Advice on sectionals

[erv917]

I searched old threads on this, but none were very recent so I thought I'd see if anyone has any up to date thoughts. We are considering replacing our (way past it's prime!) sectional and I'm wondering if anyone else has purchased one recently. Currently we have a really large Rowe sectional with a chaise. It has removable and washable slipcovers, but removing and cleaning them is quite a process, and the fabric is just too worn to really be salvaged. Based on this experience, I'm thinking I definitely want a neutral color, likely beige (current sectional is Ivory-thought that would be ok because it's washable-NOPE!) and a very durable fabric resists and hides stains! Undecided if it's worth prioritizing removable slipcovers again-it's nice to have the option, but if something can be cleaned well in place that might be fine too. Current sofa has all detached cushions (both back and seats) which tends to look really messy, so I'd like to avoid that if possible. Style wise we lean towards a transitional, "Crate and Barrel-esque" look. Don't care for the look or feel of leather. Budget is probably best described as mid-range-definitely willing to pay more than an Ikea type of price for something with some longevity, but hate to overspend just for the name as I know places like Pottery Barn often have big markups. If you've bought an investment type of piece and feel it's worth it, I'd love to hear about that too!

Thanks for any suggestions!

[georgiegirl]

Check out Room and Board. We bought two sofas from there last year, and they are awesome! They have sectionals as well. We are the Ian sofa, and it’s supportive and comfortable.


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[Kestrel]

Is it just the fabric that's "past it's prime"? If so, removable covers are extremely easy to have a upholstery shop make in a new fabric/print.

No advice on full replacement, but we took a removable recliner cover and had it re-made in less that two weeks for less than $100. Much cheaper than replacing a comfy chair we loved, but that had been dog chewed/spilled on/puked on/bled on... ect. ect.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Macy’s
Value City (I was surprised by their inventory)
Ashley
Lazy Boy
Look for a local mid priced store. We have a big chain that has a lot of great stuff at Macy’s type prices.


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[twowhat?]

I'm actually in the process of working with someone to make a washable custom slipcover for our sectional, which we got from Bassett and is about 7 (?) years old and definitely has that C&B look with it's simple modern angled/square lines (no rounded arms). The fact that the covers are not currently removable/washable is THE ONE THING I hate about it! We have had it professionally cleaned but someone has to come into your home, and then it's wet for at least a day...and sometimes you want to clean just the cushion that the dog put a muddy pawprint on...

With a custom slipcover, I get to pick the fabric so right now I'm leaning towards a very sturdy 100% cotton canvas in a lighter greige or maybe a khaki tone (not super light like ivory/linen), maybe a stonewashed canvas for a more broken-in casual look.

If your sectional cushions are in good shape, this could be an option for you and would be cheaper than buying a new sectional. If you still want it to be washable, I have heard good things about the Lovesac Sactional.

Consider loose cushions again IF the design is such that you can flip cushions around to rotate them. That's how ours are and it's been great to be able to rotate them evenly for wear. Loose cushions are also much easier to slipcover.

eta: Kestrel, I cannot BELIEVE you got a recliner slipcover made for only $100. That is insane. The slipcover maker I'm using is on the cheaper side already but a custom slipcover for an armchair would cost a few hundred dollars in labor only. Fabric is on top of that. For our very large 7-piece sectional, labor costs alone will be on the order of $1500. I'm trying to find an awesome fabric deal to keep the fabric within a few hundred dollars but at the same time I want a good quality fabric because that's what'll last longest. Couch cushions can easily be rebuilt (cluster polyfill/batting/etc).

[marinkitty]

Seconding Room and Board. Our sectional from there sounds like what you are looking for (it is the York, I believe) and is 10 years old and looks like new. We did a custom fabric from R&B that is sort a matte velvet that is indestructible, and we have multiple cats so pet hair and claws are both issues here. We do not have slip covers. The cushions are structured so they don't get sloppy.

[erv917]

Thanks so much everyone! Lots of good food for thought. I’m not in a huge hurry to purchase (not like we’re hosting anyone these days to see our destroyed current sectional!) so once I make a decision I’m likely to keep any eye out for a sale before buying.

One other question-does anyone have any feedback on the Lovesac sactional, or that type of modular setup in general?

[legaleagle]

We've had the R&B york sectional for about 12 years and it's held up great. Our 16 year old C&B couches have also held up very well. Those have removable cotton slipcovers that have faded over the years (mostly from being in front of the window) and have been washed many times because kids are gross, but the structure and cushions are still in good shape.

[AnnieW625]

We had plans to get a sectional with our new houses because we have the space for it in a corner wall, but we ended up getting a leather two piece sofa/loveseat combo (on sale at a local furniture store’s going out of business sale) and we are really happy we did because we were able to move the pieces around vs. having them in one set place. I actually thought the combo would work in the same space as a sectional may have, but we ended up moving it a few times before we found a space for it because we didn’t like the original space we had picked out for the couch. We wouldn’t have had that option with a traditional sectional and we wouldn’t have liked the space where we thought the sectional would’ve gone.

In general I have heard good things about sectionals from friends from a variety of stores like Macy’s, Ikea, LaZBoy, Pottery Barn, Costco, and Crate & Barrel just to make a few. I have never known anyone IRL who has a Room & Board sectional or couch. We were definitely thinking of checking them out though before we found the great deal at our local store.


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[twowhat?]

Thanks so much everyone! Lots of good food for thought. I’m not in a huge hurry to purchase (not like we’re hosting anyone these days to see our destroyed current sectional!) so once I make a decision I’m likely to keep any eye out for a sale before buying.

One other question-does anyone have any feedback on the Lovesac sactional, or that type of modular setup in general?

Our sectional isn't a Lovesac (it's from Bassett Furniture and is a slightly smaller scale version of the Beckham. But it's fully modular (though not quite as modular as the Sactional which I think lets you also remove and reposition the arms). But we have 2 corner pieces, and 3 "armless chair" pieces, and 2 ottomans. We normally arrange in an "L" configuration, using the ottomans to create chaises at the ends. But in the winter, we break it apart into a long 3-seat sofa (using both corner pieces + 1 "armless chair" in the middle), and 2 armless chairs in order to let more of the seats have a view of the fireplace (we have a tough room layout with the TV and fireplace on opposite sides of the room). I like that we can totally take it apart and reconfigure it like this. All of the cushions are loose as well...something that little kids would LOVE...you can turn your sectional into easy couch forts this way.

Modularity is definitely something to consider if you think you will rearrange your furniture. It would also allow you to break a large sectional up into smaller pieces of furniture that could potentially even go into different rooms. I also like that we can rotate the cushions around to even out wear (there are always a couple of seats that take more traffic).