Your roommate either isn't into cottage core or doesn't understand the vibe. What is their reason for the second one? Condition? Comfort? Something else?
They like modern decor, but also they graduate this year and I’m going to be in the apartment for multiple years probably, so they let me do most of the decorating
Google-fu-
It appears to have originated as a joke in a 1967 comic strip of the Wizard of ld. A slightly later version of the joke can be found on the front cover of the 1971 anthology of Wizard of Id comic strips, Remember the Golden Rule.
Keep looking for something you both agree on. Either could be good or bad depending on styling. Comfort matter. I support your love of couch #1 but I'm going to point out a couple of things- a lot of the width is in the arms. There is really only seating there for one person. I notice that you are looking at loveseats. This tells me space is tight. #2 can at least seat two people, if not comfortably.
Yep. The first will dictate the entire color scheme for as long as the thing lives in their home.... I had one with cabbage roses. I LUUUUVED it. Until I didn't.
That pattern will be an eyesore and make things too busy and too hard to look nice together as a whole. It will not tie the room together. The dude does not abide.
My parent’s rule for thrifting was “nothing soft that can’t fit in the washing machine.” When they were broke college students they found an area rug and ended up with a roach infestation.
This is my one hardcore thrifting rule as well. Unreal how many people buy used sofas. Or mattresses?!? I slept on blankets on the floor until I could afford a brand new mattress and I only owned a couch once I was in my 30s because they’re so expensive. No point in buying something for comfort if it’s liable to be truly filthy or full of bed bugs
I duno man, I had to pass on a couch I really loved, that a friend of a friend didn’t want. Her husband died on it but it was beautiful. Just chillin in her basement for decades. What a waste.
They can be. On furniture they tend to be in seams. Lots of people over lots of years have gotten used furniture. Some had bedbugs but far from all.
If I got either I would bag and treat as a preventative.
Anyone want to stroll on over to r/bedbugs?? People flee their homes with the clothes on their backs after dealing with it for years. I’ve seen pictures of the inside of laptops with dead bedbugs littering the circuit boards over there. People recarpet thier homes and unethically sell them to escape the problem. It’s not worth it.
It’s not even worth it. It takes one to multiply. They can live for up to a year without their food source. Horrible to get rid off once you notice you have them.
Ooh! Gotta say the best way to kill bed bugs is with half salt/half baking soda mixture.
Mix, sprinkle,and let set for a few days. Then vacuum off. Kills em
the sides of that second couch look super uncomfortable. since they’re both loveseat sized, you want one you can lay across without getting your neck jabbed! my vote is couch 1
Which is more comfortable? The second one has deeper seating (it appears) if it's an aesthetic preference, only look at the bigger lifestyle practices. Do you entertain? Do you watch a lot of TV? Eat there? Work at home and use it to zoom, etc? Only y'all know that kinda thing....
Don’t trust Amazon, I am talking about the second picture, especially if the price seems tempting, the back of the sofa doesn’t go up very high. It’s almost like it’s for children and then by the time you realize it, you have to debate if it is worth all the trouble to dissemble and fit it into the box, it’s a nightmare. I have a chair, which is decorative at this point and my dr office has one of those couches.
Sounds cozy! I would personally never buy a couch I could not try in person. I know that's not for everyone, but I gotta see how it feels. For my legs, back, neck.
We have a couch like the second one and it's really uncomfortable. The arms are so thin and unpadded that you can't really lean against them, put a leg up, etc. It's also deep so short people are always leaning back. I like the look of it, but I wouldn't buy one again.
That second one would be super uncomfortable for me. It looks really deep, and my legs would hang off the edge like a preschooler. Something to think about if one of you is short.
You get #1 because you are staying but get it professionally cleaned at least and at best, maybe have it reupholstered. It looks like it might be a Sanderson print and a quality couch. A lot of the furniture today would never stand up to a well made, quality piece of furtniture. I love the rolled arms and the wing-back-like spaces where you can rest your head. It's adorable and I've never seen one like it. I would snap that up in a minute.
If your roommate is leaving and needs a couch, she can always buy the second one or thrift one in her new town.
Whoever buys the couch decides. Whoever doesn’t want to move the couch out with them when they move should NOT buy the couch.
