doc w/ Pen

When I moved into my new apartment in August, the couch I’d bought off another student simply didn’t fit through the narrow hallway of this ancient New York City building. That was frustrating. So I found an online company, Home Reserve, that sells couches (and other furniture) you assemble on your own. Furniture assembly is always an adventure. You never know what the instructions will be like, or whether the parts will be banged up. But I didn’t have much choice. The company’s website emphasizes that the UPS boxes containing the couch parts will fit through narrow spaces, and the videos they posted made the process seem pretty self-explanatory. So I hoped for the best.

The two boxes, each weighing about 60 pounds, were delivered last night. My kind next door neighbor helped me lug them up the stairs. This morning, I put everything together. In less than three hours, I went from two big boxes of flat wooden pieces to a fully finished, upholstered couch. Pretty amazing. My apartment finally feels like a home — a home where I have somewhere to sit other than my bed. That’s a good feeling.

Note: Click on any photo for an enlarged slideshow.

All the couch parts — 38 wood slats of varying sizes, the cushions, and upholstery covers — came in two UPS boxes.

In a little over an hour, I assembled the frame. All it took was a drill.

The upholstery (I chose a seafoam color) fit nicely against the wood frame.

I spent another hour or so stuffing the cushions into their covers.

Here’s the finished product, with some coordinating throw pillows I bought on Etsy.