A review of our Arhaus sectional

February 20, 2017

I like to update you on some of our bigger purchases occasionally and this Arhaus Landsbury sofa was probably our biggest furniture purchase ever for our home. I get asked about this piece ALL the time, even years later. We bought our family room sectional from Arhaus six years ago after we paid off our mound of debt. I was SO excited about this purchase and researched the best sofa for months

I updated you on it a few years ago and it was still doing well for the most part. But over the years since then I've grown more and more frustrated with this sofa and decided it was time to share our review after years of use.

Because our experience, we won't be spending extra on a sofa again. There are definite pros and cons with this one and I'll be sure to list those below. 

Here's a look at the sectional as it looks 95 percent of the time: 
Landsbury Arhaus sofa review after six years

Usually the pillows are on the floor so this is pretty good. ;) 

Overall the construction of the sofa has held up beautifully. It is a solid, heavy sectional and there is no give or creaking or any sign of it falling apart any time soon. For six years old and daily use, that's pretty good. 

Our issues are with the cushions. It has gotten to the point that they drive. me. crazy. Most of the seat cushions are still holding up well, but one has started to flatten out: 
Arhaus sofa review

It's hard to see just how much it's changed shape here, but it looks different than all of the other cushions and the front on one side sticks out quite a bit. (Probably a good three inches past the base.) I've tried to fix it but nothing works. You'd think it was from overuse but I rotate the cushions (flip and move locations) every few months. 

The bigger issue and the reason this sofa has started to drive me crazy are the back cushions: 
Down filled back cushions on couch

For two reasons. One, you can kind of see here that every back cushion is now two-toned. :) The top part is a different color from the bottom. We purchased the protection plan but when we called about this issue we were told this wasn't covered. Of course. 

The bigger problem is that they do not hold their shape. At all. Ever. It is so frustrating: 
Down filled back cushions on sofa

We purchased this sofa specifically because it had down-filled back cushions. That was my mistake, but I had no idea it would turn into this. They are comfortable -- but I would much rather have a firm back pillow that holds it's shape instead. 

I used to be able to fluff these up with my hands pretty easily, but those days are gone. The fill has separated inside and I have to take the entire cover off and try to move everything around to make them even again. 

And finally -- the fabric is called micro denier and for years I was thrilled with it. It is very similar to microfiber but without the "shadows" look that the latter has. I didn't want the shadowy look -- although you can see in the photos above that there is still some of that. 

It was like this magical fabric for years -- anything that spilled on here we could wipe off with a wet rag. No cleaners, just water. It was AWESOME! I don't know what is going on lately (I'd say the past six months), but it's stopped working. I can't explain it. They'll wipe away a bit but when it dries it comes back. I'm pretty sure a professional cleaning would take care of it, but I miss how easy it was to clean! 

I have NO idea how long a sofa should last. Maybe six years with daily use is pretty good? Who knows. Here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of this Arhaus sectional: 

PROS:
  • The construction of the actual sofa is excellent. It doesn't bow, wobble or make noises when we sit. It is a solid sectional. 
  • For years I loved how easy it was to clean the fabric. LOVED.
  • We needed a small sectional and they were the only store I found that could offer such a small sectional (not just a sofa with a chaise).
  • The seating on the sofa is deep and comfy. 
CONS:
  • The back down-filled cushions drive me MAD. They do not hold their shape and always, always look messy. Unless I spend 30 minutes punching and reshaping them that is. :) 
  • The fabric discolored quickly and the protection plan does not cover it. 
  • The seat cushions are starting to lose their shape as well and there's not much we can do about that.
Would I do it again? Probably not, not for what we paid. I expected it to be a quality sofa for a good 10 years. 

Here's how it looks after some fluffing: 

Review of Arhaus sectional

Review of Arhaus sofa after six years

But two of us sat on it this morning and the dog plopped onto the back and now it's right back looking like it did in the first photo. ;) I've honestly given up on trying to keep the back pillows tamed -- when we have company over I just do my best to make them look decent. 

