How many people have a piece of furniture in their home that they love? If you’re like us, you research and browse for weeks to find the perfect furnishing to fit your needs. Then, you lust after it for what feels like forever while you save up to actually buy it. Thankfully, a good chunk of our furniture is free hand-me-downs gifted to us from our families (this really helped us save money when we were first starting out). But, what furniture purchase would we truly call our favorite?

To answer this question, let me tell you a funny story..

One night, we were out having dinner. It was date night, and we had a couple of espresso martinis (our favorite drink, but more on that another time). We decided to walk around a bit after dinner, and lo and behold, we came upon Crate & Barrel. I’ll admit, I love periodically browsing through this store to admire the seasonal displays and new items. We even registered there for our wedding. But, most times when I’m in this store, I’m just browsing.

We rode the escalator up to the furniture level, and began walking around, appreciating all the modern decor. Then, we headed over to this gorgeous sectional sofa that we had our eye on for a few months, but resisted buying because we couldn’t justify needing it. We already had a perfectly good couch in our living room. It just happened to be too small for the room, the color didn’t match, and it was second-hand.

So, naturally we walked away and decided to save money sought out a salesperson and made an impulse buy. We ended up purchasing the Axis II 2-piece sectional sofa in the color Douglas Ice.

Let me tell you, we have no regrets! This couch is perfect in so many ways. We love the neutral color, the soft and easy-to-clean fabric, the firm but plush cushions, and all the different angles you can lay on it. It is a major upgrade from our old couch (which we lovingly re-homed to our parents’ vacation home). Also, Pete and I have so much more space when we relax in front of the TV. He’s pretty much claimed the chaise lounge section, while I like to lay out on the sofa part. We’ve had this couch for a year now, and it looks brand new (we make sure to vacuum it weekly and rotate the cushions once in a while).

My advice is to make sure you do your research before buying a big investment piece like a couch. After all, you’ll be using it daily and will want it to last for years. Oh, and measure the space where the new furniture will go to make sure it will fit! We had already done this a few months back (during our couch researching phase), so it was a little easier to make the decision to buy it that night. Also, reading reviews from other customers who already own that item is extremely helpful, and will provide insider knowledge for you to consider.

Thank goodness for those espresso martinis – sometimes you just need a little encouragement to make that big purchase!