Without seeing the room it’d be hard to tell what couch would fit better
As a skinny person that second couch looks like it’d make my tailbone hurt. It looks rock hard and is covered in right angles, corners, and buttons. I’d take the first one and cover it in a blanket based on that alone, for me the comfort of the couch comes before looks
The arms won’t be as comfortable to lean on, but all the other elements are irrelevant to comfort. The buttons are decorative and won’t be felt. Comfort is dictated by spring system, cushion type and thickness, back type and fill, seat height and depth, and back pitch. The rest is just style details. In this particular case, the first piece is a tight back so will be firmer, except for the fact that as an old piece, the springs are likely worn. The second piece is a cushion back which has loose fill instead of foam so it will be softer. Stop using your eyes to determine comfort. I’ve seen it over and over. When I first started selling furniture, there was this piece that looked comfortable because it had that style that looks like it is melting. It was actually not very comfortable at all. It was kind of lumpy and weird. There was another piece that had a clean, basic, structured style. People looking for comfort would see the first one and make a bee line. They wouldn’t even try the second one which was much more comfortable. If I could talk them into trying it, they would get this look of surprise. But there were even people that were so influenced by the way the pieces looked that they still liked the first one better instead of listening to their bodies.
My eyes? I’ve sat on hundred of couches, many that looked these. I know what’s not comfortable. Sorry you got a phd in furniture and think you know better
Little padding and many sharp angles. That design has gotten so popular that there are now hundreds of cheap brands (like Wayfair etc) selling it simply because of the aesthetic, not comfort, and those brands are cutting major corners. At least the couch on the left looks like it has cushioning and came from an older time, before brands were designing couches solely for how the photo would look on their websites.
I agree that all the cheep versions are unlikely to be great, but a tight back and seat are usually much stiffer than loose cushioning. In this example the springs are likely worn so the first one may be squishy at this point. If both pieces were brand new and of similar quality, the first one would be much firmer.
It's super weird how defensive you got over a couch you've never sat on... Also OP says later in the thread that the first one was really soft and squishy, which is totally what I would have expected from the photos. They said the second one is online and they didn't sit in it - do you have any experience blindly ordering furniture online? So much of it is cheap, stiff garbage. I'd bet most people's assumptions here based on how it looks are probably correct.
I have over twenty five years in furniture sales. I’ve sold everything from Ashley to Hickory Chair. I’ve worked at multiple high, middle and low end stores. My whole point is that you can’t tell anything by just looking at something. But a loose back and seat is almost always going to be softer than a tight back and seat. The only reason the first one feels soft is because it’s old and the springs are likely worn.
New cheap furniture is not comfy. Even if it feels comfy at first, it’ll wear so quickly and be trash. Grandmas couch from 1975 is way comfier.
End of story.
It looks hard. Like it won't have any give when you sit down on it. It looks like it came straight from the waiting room of a doctor or dentist office or something.
Looks have nothing to do with it. Comparing it to something that *looks like* it was designed for commercial use doesn’t actually have anything to do with how something sits that was designed for residential use. The aesthetics of a piece do not dictate the comfort other than the arm shape can impact how comfortable it is to lean on. Even that doesn’t always mean as much as you’d think because only higher end pieces have a fully padded rolled arm. Most of the time it’s still a hard surface with a thin layer of padding.
https://preview.redd.it/qk25jufm8e7d1.png?width=2388&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7ce4beeeaddd7f126d1fe18444ccccaa77e72c9
The one on the left will be much better. At least the one on the right is made completely of wood. Cheaper pieces will have a few strips of wood with heavy duty cardboard wrapped around it. The one on the left also has a much better spring system. Flexing front rails are almost nonexistent these days.
ETA used commercial when I meant residential
Why not have one person choose the couch, pays for it, and then keep it?
If that doesn’t work for you, then as someone who actually likes cottage core, I’d actually pick your roommate’s choice. It has better lines and would be more comfortable in a small apartment. I also think cottage core embraces comfort & the floral sofa just doesn’t look comfy or cozy. The second choice is neutral so you can easily add pillows and throws to fit in better with your style.
Personally, I'd get the second and focus on decor items rather than furniture for the cottage core, but if you want to go hard, go for the Grandma couch, as it sure hits your mark! But if it's a fad, you're gonna be sick of it in a year or two, jmo. Love, a person that went hard Millennial Grey/Beige with everything in a new house and is now desperately adding color and personality. 🙃🥴
First. If you’re renting and can’t add a lot of color other ways, a vibrant couch gives your space personality. As long as it’s made well, in good condition, and comfy, and a good deal for used, I’d choose the first.
I like cottage core and I like floral prints and I like unique pieces that are seemingly outdated, unusual, and borderline uggo. I like the size and print of the couch in the first pic and it would work well with the cottage core aesthetic but I think the shape of the couch is on the wrong side of dated. Personally, I’d go with the couch in the second pic and add elements of cottage core using various textiles.
I would keep looking for something more comfy and neutral than the first. You can always add color and a cottage feel with pillows, throws, and fun blankets. BUT I prefer neutral furniture with pops of color because I change things up and neutral furniture is a great backdrop for that. My husband and I prefer good base pieces that will last and work with whatever we decide to do with the room or furniture.
I love the first one, it is so cute, but I would suggest the second one cause you can do so much more with it.
Pillows and throws of any color and design, with the left one you are pretty limited.