Someday I want something a little more streamlined in here (now I'm more drawn to something with a smaller arm like our sofa in the living room), but for now we continue to enjoy the comfort and hate. the. cushions. Ha! 

Have you had a good or bad experience with this sofa? Do you have one you love? I know this is a topic many of you are interested in at one point or another! 

Edited to add: Arhaus contacted me and graciously offered to replace our back cushion inserts. We are so appreciative! 


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Comments

  1. You can have those cushions re-stuffed by a professional upholsterer. I'd also ask about having the fabric cleaned and treated for stain resistance. Those coatings don't last forever.

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  2. This is great info, thank you! It's hard to imagine putting more money into it at this point though. We'll probably just keep fluffing. :)

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    1. Hi Sarah, my name is Kelly Zitzman and I am Director of Guest Experience from Arhaus. You have a wonderful blog! I appreciate all of the comments about your Landsbury sectional and would like to speak to you about it at your convenience. You may reach me at 866-427-4287, option 4 and ask to be transferred to me. I look forward to hearing from you.

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    2. I also have an Arhaus sofa that I spent a lot of money on in 2011. My back cushions are fine however the seat cushions on each side of the sectional are flattened like you describe. This is a two person household, no kids. As Im sitting on it now, the edge is literally 1 1/2 inches thick. Ive been very diligent by rotating these cushions. I truly expected more out of this sofa especially for the price. I recently called Arhaus and replacement cushions are $130 each. I would need two. As I recall, these cushions have a spring core, foam surround, and topped with down. The lady on the phone said these sofas are well made and high quality and should last a very long time and gave me "fluffing" instructions- for coils and foam? While the effort was appreciated, today I wanted to see if I was the only one having issues with these cushions which lead me to your blog. I had my first sofa ($450) from JC Penny for 13 years and the foam seat cushions were never an issue. I simply fell in love with the Arhaus sofa and had to have it so I ditched my old one. I seriously doubt I'd ever spend this much on a sofa again, at least not from Arhaus. In our home, we have multiple Arhaus pieces

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    3. The only reason we bought all of our furniture at Arhaus was because of the lifetime cushion replacement. The cushions did not last and Arhaus did replace them (2011)and they did last for a little while. When we went to replace them again, we were told they don't have the replacement program anymore and didn't honor the lifetime free replacement. We still have this furniture and have been living with incredibly flat bottom cushions and unfluffable back cushions for around 8 or 9 years now. Because of this it has also caused the slip covers to wear out prematurely. We spent around $7000.00 on this investment, which as a newly married, this was a very big. The furniture itself has held up well with 5 kiddos, however the cushions have not. We could have purchased our furniture anywhere, but chose Arhaus because of the quality, warranty and lifetime cushion replacement. I do wish companies would standby there commitments and honor what is being sold to the customer. Laurie

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  3. Hey, at least the pillows and cushions on the floor make the place look comfy! :)

    Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
    http://charmainenyw.com

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  4. Every time we've purchased a sofa from Ethan Allen, they outlive my attention span (desire to redecorate) and whenever I've purchased a sofa from anywhere else I've been disappointed and replaced within a few years. Seriously, E/A will not disappoint; at least they haven't disappointed us. We purchased a sectional (four armless chairs and two corner chairs) close to 40 years ago and our daughter is using those pieces now; they look great (DH did build new feet for them to update them a bit and they've been reupholstered a couple of times but only because I tired of the fabric); they simply don't die!

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    1. I agree! I inherited my mom's Ethan Allen furniture.. A few of the pieces were from 1956. They have been reupholstered but other than fabric changes nothing was replaced. You can't beat that....

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    2. Yes, but just about everything seemed to be of much better quality 40-50 years ago. So many companies seem to be sacrificing much quality for the almighty dollar. What is their current quality like?

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    3. We absolutely love our Eathan Allen sofa. It was an investment financially but a quality piece. Just solid and excellent craftsmanship. I come from a family of Eathan Allen fans where the furniture has been reupholstered and passed on through the next generation.

