The Search

What's cool about a new home is figuring out the way rooms can function best for you and/or your family.  

Our living room is long and narrow and there was really no good place for a television. That is, except for over the fireplace, but I didn't want to put a tv there.  

So we decided to use one of the bedrooms on the first floor as a tv room.  We don't have any seating in that room other than some rather uncomfortable (but cheap! and pretty!) chairs from Marshalls and some beanbag chairs for the girls.  We've been eyeing sectionals for a couple of months, but we want a sectional that has a pullout sleeper so that the room can double as a guest room.  I've found that sectionals with sleepers are few and far between.  

Here's what I found so far.

Candidate #1:  Axis II from Crate & Barrel

Candidate #2: Collins from La-Z-Boy

Here's the thing.  I love, love the feel and color of the fabric of the Axis.  The sales rep said that it's their best selling sofa and my research online has shown lots and lots of happy customers.  I liked the dimensions and fabric on the floor model, which made it easy for me to see what it would look like in our home.  BUT the cushions on the back of the couch are loose, which means that I will spend my time every day picking them off the floor and arranging them back on the sofa after their girls throw them off.  Also, I've seen photos of people who have had the couch for a couple of years and indeed, the seat cushions and back cushions look pretty slouchy.  A bit too much slouch for my taste.  

The Collins isn't as comfortable to sink into as the Axis, but that's likely because the cushions aren't as relaxed.  I like that the back cushions are attached to the couch, but not too tightly.  The mattress comes in either a memory foam or air cushion option (both are the same price) and the mattress is more comfortable than the Axis.  La-Z-Boy had lots of fabric options to choose from, but none of them felt as velvety-awesome as the Axis.  Also, the floor model shown is just the sofa, which makes it hard to visualize what the couch would look like as a sectional in a non-corduroy fabric of a different color.  

I was able to find one review on the Collins from Melissa at The Inspired Room.  The fabric she ordered it in is no longer available, unfortunately.  

via

The Axis is stocked in the fabric I want and would arrive in a week after I order it.  The Collins would take 8-10 weeks for delivery.  I really want to move ahead and make a decision, but both cost a healthy chunk of change and I want to get this right so I'm going to keep looking for other comparisons.  I saw this online, but don't know where I could see it in person.

Rowe Mitchell Queen Sleeper Sectional

Does anyone know of other options or have some input on these sectionals?