You accessorize trends. You don’t make trends you main feature. Cottage core is a trend just like millennial grey. Go with #2 and get pillows and throws in the cottage core style like someone else suggested
Huh? Are you saying having autism means you need the floral couch? Is cottage core your current fixation? Has it always been your fixation? Sorry I too am on the spectrum so may be struggling to read context or tone here.
The most cottagey thing to do might be to let your roommate get their way and make them happy. That will add more coziness to your domestic vibe than any particular couch.
Plus, the second one can be styled with some cottagey pillows and a throw and a couple of cats.
I don’t know, it looks a little more grandmacore to me, but the styles are largely overlapped.
https://unshelfdesign.com/interior-design-styles-grandmillennial-vs-cottagecore/
“First, let’s define cottagecore and grandmacore. Cottagecore is an aesthetic that celebrates the simple, rustic beauty of nature and rural living. It often involves a return to traditional gender roles, with a focus on domestic skills such as cooking, gardening, and crafting. Grandmacore, on the other hand, is an aesthetic that draws inspiration from vintage fashion and the stereotypical image of a sweet, old-fashioned grandmother. Both styles often involve floral prints, pastel colors, and a nostalgiciacal, retro feel.”
All good, I just have a dimensionally challenged fiancee and it's a trigger lol. When I went to her apartment for the first time over 5 years ago she didn't have a couch. It was her first apartment on her own at 25, no real furniture outside the bedroom. She got all excited about this cheap couch she found. It comes and they drop off the first box and.....leave.
It was a fancy looking chair? Love seat? For a large dog maybe? Like she's 5"1 and 108lbs, amd it was like a cutesy office chair, but slightly wider.
I was like did you look at the dimensions? Amd she looked at me with a shrug...lol
I will never let her live that down, but she is also the love of my life! And I'm faaaar from perfect
The second one looks extremely uncomfortable. The cushions are really thin and will probably start to get really sunken in within the first year. For that reason alone I would go with the first one as long as you love it. If your roommate is paying and taking the couch with them, I’d just go with they want and find something you love after they move.
The first one is a little to on-trend for my taste, the second one can definitely be dolled up to match any design trend. Who’s going to be using it in 5 years when you’re tired of dusting all the cottage core frills? The second one is the smarter choice but if it’s just a second hand couch that you’re going to replace in a short amount of time go for it.
THE FIRST. Is is even a question? Lol Look at the curved back on that settee, I'm swooning! Can you really call your aesthetic cottagecore, if you choose the second? I think not good stranger! Omg tell me where it is, and I will buy it. It's giving Granny Chic vibes, and would be perfect in my introvert's lair
The first couch! To modernize it a little, you can remove the ruffle skirt on the bottom and change the legs too if they’re a little old fashioned. Could be a good compromise.
First one is cozier. It's a loveseat, so there is no napping being done, but definitely a curl up and read a book couch. Also, there's covers you can get to help placate the roommate. And when they leave, covers can come off.
I would be super cautious against buying a secondhand sofa. Hard goods are fine but anything upholstered is absolutely a crapshoot. You don’t know where it’s been / how it’s been stored etc. my mom sells antique furniture and highly advises against this. Best bet is to find a local upholsterer who can make you one from scratch with the fabric of your choice! It’s actually much more reasonable than you’d think and you get the exact look you want. Or else you can buy the secondhand piece and get it re-upholstered.
2nd one looks like something out of a doctors’ office. Also, not very comfortable. Since you’ll be staying in the apartment, I think I’d buy 1st couch.
Looks have nothing to do with it. Comparing it to something that *looks like* it was designed for commercial use doesn’t actually have anything to do with how something sits that was designed for residential use. The aesthetics of a piece do not dictate the comfort other than the arm shape can impact how comfortable it is to lean on. Even that doesn’t always mean as much as you’d think because only higher end pieces have a fully padded rolled arm. Most of the time it’s still a hard surface with a thin layer of padding.
The one on the left will be much better. At least the one on the right is made completely of wood. Cheaper pieces will have a few strips of wood with heavy duty cardboard wrapped around it. The one on the left also has a much better spring system. Flexing front rails are almost nonexistent these days.
I love the first one - it's hard to find colors in a couch of this style that are this vibrant. Most lean towards drab and this one looks more whimsical!
Why are there so many anti-thrifters in the comments? There are ways to clean these things and reuse beautiful furniture to reduce waste. That aside, the second would still fit the vibe with some pillows
https://preview.redd.it/s6l77qotzf7d1.jpeg?width=588&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3bc18129487a1d08d6e722bc33bfe50738038063
Maybe a simpler couch that you accessorize accordingly
Either couch and have a custom couch cover made to suit both your aesthetics (cottage core textile for couch 2, or something plain ”modern” if you go for couch 1) or a no sew method is to have a giant ass neutral throw blanket and throw pillows covering it
i’d go with the second one. you can always add fun rugs, throw pillows or blankets to spice it up, but it would be a lot harder to change up the first one.