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    4. I agree about Ethan Allen. I have an armchair that I purchased in 1970 and my daughter has the matching one. They have been recovered one time only and are as solid as rocks. Also, I'm still using the same EA trestle dining room table purchased at the same time in '70 and while the chairs are gone, the table is still going strong and sturdy as ever. It's a good thing EA lasts, as I no longer can afford EA furniture, but if you can, it's worth the expense.

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    5. My experience with Ethan Allen is the same -the very highest quality and hands down will last as long as you want them. Highly recommend anything from EA, it is made in the USA as well.

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    6. I agree with the Ethan Allen experience. I bought a couch and love seat from Ethan Allen 10 years ago. They have a tight back without cushions. It is in our family room and sees daily rough use from our four kids. They still look brand new. I couldn't be happier with them. I sound like a commercial, but I have other couches that don't look as nice and have not held up well.

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  5. I have a very similar fabric and colored couch from a different vendor and had the same problems with my down filled back pillows. I added a bunch of the cheap down 20x20 pillows from IKEA into the backs of mine (and kept the original ones as well) and it has helped tremendously (we also have a dog that kills the fluff in one of them, but the ones we routinely use have stayed nicely). I also wash my cushions in our front loader washing machine on cold and air dry and have had no issues, even though they're supposed to be professionally cleaned. I have done this with all our couches. I had a baby that spit up all the time and I figured what was the worst that could happen?!

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  6. Pillows/cushions on couches will deflate like this. It is routine to need to fill them because they settle over time. You should be able to unzip them and put more filling in them. The store you bought it from should sell filling for this purpose. But I'm sure you can get it online too. It will make a world of difference. Promise.

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    1. That's what we did. I bought pillow stuffing from a fabric store and stuffed it especially in the corners. They look better than original.

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  7. I bought a couch with loose back cushions once. Never again!

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    1. FYI, all of our Ethan Allen sofas have/had loose back cushions and they have never shifted or been any issue at all.

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    2. Seeing those loose back cushions makes me start to twitch. Never have been my favorite - EVER!!
      Good luck with that.

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    3. Me too! It was a Broyhil. It is still usable and it's in the basement, but I don't like how it pushed down the cushions.

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  8. About 4 years ago we bought a custom sofa from Bassett. I did the upgraded springs in the seat cushions and also down on seat and back. There cushions have foam and then a down surround so they are holding their shape pretty well. Even then, I still have to refluff and reshape the back cushions often. Overall I'm not impressed with the sofa for the price. It was expensive. It just always looks a little sloppy. I almost would rather get something cheap and replace every few years when I get bored with it.

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    1. Missy, that's what we do. Even though Ashley couches aren't the highest quality, we usually buy a new Ashley couch every few years. They don't last forever, BUT neither does my taste :) We can always find something that looks current, and then we sell it on Craigslist a few years later and get a new "current" couch with no guilt!

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  9. One of the reasons our Arhaus Ballard sofa has lasted as long as it has, is because we were part of the free replacement cushion program (when they had it). It was (and still is) AWESOME. It literally has given my sofa nine lives. I've bought replacement slipcovers too (the one from Ballard Designs fit), and it has held up beautifully as a result. Now they offer a three year warranty on the cushions, and I have had some replaced on other Arhaus pieces with that warranty. Our latest sectional is nice, but we've had issues with the frame (which has been fixed for free), but we've also gotten replacement cushions out of it as a result of the frame having issues. It's all about the cushions!

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  10. We bought the Landsubry sectional based off of your first review of it. We've had ours for 2 years now and I still love it. But yes every morning I have to "refulff" the back cushions. Sometimes I wish the back cushions were attached so they couldn't slump down. I actually just gave ours a good steam cleaning today and it still looks brand new. But I probably won't ever spend this much on a sectional again unless we can get 10-12 years out of this one.

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    1. Be careful what you wish for. My daughter bought a couch with back cushions attached and while it was a good thing for a while, eventually the weight of people leaning against the cushions and the roughness of children, they started to tear where they were sewn to the back - with no way to repair it without completely reupholstering. Looked good for a while, though.

