flavorpacket's Profile

That looks like the Ply Bak loveseat by lunar lounge (retail $445 although I think theirs is in vinyl)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7590050

You should add some fish sauce.

I bought a sofa from them a few months ago after meeting with Don and checking out the fabric swatches in person. He also had six sofas of various styles to inspect (although he did not have the one we wanted on hand, it did give us an idea of the quality). He gave us swatches to take home before we placed our order and asked for payment on delivery which we took as a sign of honesty. He wasn’t pushy at all, just super straightforward. We are very satisfied with the sofa and our dealings with Don. I have recommended the company to friends and would buy from them again. Our guests have remarked on what a nice sofa we have. I believe the frame has a lifetime guarantee and the fabric/stitching is guaranteed for a year.

That said, it is definitely important that you know what you want; it's not quite as easy as buying a sofa off the showroom floor. You need to think about fabrics and pillow fillings and how any changes you request in the dimensions might affect the aesthetics or functionality of the sofa. Also, while the sofas really are amazingly similar to the sofas that "inspire" them, if you are the type of person who measures in millimeters as opposed to centimeters (not to switch systems but I think Don promises the specs to be within one inch of the name brand) or if you are exquisitely sensitive to other differences as compared to the name brand version, for example, in the pillow feel or weight, this might not be the right choice for you. Put more bluntly, if your ass demands that your sofa be hand stitched at high altitude by yodeling fifth generation seamstresses and stuffed with free range farm grown Norwegian goose feathers (or whatever BB Italia uses to justify the high price), do your ass a favor and save up for the real thing.

I would also recommend www.customsofadesign.com for great prices, quality, fabric selection and turn around time. They have almost all of the sought after models from Crate and Barrel, Room and Board etc. We bought a "Renata" which is a dead ringer for the Petrie sofa at C&B except 1) it was $799 instead of $1499 and 2) we got it in the color we wanted in two weeks instead of 4 months.

Dilettante! Fantastic! I've never been called a dilettante through the intertubes before. I think the last time I was so accused was by my high school french teacher (that situation having nothing to do with oysters).

Anyway, I appreciate the comments, particularly with respect to not wasting food. One thing I should clarify is the scale of my operations -- I am not running an industrial scale oyster disposal business out of my apartment. I bought 20 oysters as a surprise for my wife who had just delivered our first baby (and had been craving them during her pregnancy). Of the 5 that remained uneaten, 2 had been resistant to opening. After an unplanned business trip the next day, I returned three days later to confront the situation I described. So, not exactly enough for soup this time and issues of freshness also present.