Couch Project 2009

In 1994, Diane's cat Sydney destroyed her 8th couch. Yes, over her lifetime this one cat personally shredded no fewer than eight couches -- Diane's (2), Brett's (2), roommate's (2), and landlord's (2). It was time to get a cat-proof couch.

A furniture company called Creative Comfort (now called Comfy 1) advertised just such a couch in the Boston Globe newspaper. It has sides, front and back made of hardwood, rather than fabric, so the couch doesn't have those vertical fabric surfaces that cats love to scratch so much. The only fabric covers the cushions themselves, and the (optional) armrest covers. We bought one of their couches, and it worked like a charm. It has been a great couch, and our cats have not touched it. The reign of couch terror started by Sydney is over.

Here is the same couch today (15 years later). The cushions wore well but have finally succumbed to 15 years of hard use by family, friends, sleepovers, teenagers, and dogs. The cushions have lost their shape, and the armrest covers (not shown) are badly stained. But the wooden frame and sides are still like new. This couch is the Comfy 1 "California" style. Note the unusual joined-L shape, and the roll-out underdrawers -- these were special options. Comfy 1 is still in business, and they still had our original order and couch specifications. We contacted them and they happily made us new cushions to replace our old ones. The big cardboard boxes (seen behind the couch in this picture) hold the new cushions, just-delivered from Comfy 1. Click any picture for a larger image.

Here is the same couch frame, with the new cushions and armrest covers in place. The result is a like-new couch for about a third the cost of an all-new couch! We picked a number of possible fabrics at a local fabric store, and brought samples home for the "cat test". We rubbed each sample with catnip and then waved it in front of a cat so they would grab it. We picked a fabric that didn't snag easily, and that didn't discolor permanently when it was cat-licked. We arranged to send the fabric to Comfy 1; they made the cushions and shipped them to us 4-6 weeks later.

Note the specially-shaped "joiner" cushion in the corner -- nice attention to detail. This couch requires about 16 yards of fabric for a solid color or small pattern, or 25 yards if the pattern is large like this one.

Gracie insisted on being the first to check out the new cushions.

Thanks Comfy 1 !

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