If you’ve read more than a couple of posts on this blog so far, you should know by now that we can’t just go and buy a thing, particularly when it’s as central to a family’s life as a sofa.

This is part of our 100 Things in 2016 challenge. Here’s the full list.

And so began our two-month quest to find the perfect couch. We considered the eclectic, the exotic, the garage, and even the fancy. It’s fair to say we looked high and low. But nothing struck that perfect balance of affordable, striking, comfortable, and easy.

Until we found this.

We finally broke down and went to Macy’s. Becky picked the color from a 2″x2″ swatch, and we waited 10 weeks for them to deliver it. And it’s perfect; we already feel like it’s a part of our family. The kids and dogs love hanging out on it, and it’s become the default destination whenever we walk in the door.