spent hours in it since. (A matching ottoman is under consideration.)