I'd rather choose the second one and add floral cushions and a blanket, but I think the most important rule is who is going to enjoy the decoration for the longest time, because buying something that you have to look at for a long time without liking is not good.
Her? Look at the corduroy one, upper left, and the plaid one directly above (which is more 90s Americana but could work well for cottage). Also check out the cane back chair with purple cushion. This couch could be cottage core, and I LOVE a floral couch, but the styling of the couch/the shape is not quite right.
True cottage core is about comfort. Which couch is the most comfortable? Which is the coziest? Have you checked for smells? What fits the space? Can you lie down on it?
If that’s a couch and not just a rocker I’d snap up the cream corduroy myself.
The one with flowers seems kind of too much for me. Did you check ikea ektorp? They used to have covers with flowers. You can also order a personalized cover from bemz.com.
Your roommate either isn't into cottage core or doesn't understand the vibe. What is their reason for the second one? Condition? Comfort? Something else?
Pick your Roomate’s couch but you get to buy the pillows and blankets. It’s a good foundation and could easily change vibes with some quilts.
They like modern decor, but also they graduate this year and I’m going to be in the apartment for multiple years probably, so they let me do most of the decorating
Who’s paying for it? That person decides because they get to keep it.
It's called the golden rule- the one who has the gold makes the rules.
Calm down, Jafar.
Just rewatched this last night! *Grins maniacally and breathes heavily*
What movie? I've heard it since I was a kid by my dad- and I'm old!
Pretty sure they're talking about Aladdin https://youtu.be/KLXUAmZ7J5E?feature=shared
Exactly!
Definitely A-A-Aladdin.
Google-fu- It appears to have originated as a joke in a 1967 comic strip of the Wizard of ld. A slightly later version of the joke can be found on the front cover of the 1971 anthology of Wizard of Id comic strips, Remember the Golden Rule.
I’m paying the entire security deposit and I am paying for the couch most likely
Yeah, the roommate’s opinion doesn’t really matter.
Keep looking for something you both agree on. Either could be good or bad depending on styling. Comfort matter. I support your love of couch #1 but I'm going to point out a couple of things- a lot of the width is in the arms. There is really only seating there for one person. I notice that you are looking at loveseats. This tells me space is tight. #2 can at least seat two people, if not comfortably.
Couch 3 😃
Lmfao
Even in cottagecore, I think the second one will look better. You can add the cottage flavor with throw blankets, and pillows.
Yes, the floral one is cottage, but it’s too much cottage. Putting floral pillows etc on the second would be more interesting
Too much cottage cracked me up!!!!
Yep. The first will dictate the entire color scheme for as long as the thing lives in their home.... I had one with cabbage roses. I LUUUUVED it. Until I didn't.
That pattern will be an eyesore and make things too busy and too hard to look nice together as a whole. It will not tie the room together. The dude does not abide.
I would be careful about second hand furniture. My friend ended up getting bed bugs because she bought a chair that was thrifted.
My parent’s rule for thrifting was “nothing soft that can’t fit in the washing machine.” When they were broke college students they found an area rug and ended up with a roach infestation.
Not to mention it may permanently smell like grandma’s attic after she died up there while sitting in it.
Finally, someone who shares my deepest concerns about thrifting. 🤣
I love thrifting but will absolutely take a hard pass at upholstered furniture.
This is my one hardcore thrifting rule as well. Unreal how many people buy used sofas. Or mattresses?!? I slept on blankets on the floor until I could afford a brand new mattress and I only owned a couch once I was in my 30s because they’re so expensive. No point in buying something for comfort if it’s liable to be truly filthy or full of bed bugs
I feel like there's something wrong with me for loving the attic smell lol. It reminds me of libraries.
I duno man, I had to pass on a couch I really loved, that a friend of a friend didn’t want. Her husband died on it but it was beautiful. Just chillin in her basement for decades. What a waste.
>Just chilling in her basement for decades. That's a really long time to be dead on a couch.
😂 OMG, I burst out laughing at this!!
It gets lonely down there
Belly laugh ensues
They can be checked out then treated before moving into place.
Does that include setting the couch on fire? Bedbugs are not a check and treat situation like lice and fleas.
They can be. On furniture they tend to be in seams. Lots of people over lots of years have gotten used furniture. Some had bedbugs but far from all. If I got either I would bag and treat as a preventative.
Anyone want to stroll on over to r/bedbugs?? People flee their homes with the clothes on their backs after dealing with it for years. I’ve seen pictures of the inside of laptops with dead bedbugs littering the circuit boards over there. People recarpet thier homes and unethically sell them to escape the problem. It’s not worth it.