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  11. We spent good money on a floor sample sofa and chair from Stickley when we got married and it's still going strong over 11 years later. I think brands really vary widely. I fully expect our Stickley to last is a lifetime. Maybe it will need to be recovered at some point, but furniture really should last. The only thing I think that needs to be replaced is mattress. And, maybe some inexpensive filler pieces. I'm still for spending on heavy use items. You do have to be careful on construction. A lot of catalog stores just don't have the quality to match their prices.

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    1. This is so funny Elizabeth! I just posted about Stickley as well!

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  12. When you are ready consider Stickley. I thought they only made mission style pieces (with the slatted wood look) but not true. We purchased a three cushion couch 10 years ago and it still looks like new to me. It provides wonderful support and has had many naps taken on it. It was our only furniture set for 4 years of toddlers and us. Now it is used part-time. ;) The cushions are solid still. When I bought it (our first full room furniture buy with my fabric brought to them) the seller/designer told me my girls would have this when I am gone. I believe him from what I have seen to date. I'm glad you brought this up because I will consider them again after moving to our new home.
    https://stickley.com/OurProducts.cfm?Collection=FineUpholstery

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  13. As Dawn said in her comment, you cannot go wrong with Ethan Allen. After 20 years, our sofa looked new. However, it went off to college with our daughter as I was tired of it. It floated around for the 4 yrs she was away & was passed on to a new group of college kids when she left. I still have a chair purchased from EA in 1985. Still looks great & 'sits' well. I made the mistake of purchasing a couch with loose back pillows (also down). Drove me nuts, too and I gave it to a friend who had no furniture. Never again. We have had leather now for 10-12 years as we have 5 grandsons ;-) & had a big Lab for several of those years. Sofas are comfy & look great. As someone else said, you can replace the 'filling' in those back cushions. You can probably replace the down with a new, firmer type material.

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  14. I have down cushions on my couch as well. I've actually put bed pillows behind the down ones to stiffen them up a little. I used firm pillows. It has worked pretty well.

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  15. My husband and I have the Pottery Barn Buchanan going on six years now in EveryDay suede, which we use everyday. It has held up perfectly - no sagging and any spills wipe off like magic and no signs of wear. We purchased it because it was the only sectional we could find in a smaller size that also came apart into pieces since we lived in a Boston apartment at the time. I loved the curved back of the sectional - it adds a little something fancy. Cons are that it is small, not just length wise, but depth wise. All my aunts also own Pottery Barn couches in the larger sectional style It takes a few months to come in, but I highly recommend. Their couches are worth the money and I feel comfortable saying they can easily last 10 years.

    http://www.potterybarn.com/products/buchanan-3-piece-small-sectional-with-wedge/?pkey=e%7Cbuchanon%7C82%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C48%7C%7C9&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH

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  16. I have Ethan Allen sofas and they are amazing. Still super comfortable and well made!

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  17. We have a sectional that we bought at JCPenny 8-9 years ago as a 'let's get this now while we have young kids and upgrade later' and it still is going strong- looks great, even when I don't clean it as often as I should, pillows firm and fluffy- really no maintenance. My couch I had before that was from Crate and Barrel and wore horribly- stained and ripped fabric in under 3 years.

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    1. Similarly, we bought a small JCPenny sectional about a year ago and are so happy with it. We actually bought it from their outlet and it was just under $600 - yes, you read that right! Small sectionals (not just with a chaise) are really hard to find, and even harder to find for $1,000 or less. My other requirements were that it had to have removable, flippable cushions and easy to clean, neutral fabric (we have two dogs and two young kids). The fabric is a soft, neutral microfiber and it washes up so nice. Spots come out with a baby wipe, and if I catch the dog snoozing on it, the covers go in the wash on gentle cycle. I just cannot get comfortable shelling out a ton of money for upholstered furniture, so I am happy to have found my JCPenney couch!

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  18. Have new inserts made for the back cushions. We did and it made an amazing difference!

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  19. I have a leather sofa whose back pillows did that. I bought some foam from Joanns, maybe 3-4" thick, and cut pieces to fit (our side cushions are L-shaped where they connect witht the arms) and wrapped the foam with thick poly batting to soften the endges, and stuffed them with that. It has held up great.

