Bright Idea: Clawfoot Tub Turned Sofa

Ruff House Art

This sofa gives new meaning to bathing beauty.

Inspired by the cast-iron-and-velvet lounger they spotted in several scenes of "Breakfast at Tiffany's", design duo Jared and Jill Morrison of Ruff House Art have taken to classic claw-foot tubs. Their work, which I discovered on Etsy, consists mainly of letterpress stationery, oddly enough, but the couple is also in the business of transforming antique tubs into adorable one-of-a-kind sofas.

Two models currently in production date back to 1880 and 1910 and "have a ton of soul and character that you just don't find in modern furniture," Jill says. The idea came to her when trying to design a "retro" game room for her own home.

Each couch, which takes four weeks to produce -- quelling my momentary "I can make that!" insanity -- is handmade with colors and cushion fabrics chosen by the client. The aqua-and-paisley rendition, above, was designed for an American Spirit Tobacco marketing tour.

Weighing in at 225 pounds a piece, shipping can get pricey (unless you live in Lawrence, Kan. where the sofas are made and pickup is free). But the $1,700 price tag seems reasonable otherwise, for a bit of custom-made, turn-of-the-century glamour. Holly Golightly thought so, anyway.

Photo: fancyfornyc.com