Ellis Carter your dog though !!! so cute <3

This is what our Sven looks like after just 10 months. I fluff this thing daily and it does not help. It is so bad that my back is being affected by the lack of support. The back cushions don’t help either considering they need to be fluffed every 10 mins to keep their shape. We are also having problems with pilling that we have yet to get under control.

I have similar problems with my Sven. Ive had the couch for a little over two years. The back cushions are flat and creased internally. Article offered to replace them but the lead time is 3-5 MONTHS for the cushion internals.

The seat cushion is sagging and the color is almost gone. By the time i get the cushion replacements I’m not sure what will be left of this thing.

im waiting for the baby to puke all over it so I have an excuse to buy a couch from somewhere else.

avoid avoid avoid

Thanks for the honesty, everyone. I definitely will not be purchasing this sofa. Too bad, though, because I love how it looks.

Darn wish I had seen this. We purchased two months ago and our only issue was the packaging damaged the back of the sofa (but that’s just so far)

I am so happy my research has led me to this thread. I had a feeling the Sven was too good to be true. Thank you!!!

It’s not just the Sven... I bought the lovely Alcott sofa from Article and knew the second I sat in it that the quality was subpar.

Seat cushions were too firm, but not in a good way. It almost felt like I was sitting on plywood covered with a thin layer of foam. Not cushiony at all.

Also the fabric covering one of the seat cushions came horribly rippled in the center upon receipt. Customer service was not helpful. After some back and forth, they sent me just the interior cushion, which looked too large to fit inside of the fabric....Luckily this sofa sits in the formal LR. It would not hold up in a family room.

I don’t have a Sven, I have the Soma sofa bed and the quality of the fabric is terrible...I had it less than 4 months and it was wrinkly, loose, and pilling terribly. I was not using it daily and rarely sat on it. Very disappointed in the quality.

We have had our Ceni sectional from Article for 48 hours and the velvet fabric already has several large scratches in it from normal wear. We have two cats but they have simply been walking and lying on the couch. One reason we chose the velvet is because Article recommends it for kids and pets. The fabric was scratched up within the first hour of owning it. Customer service has been completely unhelpful, insisting that we damaged the couch and refusing to help in any way. We keep getting the same condescending response about how they don’t cover “damage from inside the home.” We suggested that perhaps the fabric on these cushions is defective and asked if we could try new covers and we were completely dismissed. We have realistic expectations for how furniture will age given that we have kids and cats but this is unacceptable. I would have never spent $2K on a couch that would be damaged within two hours. It is shameful that Article sells this product. We would have been better off with IKEA. DO NOT BUY FROM ARTICLE.

Have you tried using a hand steamer and an old fashion lint brush, not the sticky tape kind. I just got my velvet Sven sofa a couple of weeks ago and was very upset thinking it was scratched up upon receipt. Then I found an article on the upkeep of velvet sofas. Just lightly steam and brush in the direction of the nap. Do not brush against the nap. It brought the sofa to life and it looks even more beautiful. Now I wouldn't do this weekly. I personally think Article's recommendations of all this vacuuming, brushing, conditioning, etc. is too much and may be causing stretching of the fabric. For those with leather, if you look at most high-end seller's leather care recommendations, they suggest basically doing nothing except an occasional dusting. Just my thoughts.

Amy, they wouldn’t cover your exchange “for any reason” as stated in their policy? Ugh

I have the Sven in navy velvet purchased about two years ago. I love the shape and my cushions still hold their shape, but the velvet itself has worn so quickly. It’s faded so much it almost looks dusty, even after vacuuming. It’s crazy how much darker the fabric is underneath the cushions To see what it looked like new. Any spot that gets on the fabric is impossible to clean without leaving a mark on the fabric. I wonder if a professional upholstery cleaner could revive it, but I haven’t gone that far yet. I’m so sad it hasn’t held up! It was also really hard when I got it. It took a couple months to not make my butt numb after sitting for an hour or so!

I hate this couch. I have the sectional and the cushions slowly slide forward while you are sitting on the couch. The back cushions went flat and lifeless within a few months of purchase. If you sit down and lay back too quickly you may get a concussion from hitting your head on the hard back. I contacted the company 3 times and each time the told me that “down needs to be fluffed regularly.” Worst company ever. And the sectional was almost $3,000. I feel so bamboozled.

Bottom cushion already sagging from only two weeks and a half of use! I purchase the Sven less than a month ago. I shudder to think what this will look like a year from now.