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  20. Down is notorious for settling. I don't even like down throw pillows for this reason. I bought some shredded memory foam bed pillows at Sam's Club, 2 for $10. I love them for sleeping- maybe you could use some for restuffing the cushions?

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  21. Oh my does that ever look familiar! I bought a very expensive sofa in 2006 in the same fabric (same color too!) and with the down filled cushions. Just like yours, the cushions don't fluff so easily anymore and stains aren't so easy to wipe off..ugh! But it's still a solid, comfortable, non-creaking sofa. I've found a rug cleaner spray and a brush work pretty well but gone are the days I could just wipe something away. Plans are to maybe recover it one day soon but I'm having a hard time bringing myself to replace it.

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  22. Love reading these comments. We have two twill sofas the same color - our very expensive purchase from Mitchell Gold. They are also down and we have this problem ALL the time. Same issue with the back cushions and the ones you sit on. They fluff up a lot easier but after my 17 year old sits on them, forget it, they are a mess. My other issue is the twill has bleached out in some areas from sun and cleaning. I guess at some point we will have to get new slipcovers. Thanks for posting.

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  23. We have a Lazyboy Sofa that will be ten years old this summer. It still looks new. I do need to fluff the back cushions, as the down shifts but that is easy. They are the attached cushions. Love my sofa! Lazyboy has nice furniture now. Not like the old stuff that we swore would never come into our house.

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    1. Just wanted to add, that in the future I will be buying a solid back sofa and it won't be down filled. Still love my lazyboy!

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  24. What if you added more stuffing to them? You are great of doing all things ~ you could DIY it. :)

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  25. When our sectional started looking saggy, we stuffed the cushions with fiberfill and the sectional looks like new again. The cushions are still comfy but not as squishy (technical term) and it has gotten a lot of use every day for the twelve years we've had it. We got it at J C Penny.

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  26. You could try wrapping the back cushions with dacron, the down fill will still be comfy but the dacron may give them some stability. I also bought two Ethan Allen sofas in l989 (gosh that's 28 years ago) they were recovered once but because I was tired of them I gave them away to friends who needed furniture. Because they were so well made I hope they get them recovered/re-stuffed & they could possibly last them another 20 years.

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  27. I used an old memory foam bed topper on my pottery barn pillows that were doing the same thing. It helped a ton!

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  28. I hate spending tons of money on furniture for it to not hold up. We bought a leather sectional about that size and it's a soft, dark leather with the clean lines. It's a flex-steel frame too. We have absolutely loved it for the past 4 years! Sometimes I get tired of it being so dark in our room but the wear and tear of real leather just cannot be beat. We paid $2,500 for our leather sectional and we bought the model that was on display on the floor because they were about to change things up. We got really lucky!

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  29. Yes, we have an Ethan Allen couch with the poofy back cushions and they have to be fluffed all day long. I stuffed them with extra stuffing. Not going to buy that kind ever again!

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  30. We have a Pottery Barn sectional in Everyday Suede and we've been very satisfied. The cushion covers can all be removed and washed, which is a huge benefit. Washing hasn't seemed to affect the stain-resistant properties of the fabric. The back cushions have held up well, except for one that is repeatedly slept on by our dog. However, we can purchase a new insert from Pottery Barn for a reasonable price (I was shocked). The cushions have a foam core and are wrapped in down. And Pottery Barn couches are made in America, which is a nice plus.

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  31. That feeling is just the worst!! I bought the IKEA ektorp chaise sofa about 6 months ago and I absolutely despise it. With the shipping (to Carmel from the West Chester store) it cost me about twice what my previous Ashley sofa which lasted almost 7 years cost. NEVER again will I be buying a couch with removable back cushions. The Ashley sofa held up just fine to my 2 40lb dogs and 2 cats sitting on the back, the ektorp held its shape for about a month. After reading these reviews, I'm tempted to try an Ethan Allen sectional, but while I save up, I may just get another sofa from Ashley to keep us going for the next few years. They have a shape called a 'cuddler' (sort of a couch with a diagonal chaise/sectional part?) which looks comfy but I have no idea how to style. Anyone??

