First Order of Business...

Ok, maybe it shouldn't be the FIRST order of business, (I suppose the whole, demolition, digging, leveling, foundation pouring, building, etc. should be first, but I digress...) but when it comes to the fun part of getting a new house (the decorating!!!) a couch is one of the first pieces of furniture we need to purchase.

Since we are building new we are obviously starting with a completely blank slate which is both exciting and overwhelming. We need to purchase quite a bit of furniture as well as try to fit in existing pieces. Since we need to dive in somewhere, the couch is going to be the starting point.

I still like our current furniture, but we are going to have a partially finished basement with a TV room/family room and a playroom. Our existing couch, love seat and coffee table will go down there. It is about 5 years old and has held up quite well. Love the stain resistance of microfiber! One thing I dislike about the couch is the cushioned back. It is super comfortable but as soon as someone sits down the pillows "squoosh" in and the whole thing just starts looking saggy. I feel like I am forever fluffing those pillows and smoothing them out. Our current couch looks exactly like this...

So, the first requirement for the new couch is a fitted back with no detached cushions so it will have a more tailored look. I'm hoping that I can find one that is tailored but still comfortable. The second requirement is exposed legs of some sort rather than a skirted base. That's just a personal preference. And the final requirement is that shape wise it needs to work with a pair of chairs that used to be my grandma's. Unfortunately they are being stored at my mother in law's, so I don't have pictures, but they are boxy and 50's-ish. Ok, probably not "-ish." They literally are from the 50's and I sort of love them. Or at least I will once they get a new fab upholstery job. They weigh a ton and feel like they were made to withstand some sort of natural disaster. They just don't make furniture like that any more!

Oh-- and finally, the couch needs to be available in a fabric that I like. That should probably be the first requirement. This really narrows down the pool. I want a green velvety couch. Not sage, not kelly, not mint. I have gotten dozens of swatches delivered and have only found one that fits the bill. It is "pistachio" in cut velvet. (I'm going to call it a cross between actual velvet and microfiber.) It doesn't have the cleanability of microfiber, so that could be a problem. Here's the online swatch, but in real life it sort of looks like the color of the couch in the photo beneath it.

Since I don't like things too matchy-matchy this means that I think I need a couch that is "curvy" in contrast to the boxy chairs. Here are two options I've found so far that are in our price range and come in the fabric I like.

Thoughts? I know the "button back" look is a classic, but at the same time is a bit trendy right now. I want my house to looks up to date, but not so trendy that I feel the need to redecorate in 3 years.