I want to start this by saying if you are a mom of a toddler and/or pets, then this review is for you!
We had the cloud sofa from RH for years that I just hated. The dogs destroyed it, it was always filthy, guests never wanted to sit in it because of the sinking. The cushion were always out of place and the cushion straps broke. Couldn’t sit in it pregnant because I literally could not get out of it.
So I when I finally wore my husband down on a replacement, I scoured the internet for a sofa our dogs could not destroy. Additionally, our baby is approaching toddler-hood, so I was repeatedly pointed to getting a cheap sofa (Ikea or secondhand) or just not bothering at all.
I rejected this narrative. One, my husband is a carpenter so I believe in the skill of the craft. Secondly, my mother in law has a 30 year old sofa that (ugly as it is) it’s still as comfy and sturdy as the day she bought it. I don’t have reupholstery skills, but I did think the reason sofas didn’t last was less kids and dogs and more a decline in craftsmanship.
So I scoured. And then found maiden home. Everything about the company and mission I loved. I read every review (literally every single one). Having come from the cloud, I knew we needed a firmer sofa. I knew I didn’t want to be fluffing cushions all the time. The Carmine was unlike anything I’d scene and seemed like the perfect solution. I was worried about the firmness, so I messaged the design team who agreed it was a firmer sofa, but still very comfortable. So I ordered all the swatches and tried to destroy them. I’m talking red wine, coffee, black sharpie, I even wiped my daughter snot and drool on the swatch. Then I swiped the dog paws over and over and over. Through my testing, I was so happy to find the performance velvet did the best of all the swatches I tried. I used dawn dish soap and a paper towel to scrub out the sharpie stain and, not only did it come out, the velvet returned to it smooth state.
Now the sofa is here (2months now) and I have to say it has met every expectation. The performance velvet cleans up great. Dog fur is easy to vaccum off. Additional, I find that dirt/fur/etc sort of sit on top that fabric and are not absorbed in it. I never in a million years thought a velvet sofa would be suitable for family life, but this fabric is a secret weapon every parent needs. I’ve spilled coffee twice on it now and you would never know.
Additional, the sofa itself is irrefutably solid. Having a solid back instead of cushions is perfect for us and our bouncing toddler and obnoxious dogs. The cushion straps are study and the not the flimsy crap that kept breaking/stretching with the cloud. Despite being firm, it is still incredible comfortable. It is a not a sink-in sofa, but it is still sufficiently nappable. I lounge on it, chart on it, and play with the toddler. It is a dream. (Full disclosure: my husband doesn’t like it, but his idea of a comfy sofa is literally a giant bed (or cloud *ahem* see above) but we knew this would be the case when ordering, but he agreed to it). But literally everyone who comes to visit pours it with compliments (including my Mawmaw who is a yard sale furniture shopper was asking where I got it)
The only snag we reached was with the delivery. We had a lot of issues with the delivery company not showing up when they said they would. I don’t hold this against maiden home, maybe because my husband is a carpenter and has had the hardest time finding reliable shipping for his own stuff. I was able to contact them with each hiccup and they were very helpful and the last missed delivery date I actually received a call from their supervisor who was lovely and apologetic and refunded the shipping cost.
All in all, this sofa is a beautiful powerhouse, reasonably priced when considering the quality and a company I’m happy to have purchased from. If you have kids or asshole dogs and are scared to take the plunge, it’s not a pipe dream. I kid proof sofa exists.