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  32. Did you switch your rugs around? Lol! I thought that rug was in your library! I have been eyeing it for awhile now and I am almost ready to buy it for my living room because I loved it in your library so much! What made you move it to your family room? Where did your gray rug go? :)

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    1. Good eye! Yes, I moved a smaller rug in there and it looks so good!

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  33. Great topic here as I'm needing a new couch soon. I bought 2 matching Bernhardt sofas 10 years ago. The also have down wrapped loose back cushions. The back cushions started sagging a couple of years after I purchased them. They are 2 cushion couches which was also a mistake b/c the seat cushions sag in the middle. I have towels folded under the middle of the 2 cushions where the meet to prevent the caving in feeling when you sit down. Bernhardt sofas are expensive but not worth the investment. Looks like I'll be checking out Ethan Allen. I bought an a Ethan Allen chair at Goodwill for $10 a few years ago. Chair was in perfect condition but fabric was 1980s awful. Had it recovered it is going strong and very comfortable.

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  34. Oh Sarah, we were in the market for an upper end sofa about the same time you purchased that one (in fact, if you look back you will see that you responded to an email from me about it :)) and ended up getting the Landsbury as well after seeing your review and then trying it in the showroom ourselves. The one in the showroom was so comfy and we loved it but we have hated ours since the day it was delivered. It is so uncomfortable, the cushions are rather flat and firm (we prefer really cushy) and we can actually feel the metal bars connecting the sectional piece when we sit or lay across the connection points. Our back cushions are not holding their shape well either. Our Yorkie sits up on one of them and that one is especially misshapen. We kept hoping the cushions would soften up over time to be more like the one in the showroom but after this much time, I have lost hope. I don't know if I will ever be able to talk my husband into another more expensive sofa but if I could, I would probably go with Rowe. Very high quality and I have never sat on an uncomfortable one. We have one in our basement that we found on Craigslist and it is fabulous...just not the right color for our family room. So sorry your experience has ended up like ours.

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    1. Hi Jenn, my name is Kelly Zitzman and I am Director of Guest Experience from Arhaus. I would like to speak with you about your Landsbury as well. Please call me at 866-427-4287 option 4 and ask to be transferred to me. I look forward to speaking with you.

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    2. Jenn that's too bad! Ours is actually quite comfy -- it's what we like most about it! :) But I feel you on the cushions. :)

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  35. We hesitantly bought a PB sofa 5 years ago on recommendation of a designer. $4k+ for the PB Square in everyday velvet (largest size). It sits tall and the seat cushions are firm. The non-down back cushions have held their shape well despite 2 kids and 1 large Dog. Overall, we're surprisingly pleased!

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  36. OMG - I could have written your post word for word about our sofa. We bought not one, but two Pottery Barn sofas in 2010. They looked great for a short while, but we are having the same issues with the back cushions too. I waited and saved so long for these and now I am so disappointed. I feel that 100's of people daily sit on the showroom floor pottery barn sofas and they continue to look great, yet we are always fluffing our back pillows. We purchased an IKEA sofa for our daughter and I have to say it looks great! And, the slipcovers fit perfectly! Pottery Barn could take a lesson from their sewing people. My slipcovers seem to be too large for my sofas. Really not sure what to purchase now. I'm on the hunt for something too -- will definitely consider what your next purchase will be, as I really value your opinion!

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  37. We had a sofa with back cushions and I hated them. We'll never have one like that again. Years ago we had bought a reclining sofa from Berkline. The color was Oyster (almost white) which made me nervous, but the microfiber cleaned like a dream with just a damp rag. It was a 2 seat sofa so the entire thing reclined. It was the. most. comfortable. sofa. ever. EVER. Eventually it broke down and I don't believe they make that style anymore. So sad. We still mourn its loss.

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  38. We have a Baldwin Slip covered sectional from Arhaus Furniture. 10 years and two teen to grown boys and it looks perfect. I Love it. It's the most comfortable couch I've ever had. Once or twice a year I take the cream colored covers off and wash them in the washer and it looks brand new! A few small stains, but hardly noticeable. The seat backs are loose but but fit snugly in the slip cover and hold their shape really well. I would highly recommend.

