New furniture & snag with old furniture

 So the furniture we ordered from Ashley Furniture less than 4 weeks ago arrived today! Woohoo!  Now, I'm a little sentimental about my old furniture and I'll tell you why.  Back in mid 2004 I was 4 years out of college, 3 years into my career as an ad exec for local television stations, and this furniture was my first major purchase as an adult. My apartment had nothing but old donations from my parents.  So this was the first time I picked something out myself.  And I was able to afford it with cash thanks to how expensive advertising was in 2004 due to it being a presidential election year and a summer Olympic year. My single largest commission check was that summer just about to start my second year at the NBC station in Charleston West Virginia.  Ah - think back to what an innocent time 2004 was LOL.  Bush running for second term.  And I thought that was bad. Bwahahaha.  How naive I was.  But do you remember your first "I'm an adult!" major purchase? I mean sure, I had been living on my own for 3 years, paying rent and bills.  But this.  This was my choice.  Not only did I purchase the couch from Lazyboy and a chair & ottoman from Ashley.  I picked out end tables (that are now our nighstands in our bedroom), artwork (photo of Grand Canyon that's now in our dining room), wall sconces, pillows and a throw.  I mean I chose the entire look of that room to express 25 year old single working woman me.   

But after 16 and a half years, it was time for a new set - couch & chair. And thanks to the stimulus check that hit our account covering almost half the cost, this was our contribution to the economy.  Would have liked to have "shopped local" but all furniture around here is pretty much big box; but hopefully our sales gal at least got a commission.  

So about 15 years ago my brother bought a new couch that had this feature where the center back of the couch folded down as a table for between either side that I thought was just cool.  But having just recently purchased my black leather couch, it would just have to be envy.  But now we own one as Jeff agreed for us, it's a nice feature.  It also has cubbie holes in the arm rests for secret food and keeping junk out of site.

 Here it is with the center table folded down.  It didn't come in black so it's a realy deep chocolate brown.  I had set aside my laptop and little lap desk on it as I'm working from home.  The table also has two outles, USB port and two cup holders.  Shown here with White Sox mascot Southpaw pillowpet, that yes we talk to as if he's a real pet.  Because we're weird like that.  Power recliner and power headrest.  Feel like Chandler and Joey when they got new recliners.  Aaaahhhh!  And without how poofy the chair & ottoman we had were, we have about 3x3 feet of extra space now.  

But I had thought, at least I don't have to say goodbye completely yet to my old set as it would go down in the basement as we refinish it until we can pay for new stuff.  But there there is a problem.  Turns out we can't fit it down there.  Access to our basement is tucked under our stairs leading upstairs.  So along a wall, we have a little cut out that's about 3ft by 3ft. One side, is the basement door, the other is our downstairs coat closet. If you stand the couch on it's end, it's too tall to fit thru the door.  If you lay it down, it can't make the little turn.  So not only can we not have that old couch, we can't have any couch down there that is a) not a a sectional and b) is wider or taller that 3ft in order to pass the doorway.  So it might take a little longer for the basement to "look" totally finished if we don't have furniture for the TV area.  And now I need to go learn a bit about sectionals.  

Stairs down the door
to the left, closet opposite. Maybe 3x3 nook