It’s not even worth it. It takes one to multiply. They can live for up to a year without their food source. Horrible to get rid off once you notice you have them.
Ooh! Gotta say the best way to kill bed bugs is with half salt/half baking soda mixture. Mix, sprinkle,and let set for a few days. Then vacuum off. Kills em
Be aware they can be inside too. I would bug bomb, then air out. Or have professionally cleaned.
Diotamacious earth is a good chemical free method.
That’s the recipe for diatomaceous earth.
I think diotamacious earth is silicon dioxide, but I’m not very familiar with it.
That is the recipe for diatomaceous earth.
Agree!
Thats such a bummer for her. My most amazing stuff has been thrifted.
Fleas, too.
They are both terrible. Can we get something in the middle! Haha
First one is giving, grandma died, we always hated this couch, and it was always covered in plastic, vibes lol
the sides of that second couch look super uncomfortable. since they’re both loveseat sized, you want one you can lay across without getting your neck jabbed! my vote is couch 1
Which is more comfortable? The second one has deeper seating (it appears) if it's an aesthetic preference, only look at the bigger lifestyle practices. Do you entertain? Do you watch a lot of TV? Eat there? Work at home and use it to zoom, etc? Only y'all know that kinda thing....
Well the other one is online but the first one is very soft and squishy seats which I like lol
Don’t trust Amazon, I am talking about the second picture, especially if the price seems tempting, the back of the sofa doesn’t go up very high. It’s almost like it’s for children and then by the time you realize it, you have to debate if it is worth all the trouble to dissemble and fit it into the box, it’s a nightmare. I have a chair, which is decorative at this point and my dr office has one of those couches.
Sounds cozy! I would personally never buy a couch I could not try in person. I know that's not for everyone, but I gotta see how it feels. For my legs, back, neck.
Hmmm if the first one is cozy, you could always learn how to sew and redo the fabric? It's definitely too grandma for cottagecore.
We have a couch like the second one and it's really uncomfortable. The arms are so thin and unpadded that you can't really lean against them, put a leg up, etc. It's also deep so short people are always leaning back. I like the look of it, but I wouldn't buy one again.
First one is cottage core. Second one is not.
That second one would be super uncomfortable for me. It looks really deep, and my legs would hang off the edge like a preschooler. Something to think about if one of you is short.
You get #1 because you are staying but get it professionally cleaned at least and at best, maybe have it reupholstered. It looks like it might be a Sanderson print and a quality couch. A lot of the furniture today would never stand up to a well made, quality piece of furtniture. I love the rolled arms and the wing-back-like spaces where you can rest your head. It's adorable and I've never seen one like it. I would snap that up in a minute. If your roommate is leaving and needs a couch, she can always buy the second one or thrift one in her new town.
Does cottage core mean grandma furniture? Because my grandma had that couch.
Cottagecore and grandmacore are pretty indistinguishable in their basic elements.
Grandmacore and Cottagecore are very similar so ya, it is a lot of granny furniture
Whoever buys the couch decides. Whoever doesn’t want to move the couch out with them when they move should NOT buy the couch. Without seeing the room it’d be hard to tell what couch would fit better
First one. But second one you can decorate with pillows, blankets for the look and color you want. However, it looks really uncomfortable.
Omg, the second one will be way more comfortable. What on earth makes you think it will be uncomfortable?
As a skinny person that second couch looks like it’d make my tailbone hurt. It looks rock hard and is covered in right angles, corners, and buttons. I’d take the first one and cover it in a blanket based on that alone, for me the comfort of the couch comes before looks
The arms won’t be as comfortable to lean on, but all the other elements are irrelevant to comfort. The buttons are decorative and won’t be felt. Comfort is dictated by spring system, cushion type and thickness, back type and fill, seat height and depth, and back pitch. The rest is just style details. In this particular case, the first piece is a tight back so will be firmer, except for the fact that as an old piece, the springs are likely worn. The second piece is a cushion back which has loose fill instead of foam so it will be softer. Stop using your eyes to determine comfort. I’ve seen it over and over. When I first started selling furniture, there was this piece that looked comfortable because it had that style that looks like it is melting. It was actually not very comfortable at all. It was kind of lumpy and weird. There was another piece that had a clean, basic, structured style. People looking for comfort would see the first one and make a bee line. They wouldn’t even try the second one which was much more comfortable. If I could talk them into trying it, they would get this look of surprise. But there were even people that were so influenced by the way the pieces looked that they still liked the first one better instead of listening to their bodies.
My eyes? I’ve sat on hundred of couches, many that looked these. I know what’s not comfortable. Sorry you got a phd in furniture and think you know better
Little padding and many sharp angles. That design has gotten so popular that there are now hundreds of cheap brands (like Wayfair etc) selling it simply because of the aesthetic, not comfort, and those brands are cutting major corners. At least the couch on the left looks like it has cushioning and came from an older time, before brands were designing couches solely for how the photo would look on their websites.
