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The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Couch That Lasts





If you’re looking for inexpensive sectionals, check out this gallery of 20 beautiful sectional sofas under $1000.

1) Signature Design by Ashley Larkinhurst Sofa | 2) Riverstone Purple Velvet Sectional | 3) Poundex F7859 Bobkona Parrish Leather Sectional | 4) Poundex F7614 Bobkona Toffy Chaise Sectional | 5) Poundex Bobkona Belinda SECTIONAL | 6) Modway Empress Sectional Sofa | 7) Modern Contemporary Sectional Sofa | 8) Modern Contemporary Polyfiber Sectional Sofa | 9) Poundex F7769 Bobkona Cady Sectional | 10) Poundex F7609 Bobkona Chaise Sectional | 11) Modern Contemporary Leather Sectional Sofa | 12) Homelegance 2 Piece Tufted Accent Sectional Sofa | 13) Gold Sparrow Atlanta Sectional Sofa | 14) Flash Furniture Benchcraft Maier Sectional | 15) Coaster Fine Furniture 501681 Leather Sofa | 16) Classic Two Tone Large Sectional Sofa | 17) Benchcraft Maier Sectional Chaise | 18) Ashley Furniture Signature Design – Darcy Chaise Sofa | 19) 3 pieces Faux Linen Sectional Sofa | 20) Poundex Bobkona Viola Linen-like Chaise |

Oh, the pivotal first couch purchase…it’s possibly the most expensive, most used, and most permanent piece of furniture you buy for your home. No pressure 🙂

About 3 years ago we were moving into our first house and ready to buy our first couch. It was time to retire the hand me down couch I used in college. We headed out to our local furniture store to buy a couch. Before shopping I knew two things: I wanted a sectional and a neutral color. That’s it.

There were about 7 sectionals we considered in the store. We looked at them, sat on them, checked the prices, and an hour later we purchased our first couch.

I liked it, but as soon as it was delivered, I discovered it was a tight fit in our small living room. There was about 12 inches for a walkway between the sofa and the wall which is much too small. I measured the room before we headed out to the furniture store, but I don’t think I took into account you need room for walkways. Then, after a few months, the cushions started to “slide” out of place and I noticed some pilling of the upholstery.

To be honest, there are many things I don’t like about our sectional (see our sectional in our living room here. I split it up and put the other half of the sectional in the basement). I regret rushing the decision and not doing ANY research beforehand so I had a better idea of what couch worked best for the space and was well-made.

The last few months I’ve been busy redecorating our living room to better align with my signature decorating style and to fit my new mission of simple decorating and minimizing the extra stuff. With a mini living room makeover, I was in search for a new sofa. This time I wanted to do my research and find a quality piece of furniture that is comfortable, fits in the space, yet looks pretty that we will have for years.

I learned the hard way that not all couches are equal. Which is why you want to make sure you do your research to find a quality couch that can hold up to the daily use for years to come. With a little research, you can make an educated decision and confidently choose a couch that will last.

Before I get into it, I want to preface by saying couches are expensive. If you want one that will last you 15 or more years, you’ll probably want to invest in a higher quality couch that may be a bit more expensive than you had anticipated.

Spending $2,000 to $3,000 on a couch you’ll have for the next 15 years is well worth it and saves you money in the long run than if you purchased 4 $900 mediocre couches over the years. However, you shouldn’t go way over budget and buy a couch way out of your price range.

The Story of our Second Sofa

It sounds weird, but I actually prefer to shop for couches online. Before you gasp and think what a terrible idea that is, hear me out.

In my particular city, we don’t have a ton of options for furniture stores. I was not impressed with the store we bought our first sectional from and it seems silly to eliminate allllll the wonderful sofa options available online. I also find it a lot easier to compare sofa specs side by side when I’m at home and can actually measure it out right there in the space.

The one thing you can’t test when shopping online, obviously, is comfort. This time I knew I wanted a wider seat than the sectional and that I liked down filled cushions, so I had a much better idea of what I was looking for. If you don’t know, you should definitely test lots of different cushions in the store to get a feel for what you like before searching for couches online.

During my hunt for a new sofa, I came across Article, an online brand for quality modern furniture at affordable prices. I was so impressed with the quality of their furniture (it clearly states each sofa’s description on their site) and the variety of beautiful styles.

Each sofa is made with kiln-dried wood and wooden corner blocks so they are all high-quality durable couches that will last with a variety of upholstery options to choose from. Article seriously makes shopping for sofas online so easy because you have the specs for every sofa at your finger tips.

Article has so many beautiful sofas, but I instantly fell in love with the Sitka. It’s has down blend filled cushions with a beautiful woven white upholstery. The sleek modern style definitely aligns with my style and the less bulky cushions and low arms was a better scale for our living room’s size.


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