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  39. I swear we have the same couch/sectional! Mine makes me so angry to look at it. The corner cushion is so flattened that I "turned" it where you could see the zipper and my husband managed to flatten that side over the past year. I don't even have down filled cushions and mine look worse! I do have a 20lb and 30lb french bulldogs that think they are cats and have turned the cushions into their booster seats to look out the window but still.

    My next couch...chesterfield style. No back cushions.

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  40. Sort of off topic, but you referenced it. I just went back and read your debt posts and wondered what book you read specifically of Dave Ramsey's? YOu reference "his book" and how your husband read it quickly, and then a commenter said they listened to FPU (which I'm guessing is financial peace univ). Which one did you follow? THanks so much!

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    1. We read Total Money Makeover -- it's his main book about getting out of debt. We later went to FPU and attended the classes. Those were incredibly helpful!

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  41. Those back cushions would drive me nuts also!! I'm curious....why didn't you put this up in the loft instead of the other sofa? Then you wouldn't have to look at it as often!

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    1. This one is way too big -- the other is just a regular small sofa. And we love how comfy it is so we want it in the family room. :)

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  42. I am a salesperson in furniture. Most manufacturers only give upholstered pieces a 5-7 year life. If you get more than that, you treat your pieces well. Your sofa is a relaxed style and will relax even more as the years pass. Comments have been right on, as far as adding more fill. They are not building furniture like they used to either. We wouldn't have jobs if they did. This goes for just about anything out there. Think of it as a pair of shoes that you wear everyday, all day. How long would they last? We live in a disposable society. The younger generation usually just buys new. Most of us were raised to buy once and have it last forever. Don't blame yourself or the manufacturer. It's life is not forever. I hope this helps ease your mind.

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  43. Another note: Fabric only has a one year warranty unless otherwise noted.

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  44. Hi Sarah, I love everything about your blog and have followed you for years! Thank you for the helpful content and for being real and down-to-earth! We just bought a sectional (first one ever) and it has a modern flair with twill fabric. But we asked that the loose back cushions be tufted and attached. The salesman did not recommend attaching them because then we couldn't flip them around for more even wear. Anyway, we have only had the sofa since December, but the back cushions stay in place and they are firm, with three buttons on each. You are crafty, maybe you have nothing to lose by tufting the ones you have?

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    2. I was thinking a similar thing. Your issue with the cushions made me think of this tutorial I saw on Pinterest a while ago.

      http://jupedujour.com/blog-galapagos/2015/7/2/diy-couch-tufting-tutorial

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  45. Years ago, my mom gave me a great piece of advice about major purchases. She said to go 'middle of the road.' Many people have touched on this already, if you invest in a piece that lasts 20 yrs, will it still be something you like? If you invest in something too cheap, you end up wasting money by having to replace it sooner than you intended. Also, after kids & pets and a first grandchild.....I will never buy anything but leather.

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  46. Our very first sofa was a sectional with loose back cushions. It always looked messy after anyone sat on it because the back cushions did the same thing as yours. I will never again buy a sofa with loose back cushions. We currently have an Amish made sofa by Smith Bros. That has held up VERY well for about 12 years and counting. We paid alot for it at the time, but it has held up better than any other sofa we have ever had. It gets daily use in our home as well. I would like to make a change, just because my tastes have changed, but this sofa is still in such good shape that I can't justify replacing it.

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  47. You should bring the cushion cases in to a place that sells upholstery supplies (foam, fabric etc) and have a simi-DIY.
    We had a couch that wasn't structured as it once was and I didn't want to pay for someone to completely redo it for me.
    Anyhow it was really inexpensive.
    They measured and got the forms ready (foam wrapped in batting)
    They have been great for going on 7 years now.
    After seeing how they had done it...next time I can do it myself, but it was def worth the money and gave new life to our otherwise great couch.

    http://ticketyb00.blogspot.com/

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  48. I have been disappointed with every sofa we've ever bought EXCEPT the ones from Room and Board. I have three of them..two of them will be 11 years old this spring... and they look as great as they did the day I got them.

    http://www.roomandboard.com/

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  49. i have tan leather Lazy-boy sofa and love seat that look just like they did when we bought them 15 years ago.