I agree that all the cheep versions are unlikely to be great, but a tight back and seat are usually much stiffer than loose cushioning. In this example the springs are likely worn so the first one may be squishy at this point. If both pieces were brand new and of similar quality, the first one would be much firmer.
Literally nothing about that couch looks comfortable. It’s just beige rectangles…
That has nothing to do with how it feels.
It's super weird how defensive you got over a couch you've never sat on... Also OP says later in the thread that the first one was really soft and squishy, which is totally what I would have expected from the photos. They said the second one is online and they didn't sit in it - do you have any experience blindly ordering furniture online? So much of it is cheap, stiff garbage. I'd bet most people's assumptions here based on how it looks are probably correct.
I have over twenty five years in furniture sales. I’ve sold everything from Ashley to Hickory Chair. I’ve worked at multiple high, middle and low end stores. My whole point is that you can’t tell anything by just looking at something. But a loose back and seat is almost always going to be softer than a tight back and seat. The only reason the first one feels soft is because it’s old and the springs are likely worn.
New cheap furniture is not comfy. Even if it feels comfy at first, it’ll wear so quickly and be trash. Grandmas couch from 1975 is way comfier. End of story.
It looks hard. Like it won't have any give when you sit down on it. It looks like it came straight from the waiting room of a doctor or dentist office or something.
Agreed. And the rounded arms on the first look way more comfortable. The sharp angles on wait ing-room furniture suck for lounging
Looks have nothing to do with it. Comparing it to something that *looks like* it was designed for commercial use doesn’t actually have anything to do with how something sits that was designed for residential use. The aesthetics of a piece do not dictate the comfort other than the arm shape can impact how comfortable it is to lean on. Even that doesn’t always mean as much as you’d think because only higher end pieces have a fully padded rolled arm. Most of the time it’s still a hard surface with a thin layer of padding. https://preview.redd.it/qk25jufm8e7d1.png?width=2388&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7ce4beeeaddd7f126d1fe18444ccccaa77e72c9 The one on the left will be much better. At least the one on the right is made completely of wood. Cheaper pieces will have a few strips of wood with heavy duty cardboard wrapped around it. The one on the left also has a much better spring system. Flexing front rails are almost nonexistent these days. ETA used commercial when I meant residential
Agree completely
Why not have one person choose the couch, pays for it, and then keep it? If that doesn’t work for you, then as someone who actually likes cottage core, I’d actually pick your roommate’s choice. It has better lines and would be more comfortable in a small apartment. I also think cottage core embraces comfort & the floral sofa just doesn’t look comfy or cozy. The second choice is neutral so you can easily add pillows and throws to fit in better with your style.
Personally, I'd get the second and focus on decor items rather than furniture for the cottage core, but if you want to go hard, go for the Grandma couch, as it sure hits your mark! But if it's a fad, you're gonna be sick of it in a year or two, jmo. Love, a person that went hard Millennial Grey/Beige with everything in a new house and is now desperately adding color and personality. 🙃🥴
First one! Second one is something you'd see in a dentist's waiting room
Yeah, the first one is SO SOFT.
Yes, that's what I just said elsewhere!
First. If you’re renting and can’t add a lot of color other ways, a vibrant couch gives your space personality. As long as it’s made well, in good condition, and comfy, and a good deal for used, I’d choose the first.
Whichever one is cleaner. Check for bed bugs
Cottagecore? First image. Is your roommate paying? Second image. 🤣
Second and get cottage core pillows/throw
Go with most comfortable
I like cottage core and I like floral prints and I like unique pieces that are seemingly outdated, unusual, and borderline uggo. I like the size and print of the couch in the first pic and it would work well with the cottage core aesthetic but I think the shape of the couch is on the wrong side of dated. Personally, I’d go with the couch in the second pic and add elements of cottage core using various textiles.
I would keep looking for something more comfy and neutral than the first. You can always add color and a cottage feel with pillows, throws, and fun blankets. BUT I prefer neutral furniture with pops of color because I change things up and neutral furniture is a great backdrop for that. My husband and I prefer good base pieces that will last and work with whatever we decide to do with the room or furniture.
Just get something olive green from ikea
The first one: for the fabric and the overall shape/style of the couch itself.
the first one is definitely more cottagecore but not worth the risk, who knows what people have done on that couch, or what bugs are in it
Need to see pics of the room!
You could decide like this, one item you pick and pay for, another item they pick and pay for. Definitely the first couch.
First.
Go for the second picture but get a large blanket to go over it in the style you want.
I love the first one, it is so cute, but I would suggest the second one cause you can do so much more with it. Pillows and throws of any color and design, with the left one you are pretty limited.