Hey everybody, just wanted to post an 2 year update on this situation! I was grateful to have the sofa replaced by article and didn’t truly realize how terrible the old one looked and felt until getting the new one. This one has now been with us through a couple of different moves and has become more of a place we only occasionally sit at, while our old one we used daily in our living room. While it hasn’t been exposed to as much daily wear and tear as the old one, it still holds it shape and color much better. I can easily sit or even fall asleep on it for a few hours without feeling like I constantly need to readjust and fluff the cushions. It has aged with a consistently colored patina rather than looking like a splotchy and patchy mess like before. I still am happy about my purchase and hope to hold on to this couch for a long time. With that being said however, I think if we had kept using it as our living room (TV watching couch), it would not have held up as well as it has. They’ve definitely made things differently regarding filling, but I think all in all, your mileage may vary based on use and care.

We bought a Sven velvet Sofa less than 2 years ago . The seat cushion is faded and worn where we sat on it . The back cushions are losing their firmness and feathers are coming out . Ive just contacted them regarding and they said the replacement cushion for the seat will be 675. plus 50 delivery and a 3-6 month wait. Im sending photos now . Maybe they will send a new sofa. Like I said less than 2 years . Ive paid same for other sofas and they are still very good condition. This one must be a lemon.

I seriously regret buying this sofa. Have had it for 2.5 years (I believe) and it's faded a ton (blue velvet), and the feathers in the pillows poke out all the time. I would never recommend this to anyone.

You can't even tell it's supposed to be a rich navy blue anymore.

I was just looking at this sofa and fell in love (Joybird has the same one). Glad I found this thread. It's a nope now. Granted it's not an expensive sofa but it looks like after just a year??!! Awful.

I bought the Sitka Mist Gray Sofa about a year ago and we attempted to clean some very minor stains on the arms of the couch only with water and it created a yellow stain. the more you cleaned it the worse it got. Apparently the viscose material underneath has a yellowish tent to it and seeps through anytime it gets wet. It is impossible to fix it. They offered to replace the couches but the same problem will occur again at some point.

Same problem with my Sven sofa. The one bag cushion has been sagging since a few months after purchas. Article also heavily promoted this sofa to be dog friendly in their #articledogs advertising. However dogs lick and drool and even following their cleaning instructions it has left stains that do not come out. Super disappointed in this purchase.

Yes We could not clean the cushion as per their instructions. I had to post pics everywhere they advertised FB IG etc. They finally are coming through with a new cushion. First they wanted to charge $675.00 then they said 50% off . I told them that was not acceptable. They told ne they are sending a free cushion with no warranty. That or I pay 350. with a warranty. . It with take 4-6 months.Lets see if they come through with it.

@mj jm I hope they do! I got an email back saying to use the otter oil which I have been. Not helpful at all. It’s one thing that the quality of the sofa is not what they adveerode. it’s another that they have such poor customer service. Good luck with your new cushion!

I am so thankful for all the reviews that I have read on the Sven sectional and glad that I did not make the purchase without having true insight on the potential issues. Especially, concerning the quality and durability of the couch.

I ordered the Sven leather sofa after much research and a ton of positive reviews,. The couch is back ordered about 6 months and Article offered me the opportunity to cancel my order. Glad I decided to conduct a deeper dive on Sven issues and found this thread. I will cancel my order and continue my search for the right mid century modern style sofa.

You can just add a bed pillow to the back cushions. Unzip and insert and your pillows will be fine again.

We've had a Sven leather sectional for about 3 years. At first I loved it, then quickly the problems everyone describes appeared. I added pillows to the back cushions, which has helped but they still look deflated. Leather is discolored, and the chaise seat cushion slides out and must be readjusted multiple times a day. Now the leather on a seat cushion is ripping along a seam. We are a family of three, so it's not insane use. I will never buy from Article again. I wish I'd listened to a friend who advised the same 3 yrs ago.

Is there a dupe for Sven? I love the look but hesitant to buy it especially after reading this thread. Thanks.

Best thread ever regarding this couch/brand. Doing my preliminary searches and really can’t trust ANY Instagram “honest review” (what a joke). Those people get cliches for free so of course they will say great things! And the original person who posted these photos came back a few months ago to say she loves her replacement couch she got for free, but she doesn’t really sit on it. With 4 kids I need a couch that will stand the wear and tear! Does anyone have any suggestion???

@HU-609719331 While not the same style as Sven, I can mention our Axis II from Crate and Barrel was very comfortable and held up well. The Douglas stock fabric was great at resisting spills.

We've just downsized to a smaller home (Yea!), so we left the 141" wide Axis model behind when we sold the house - but are now looking at the same sofa again, in a smaller configuration.

Regarding the Article product - we had recently purchased their Ceni Chair. When it arrived, I wasn't thrilled with the construction, so sent them photos of a couple of things I felt were a bit sloppy. They responded saying the issues were within their own quality expectations - they saw no problem.

