I searched high and low for the perfect sofas for our family room: Wayfair, TheBay, BoConcept, UrbanBarn, eq3, RoveConcepts, Kavuus, Structube, etc. You name it, I searched it. I wasn’t willing to wait until the pandemic was over to shop in-store for a couch. So I took the plunge and purchased an Article sofa online without seeing it in person or testing it out.
For those who aren’t familiar with Article (formerly called Bryght), it is an online-only, direct-to-consumer company that offers modern furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom, etc. They don’t have any showrooms and the shipping is usually free (you have to spend over 999$, or else shipping is around 49$).
Before purchasing the sofa, I ordered a bunch of fabric swatches to make sure I liked the feel of the fabric as well as the color. Article sent over 10 different swatches which made my decision much easier. By the way, I discovered that most furniture stores now send free swatches, even Wayfair, which is worth taking advantage of in my opinion.
If you have any questions about the sofas, Article is quick to respond by email or by chat. I also enjoyed viewing the sofas on the “Article, In Real Life” part of their website. The reviews seem to be honest (and not bought) and there are also a lot of reviews on Youtube which I found to be helpful since you can see the sofas in real life and how they look after a few months of usage.
My criteria were the following: modern-looking/mid-century modern, deep, long enough for Tyler to lay on comfortably, and most importantly, a durable fabric (oh, and less than 1500$ each). We own two cats and a dog that are way too privileged and live on our couches so I knew the fabric had to hide cat hair, paw prints, wasn’t going to invite the cats to use it as a scratching post, and that would be easily wipeable.
After months of searching and reading endless reviews on every existing sofa out there, I finally opted for the Famili Haze sofa, which unfortunately isn’t being sold anymore (I can’t believe it! Hopefully, it comes back because it is a great couch). Here are very similar options though, all from Article: Solna, Nova, Sven. I can’t guarantee that the fabric is as resistant, but you can always contact Article customer service and they will tell you which sofas are more durable and stain resistant.
I ordered the sofas in early January (there was a sale for Boxing Day, but don’t count on sales because they rarely happen), and we received them at the end of February. After having owned these sofas for about 4 months, I am still pleased with my purchase. They are undeniably comfortable, the cat hair barely shows, they are easy to clean, and they seem to be keeping their shape pretty well (fyi, we use them often, as well as the pets). Compared to other stores like Kavuus and TheBay, the price was right.
The only thing that is slightly annoying is that there is a bit of a gap between the seat cushion and the armrest, but I’m ok with it (I had read a review saying it had this problem so I knew what I was getting myself into). All in all, I give this sofa an 8 out of 10. Tyler gives it a 7/10 (he prefers a sofa with back cushions that aren’t removable, and a sofa that is more marshmallow-ish).
If you are hesitant about buying a sofa online, Article is a safe-enough bet with its free fabric swatches, good customer service and decent return policy. If you decide your piece isn’t quite right, you have up to 30 days from the date of delivery to return your item for a fee of about 50$. You can also exchange the sofa for free.
Happy decorating!
The Roses