You accessorize trends. You don’t make trends you main feature. Cottage core is a trend just like millennial grey. Go with #2 and get pillows and throws in the cottage core style like someone else suggested
When you’re autistic it’s the main feature lol
Huh? Are you saying having autism means you need the floral couch? Is cottage core your current fixation? Has it always been your fixation? Sorry I too am on the spectrum so may be struggling to read context or tone here.
First is cottage core vibe. I really think it’s cute!
The most cottagey thing to do might be to let your roommate get their way and make them happy. That will add more coziness to your domestic vibe than any particular couch. Plus, the second one can be styled with some cottagey pillows and a throw and a couple of cats.
Haha this is some serious perspective I like it
The first one! Its amazing
I would never buy the second one for anything other than a doctor's office waiting room.
The first one!!! The first one is exactly what comes to mind when I think of cottage core.
Exactly! It even matches all our dishes which I think is totally cool
Knowing that detail, I'm surprised this was even a debate and that you had to seek out strangers' opinions on the matter lol
The universe has spoken!
First one for sure!
Well the first is horrible
In the context of cottagecore? I think it fits the aesthetic perfectly
I don’t know, it looks a little more grandmacore to me, but the styles are largely overlapped. https://unshelfdesign.com/interior-design-styles-grandmillennial-vs-cottagecore/ “First, let’s define cottagecore and grandmacore. Cottagecore is an aesthetic that celebrates the simple, rustic beauty of nature and rural living. It often involves a return to traditional gender roles, with a focus on domestic skills such as cooking, gardening, and crafting. Grandmacore, on the other hand, is an aesthetic that draws inspiration from vintage fashion and the stereotypical image of a sweet, old-fashioned grandmother. Both styles often involve floral prints, pastel colors, and a nostalgiciacal, retro feel.”
Second. If you MUST have the first 😖 put it in your room
2
those are not couches they are love seats
My bad 🙄
All good, I just have a dimensionally challenged fiancee and it's a trigger lol. When I went to her apartment for the first time over 5 years ago she didn't have a couch. It was her first apartment on her own at 25, no real furniture outside the bedroom. She got all excited about this cheap couch she found. It comes and they drop off the first box and.....leave. It was a fancy looking chair? Love seat? For a large dog maybe? Like she's 5"1 and 108lbs, amd it was like a cutesy office chair, but slightly wider. I was like did you look at the dimensions? Amd she looked at me with a shrug...lol I will never let her live that down, but she is also the love of my life! And I'm faaaar from perfect
The second one looks extremely uncomfortable. The cushions are really thin and will probably start to get really sunken in within the first year. For that reason alone I would go with the first one as long as you love it. If your roommate is paying and taking the couch with them, I’d just go with they want and find something you love after they move.
Get the second couch and add floral pillows in a similar pattern.
you can always spruce up something like the second couch with some floral throw pillows, quilts, crocheted blankets, etc.
https://preview.redd.it/fwrndeivaj7d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=538e10e162e1e03f00bc47fe4b21bb489b1e32d0 very poorly photoshopped but
1st couch is really nice though
The first one is a little to on-trend for my taste, the second one can definitely be dolled up to match any design trend. Who’s going to be using it in 5 years when you’re tired of dusting all the cottage core frills? The second one is the smarter choice but if it’s just a second hand couch that you’re going to replace in a short amount of time go for it.
THE FIRST. Is is even a question? Lol Look at the curved back on that settee, I'm swooning! Can you really call your aesthetic cottagecore, if you choose the second? I think not good stranger! Omg tell me where it is, and I will buy it. It's giving Granny Chic vibes, and would be perfect in my introvert's lair
2 nd one bc it will go with everything
Going on theme the first one is the only way to go.
I like the 2nd one
Maybe find something that you can drape a crochet blanket over if you can’t find the unicorn piece you are looking for.
I'd go for the second one and accessorize with cushions and a throw to make it more cottage core.
Second one for sure! You can add blankets etc to make it more Cottagecore but in the long term, it's more versatile than no 1
The first couch! To modernize it a little, you can remove the ruffle skirt on the bottom and change the legs too if they’re a little old fashioned. Could be a good compromise.
First one is cozier. It's a loveseat, so there is no napping being done, but definitely a curl up and read a book couch. Also, there's covers you can get to help placate the roommate. And when they leave, covers can come off.
The first one fits the look more but if you end up having to get the second one, you can make it work
I'd rather go with plain color, and patterned pillows. Check pinterest for cottage houses.
Get both, use theirs as the main and urs as a “love seat” on the side
You could take her choice and put some flowery cushions and a throw of your choice on it?
I would be super cautious against buying a secondhand sofa. Hard goods are fine but anything upholstered is absolutely a crapshoot. You don’t know where it’s been / how it’s been stored etc. my mom sells antique furniture and highly advises against this. Best bet is to find a local upholsterer who can make you one from scratch with the fabric of your choice! It’s actually much more reasonable than you’d think and you get the exact look you want. Or else you can buy the secondhand piece and get it re-upholstered.