It didn't bother me enough to pursue any further, but we did leave the chair behind with the former house - even though it was only a few months old. Didn't really feel it was worth moving.

Good luck with your search.

Unless you have $2500 to flush down the drain, please do yourself a favor and avoid purchasing the Sven sofa from Article. We purchased ours two years ago when we bought our home, and it looks worse than the 50 year old, vintage sofa I owned previously. Like others have mentioned, we were absolutely smitten with this sofa when we purchased it. We had been considering several others from Joybird, West Elm, CB2...but the Sven was the one we kept coming back to due to the fact that it was just so darn gorgeous. This was a huge splurge for us, but we thought if we spent good money on a quality item we would be able to enjoy it for many years to come. Fast forward two years, and this sofa is uncomfortable, unattractive, and obviously not worth the money we paid for it. I reached out to Article a little over a year ago as the the chaise bottom cushion (we bought the sectional version of this sofa) had sunken considerably, and had a butt-shaped crater in it where we had been sitting (if it's helpful to anyone considering this sofa, please note that there are only two adults in this house--no kids, no dogs--and we weigh 125 and 150, so it's not like we are putting a lot of undue weight or stress on this sofa). Customer service told me to "fluff" the cushion more often. How do you fluff a cushion that has wood backing on it?? I'm not sure, but believe me when I say that we've tried. After many conversations with Article, and them requesting tons of photos and even a video of the sofa, they agreed to send me a replacement cushion, as I was still covered by the 1-year manufacturers warranty. It's been almost one year with that new cushion, and it has broken down in the same way as the one that came before it, with a crater in the middle that you absolutely cannot fluff. The fabric also stains horribly with even the slightest amount of moisture. I'm not kidding when I say that sweat dripping off your glass of ice water leaves a stain that will not come out. I've tried wiping gently with a soft cloth as well as steaming, just as they suggest in the care section, and neither method works. We keep it covered at all times now to avoid stains. I should also add that the color has faded substantially over the past two years. What was once a gorgeous grass green, is now dull and lifeless, similar to the color of an oxidized avocado. The back cushions sag desperately, and feathers are constantly poking through the fabric upholstery. It looks old and worn beyond its years, and I wish I could just go back in time and retrieve the vintage couch that I sold for $50 when I bought the Sven. It was a million times more comfortable than the Sven, and the fabric still looked great. Bottom line: this sofa was an over-hyped disaster of a purchase, and we feel silly to have been so easily duped by Article's smoke-and-mirrors advertising strategy. We are currently saving money to replace this sofa, and I can't wait to see it go. I've read reviews similar to mine on several pages, and believe Article is well aware of these issues. The fact that they still manufacture and sell items of such poor quality is inexcusable. They also deleted my review from their website, so that should tell you something about their lack of integrity.

I hate this couch. It is the most uncomfortable couch I have ever owned. I can say the more easily now because I’ve owned mine over 2 years. I tried to return it almost immediately. My butt literally hurts from sitting on it so I find myself watching tv in my bed more. It really sucks. Also, does not have its shape.

We bought the Sven in the gray fabric almost two years ago. Within 4 months of regular use, the fabric was pulling terrible and the seat cushions were flattening. I contacted Article about the fabric and they said we were "using it too roughly" and that we "shouldn't wear jeans on the couch" (????) as that could lead to excessive wear and tear. We were also told the same line about needing to fluff the cushions. Really regret this purchase.

SOLUTION - I also purchased a Sven sectional (fabric) from Article 2.5 years ago. since working from home the couch gets more use than normal, and although the back pillows have been fine with regular fluffing, the seat cushion was seriously sagging. I recently replaced 2 of my down bed pillows - took the two older/deflated down pillows and inserted them into the seat cushion of the couch (unzip the cover and just put them inside). The couch now has a nice bounce to it that it didn't have before even when it was new, and the sagging feeling is gone. Not a bad and very inexpensive fix!

All in all, I would never recommend this couch, but having paid $2,000 for it I'm not about to get a new one. Diamond hands, baby.

We purchesed the Sven fabric sectional in 2018. i also hate it. The fabric on the larger cushion was pilling and customer service said ”That is normal. We can send you $50 to purchase a fabric shaver”. This is in spite of their claim of their fabrics tested by the Martindale 2000 rubs rub test. Must have tested it on my sofa cushion. i purchased foam pads to put under the cushions because it is so uncomfortable. Dont waste $2000.

We have had our couch, Scen section in leather for about 2 years. 5 months in, We realized we hated it. Same issues-cushions slid off constantly, even with fluffing the cushions have lumped and cannot be fixed, and above all it is extremely uncomfortable. $3400 abd such a waste. It was suppose to be my almost forever couch and was a huge investment for us.

Same here. First two months the couch was heavily discolored and the pillows were sagging and stained. Also in less then one year, the sectional pillow started to rip. We don’t use this couch that much to have these issues. Will contact them and see if we can get the pillows replaced.

I think the brutal truth is that a $2k leather sofa is not going to be the best quality...and the fashion for relaxed sofas with soft filling is going to produce a lot of sag over time. Contrast that with the Stickley leather loveseat I bought 5 years ago. The cushions were hard when it was new and they are just starting to soften up nicely. I anticipate many years of comfortable use. So If you want something to last and look good, look to traditional makers like Lee and Stickley rather than the newer catalog companies.

*Edit: I'm using photos from the listing still on line so it's a bit hard to see the issue unless you sit on it. But I just added another photo that appears on top and you can see a bit more how the chaise seat area is down a bit lower than the longer cushion.

My Grass Green velvet sofa stains if you look at it wrong. Fabric wears easily. Following instructions to clean it per their youtube video leaves blotchy stains. It has to be the fabric itself that is the problem. I guess they chose the cheapest velvet possible. Anyone else struggling?

Does article still reply to this thread?

i purchased the Sven fabric sofa less than a year ago and i am so disappointed in the quality. The fabric is pilling and the sofa just looks messy. Wish I found this thread before my purchase.

If anyone needs even more reasons to avoid Article, they are no longer selling replacement parts to customers. So instead of $60 to replace Ora outdoor cushion covers that started to mold — that I already paid to replace in 2020 — they tell you to just buy an entirely new sofa.

Take care of your cushions and don't let them get wet too often? (This is why I don't have an outdoor couch at all, too much of a pain to look after.) A furniture company is not going to continue to support their products forever.

@User The "outdoor sofa" was inside 100% of the time. The Ora sofa is still sold as we speak. But I really appreciate the insightful response!

Absolutely not disputing the bad experiences with the Sven sofa, but I do feel the need to say that I have bought some really nice sturdy pieces from Article that have held up well. They were packaged to the nth degree and arrived in pristine condition, unlike some other online furniture I've ordered.

I wish I saw this thread earlier. The Sven couch barely lasted a few months before the fabric started pilling, and the foam started sagging. 

I contacted customer support, and gave up during the process because I figured they'd just send me an identical cheap fabric and/or cushion. 

There is zero longevity with this couch. My Ikea couch from 9 years ago held up better than this.

2nd the person that notes Article no longer offers replacement parts. i reached out about replacing the seat cushion for our leather Sven sofa due to pet urine. They said no. I expected better service so that was disappointing.

Im now spending a few hundred to replace the inner cushion and a thousand to buy a custome made cover for the entire thing (pretty much what I spent on the entire sofa ).

Feathers! and why on the green velvet sectional one I have (which the main seat is compressed, uncomf uncomfortable and faded) ugh ugh! um guests get FEATHER quills stabbing them?! I pull feathers not just out of seams, out of everywhere…all the time. I was SO stoked to get this sofa, did and was saddened IMMEDIATELY cuz it is not cumfy. People still get impressed by the shape and color initially but I explain DO NOT DO IT. Why does everything unzip if I can’t buy new covers! Article: Let me buy new cushion covers PLEASE!!! 🧐😔

Hey I just wanted to hop on and co-sign pretty much everything here. I bought the grass green left sectional in 2019 and unlike most people here, I found it comfortable and awesome at the beginning. Every single one of my friends loved it and several even ordered the same one after seeing mine.

Within 2 1/2 years it looked terrible. Insanely faded, feathers coming out non-stop, every drop of water from a glass has become a permanent feature despite being meticulous about following Article's directions. I've also had it professionally cleaned twice to no avail. And most of all, the cushions. Oh My God the cushions. Flat and empty. It's a nightmare. I spend half of every day thinking about how I can deal with this, That's how I found this thread in the first place, by googling "Article sofa faded, stained, and flat." lol.

don't buy one. Sorry.

Horrible Sofa.. I bought the Sven Leather sofa and the back cusions got flat in 8 months, we put it in front of the TV qnd use it daily. ARTICLE sent me the back cusions replacements, but they leather color is lighter, faded and it seems very stiff (maybe storred incorrectly). I instered couple od dawn pillows in the back cusions which bought me around a year. Now it looks horrible and deformed. Now installing the replacements which would probaby last 8 motnhs as well, then will add the dawn pillows to buy another year. will end up getting 4 years out of this thing!! The side round pillows sagged after a year, they sell them for $180! My 12 years old Ikea leather sofa which I moved to the basement has 0 sag what sp ever! Very comfortable, no sag what so ever, the leather peeled off little at some placese, corners but thats about it (after 12 years). Do yourself a favor and buy from Ikea, they have some high end leather sofas, prices are close to Article and quality is much better!