As Definitions Go, ‘Ugly’ Picks Up 2,143 More

To some, it may seem a dubious honor, but it doesn’t seem so to Mary Scoggins of Portland, Ore. She won the nationwide Ugly Couch Contest sponsored by Sure Fit, the maker of furniture slipcovers. Scoggins won a new couch for having her old couch selected from 2,143 entries as the ugliest.

The director of marketing for Sure Fit, Liana Toscanini, says it was a tough decision. “Every couch was ugly in its own special way.”

Scoggins described her couch pattern as “Early Fireworks.”

Other entrants used the following descriptions for their ugly couches:

“It is the kind of couch that Martha Stewart would be shown to if Hell had a waiting room.”

“It’s older than O.J.’s trial and there are no alternatives.”

“My couch cries out for Kervorkian.”

Decorating help: For those who think their furniture ensemble needs some help, the La-Z-Boy Chair Co. is offering a free brochure that includes plans for decorating and a grid with furniture templates so you can develop a plan that fits your room.

For a copy of the La-Z-Boy Decorating guide, call (800) 625-3246.

On the move: The prime moving season is just about over - studies show about 40 percent of the people who move each year do so between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

U-Haul says the top 10 destinations through the early months of the year were, in order: Los Angeles; Atlanta; Houston; Dallas; Orange County, Calif.; Detroit; Chicago; Sacramento; Portland, Ore., and San Diego.

The company offers a free Moving Guide that includes tips for packing, including how many boxes and rolls of tape you’ll need. Stop by the U-Haul location nearest you to pick up a guide.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo