My old couch had a good run. The Ikea sectional looked surprisingly good for its 13 years, and it hosted many movie nights, Super Bowl parties and overnight guests. It survived a few spills, two New York City moves and one new puppy. It also easily fit about seven adults, which made it great for entertaining. But in the last couple of years, my trusty sectional started to show its age. The cushions were no longer supportive and comfortable, and I realized the back was simply too low for someone in their late 30s who needed neck support after working on the computer all day. And even a few professional cleanings couldn’t erase all the blemishes from its light gray fabric.
So last fall, the hunt for a new couch began. I don’t have to tell you it’s a big decision — a couch is large and expensive, and it’s most likely something you’ll have to live with for many years. I wanted something sleek and stylish but timeless at the same time. It also needed to deliver on comfort so I don’t feel like the crypt keeper as I’m trying to get comfortable watching my stories (the season finale of True Detective: Night Country was so good, right?).
I made my way around the interwebs, reading brand and product reviews, and finally settled on BenchMade Modern, which is probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Here’s my experience custom building a new couch, from deciding on a model to the final delivery.
Specs
- Size: 100-125″ x 43-48″ x 63-68″
- Materials: over 100 performance, luxe and premium leather fabrics
- Cushion: standard or down alternative
- Chaise: customizable to left or right
First, the Details
Every piece of BenchMade Modern furniture is made-to-order and customizable. And by customizable, you don’t just choose the fabric color — you can alter the dimensions of their couches to better serve your space and needs. Better yet, everything is made in the United States at one of the brand’s two factories in Los Angeles and Dallas.
You can return made-to-order items within 14 days for a full refund, minus the shipping fee. After that, customers have 100 days to test out the product. Those items can be returned for a refund, less the shipping cost and a 10% processing fee. BenchMade Modern also offers a lifetime warranty for frame and suspension and a one-year warranty for the cushions and fabrics.
Choosing the Right Couch
Like I said above, I needed a couch with better neck and back support. Not only did this mean a higher back cushion, but I also figured a deeper seat cushion would help. Although I loved my extra large Ikea sectional, my husband and I wanted something a bit smaller because we rarely used two of that couch’s seats. I finally settled on the Extra Deep Couch Potato Sofa With Chaise and went with the standard width of 105” and standard chaise length of 63” but decided to extend the chaise width from 43” to 48”.
One of the coolest things about BenchMade Modern is that they send you a paper printout of your couch to make sure it fits well in your space. If you’ve ever experienced the horror of having a piece of furniture arrive only to realize it doesn’t fit through the doorframe, this is a game changer. While the couch was a little bit bigger than I originally anticipated, I decided it worked well and moved onto choosing a fabric.
A Modular, Space-Saving Sofa Set That’s as Luxe as It Is Practical
How a modular couch altered the entire course of my adult lifeSelecting a Fabric and Cushions
BenchMade Modern has a ton of fabrics from which to choose, ranging from performance fabrics and leather to luxe velvet and shearling. As much as I want a green velvet couch in my life, I don’t see it as a practical everyday choice (the ability to hang with my dog and eat snacks without fear is a priority in this room). So the brand sent a whole box of fabric samples to ponder. After narrowing it down to five, I landed on Nash Stone, one of BenchMade Modern’s Luxe Fabrics. After explaining that I needed it to be pet friendly, their team assured me it was a perfect choice for dog owners with its protective finish, 50,000 rub count and W cleaning code, meaning that water is safe to use.
There are two cushion choices at BenchMade Modern: the more standard, high-resilience foam and a trillium-filled cushion, which allow you to sink in more. I went with the former, as they’re considered lower maintenance because they don’t need to be fluffed as often to look tidy. I also figured that something structured would be more supportive and therefore more comfortable in the long run.
Shipping and Delivery
It took about eight weeks from the time I placed the order to the day the couch arrived at my apartment. When I first started looking for a new couch, I had heard plenty of horror stories of friends waiting six to eight months for their furniture because of pandemic-related delays. So to me, this was lighting fast for a custom piece of furniture.
I opted for the white glove delivery service because I’m not trying to throw out my back moving things I have no business moving. They unwrapped and assembled my couch exactly where I wanted it and removed all of the packaging debris when it was complete. This is well worth the $400-$500 in my opinion, but if you prefer to save a few hundred bucks, you can opt for Threshold delivery, where the delivery service will carry the package to your door. A local delivery company called to set everything up and communicated with me the day of delivery to let me know their updated ETA. Usually these types of ordeals stress me out significantly, but this was one of the most seamless processes I’ve experienced in recent memory.
Living With My New Couch
I’ve had the Couch Potato for two months, and it’s really improved my TV and movie-watching experience. The high back and deeper seat makes me sit with better posture, and the size is just big enough so that my husband, dog and I can spread out comfortably. I’m really glad I opted for the wider chaise because two people can sit on it side-by-side, which was useful when I hosted a couple friends for the NFL playoffs last month. I love the stone gray fabric, but I’ve kept it covered with blankets for the most part to preserve its pristineness for at least a few months (I literally stand up to sip red wine because I’m scared to spill). And it looks gorgeous. Everyone who’s seen the couch has complimented it, and I’m using it as an excuse to upgrade other pieces of furniture in the room. There might be more affordable, just as attractive couches on the market, but BenchMade Modern looks and feels like it’ll last a long time to come.
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