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  50. tufting! add a button or buttons to each pillow!

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  51. We bought a very expensive set of leather FlexSteel furniture 6 years ago when we moved to a new house. It was black leather, but unfortunately EVERY seam to the top and back of the dang stuff pulled apart from use and inside it was ALL white. You know how bad it looks and how hard it is to 'cover up' white innards in your black furniture? UGH. We just bought a new fabric sectional by Ashley in November and spent a fraction of the money for something I hope makes it the same 6ish years. With 3 boys, I know it's going to be a little abused over time, but I figure I've spent less over the long run.

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  52. We bought an Arhaus sectional, the Dune, about a year ago. Already we have problems with the cushions just as you described. Wishing we would have stuck with Ethan Allen. Our last couch was from Ethan Allen. The cushions 11 years later are still in excellent condition.

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  53. This is the exact reason I hate pillow back sofas. I feel like they all do this over time. I'm annoyed they are so "in" right now that it's so hard to find anything else. My favorite are tuffed and camel backs. Feel like they look sleeker and won't get warped like the pillow backs. Unfortunately I feel like these couches are harder to find and then you basically have to pay the list price because they hardly go on sale.

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  54. I took similar back cushion covers to a foam store. They cut foam and wrapped the foam in fabric. It was approx. $60 each and a year later, they're still great.

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  55. Hi Sarah,

    Thank you for sharing your experience. My wife and I are looking into the same sectional as currently advertised on the Arhaus website. The total with the Worry Free warranty comes in at $5300. My question, if we purchase the couch with the material currently advertised (our preferred is the Theater Gunsmoke), will the cushions hold their shape better, or does the issue occur regardless of the material used?

    Thank you,

    Pierre

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  56. This is a way late comment, but I found your blog during my crazy in-depth sofa research (similar to what it sounds like you did!). It is so hard to find reviews (especially 2,3, or 4 years of ownership) for virtually all sofas/furniture stores! We had been looking at Arhaus but didn't know anyone with personal experience. Your own experience helped, but I also loved reading your readers' comments as well!

    We have no pets and no kids (yet), so we did wind up getting the Kipton from Arhaus! It physically pained me to spend that much money on one thing that was neither a car nor a house. I can live with having to refluff/stuff the back cushions - I'm hoping for no squeaking and minimal bottom cushion flattening!

    Thank you for your review!

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  57. This is a way late comment, but I found your blog during my crazy in-depth sofa research (similar to what it sounds like you did!). It is so hard to find reviews (especially 2,3, or 4 years of ownership) for virtually all sofas/furniture stores! We had been looking at Arhaus but didn't know anyone with personal experience. Your own experience helped, but I also loved reading your readers' comments as well!

    We have no pets and no kids (yet), so we did wind up getting the Kipton from Arhaus! It physically pained me to spend that much money on one thing that was neither a car nor a house. I can live with having to refluff/stuff the back cushions - I'm hoping for no squeaking and minimal bottom cushion flattening!

    Thank you for your review!

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  58. I have a Arhaus sectional sofa that I paid over $5000 for and its awful. Exactly what it says here. The cushions are always flat! The material is terrible even water stains it and the repair plan is a joke!! I have been dealing with a repair for over a year! I was told the material was very durable and stain resistant and water stains it! It has a sturdy frame and that’s it. I do not recommend!

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  59. This is so helpful! We were just looking at this couch. I agree with your assessment and will be going with something less expensive too since the cushions look like that

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  60. Hi Sarah, I did a quick google search on this subject and your post popped to the top. We are having the same experience with our 2022 landsbury sectional. The back cushions are already sunken in. We poof them up but it doesn't do much good anymore. It's extremely disappointing that you spend over $7k for a couch and the cushions are already shot after a year. We won't be purchasing from them again.

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