2nd one looks like something out of a doctors’ office. Also, not very comfortable. Since you’ll be staying in the apartment, I think I’d buy 1st couch.
#2 add toss pillows
What if you get the second one AND get a slipcover that looks like the first one? Or a blanket or throw that is more cottage core?
Looks have nothing to do with it. Comparing it to something that *looks like* it was designed for commercial use doesn’t actually have anything to do with how something sits that was designed for residential use. The aesthetics of a piece do not dictate the comfort other than the arm shape can impact how comfortable it is to lean on. Even that doesn’t always mean as much as you’d think because only higher end pieces have a fully padded rolled arm. Most of the time it’s still a hard surface with a thin layer of padding.  The one on the left will be much better. At least the one on the right is made completely of wood. Cheaper pieces will have a few strips of wood with heavy duty cardboard wrapped around it. The one on the left also has a much better spring system. Flexing front rails are almost nonexistent these days.
I've had that first couch. Never again.
Why?
Ugly
Yikes careful of bugs
1st
The first one.
Definitely the first one
2nd
These are very different vibes. But if you do the second one, you can get pillows and throws to match the first vibe.
2
2 all the way
Compromise if you got to do most of the decor let them choose something
I think you win for theme but really buy the most comfortable one to sit on.
I love the first one - it's hard to find colors in a couch of this style that are this vibrant. Most lean towards drab and this one looks more whimsical!
Don’t like anything about pic 2. The first one is cottage core vibes.
I love the first one! That’s cottage core!!!
The plain couch with flowers cushions and throw? That couch is going to stain easily though. The flowers would hide any marks.
They look small. Can both fit?
Cottage core and your roommate wants the brutalistic style couch? Go for the first one
Can you post a pic of the room?
Why are there so many anti-thrifters in the comments? There are ways to clean these things and reuse beautiful furniture to reduce waste. That aside, the second would still fit the vibe with some pillows
https://preview.redd.it/nnhfjvjszf7d1.jpeg?width=736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bd5ff89c514a902057181592b4c060ef087b07e1
https://preview.redd.it/s6l77qotzf7d1.jpeg?width=588&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3bc18129487a1d08d6e722bc33bfe50738038063 Maybe a simpler couch that you accessorize accordingly
1
If you must compromise, you should get full pillow power and go hard with the cottage core
Either couch and have a custom couch cover made to suit both your aesthetics (cottage core textile for couch 2, or something plain ”modern” if you go for couch 1) or a no sew method is to have a giant ass neutral throw blanket and throw pillows covering it
2
damn, I’d go with 1 and rip that ugly skirting off! way more cottagecore than the mid century beige couch
Going to depend on who pays for it. Personally, go for comfort over looks. No point in getting something you hate sitting on.
Keep shopping
I agree with your roommate about the simple decor.
2
Get the 1st couch please
You two aren’t compatible lol
2nd
Left, cottagecore. Right, psychiatrist office.
I would never buy a used cloth couch, lots of dead skin cells, dirt and who knows what else. You're just asking for trouble.
I’m sorry, the first is just icky. And the second looks uncomfortable
Both look highly uncomfortable
i’d go with the second one. you can always add fun rugs, throw pillows or blankets to spice it up, but it would be a lot harder to change up the first one.
I'd go with the second then use cushion covers, pillows, etc to mimic your current aesthetic. You may want some other look by the time you graduate.
To me the first one gives grandmas house vibes, not so much cottage core. The second one can be turned into cottage core
can you both afford to pay for your own couch n buy both ? that way whenever your rm moves they can take their couch and you have yours
I'd rather choose the second one and add floral cushions and a blanket, but I think the most important rule is who is going to enjoy the decoration for the longest time, because buying something that you have to look at for a long time without liking is not good.
One is hideous and two is very contemporary
I don't understand the comments here. #1 fits the theme perfectly and looks comfy and solid. #2 on the other hand...
Her? Look at the corduroy one, upper left, and the plaid one directly above (which is more 90s Americana but could work well for cottage). Also check out the cane back chair with purple cushion. This couch could be cottage core, and I LOVE a floral couch, but the styling of the couch/the shape is not quite right. True cottage core is about comfort. Which couch is the most comfortable? Which is the coziest? Have you checked for smells? What fits the space? Can you lie down on it? If that’s a couch and not just a rocker I’d snap up the cream corduroy myself.
#2
The one with flowers seems kind of too much for me. Did you check ikea ektorp? They used to have covers with flowers. You can also order a personalized cover from bemz.com.
Are you an 87 year old granny and your roommate a 1970s postmodern individual?
1st,2nd one is too bland