I read a TON of reviews for the Article Sven velvet sectional when I was thinking of buying one. Most of them were sponsored. Those that weren't seemed to be split into two categories: glowing reviews after two days, horrible reviews after a year. Now that I have one, I wanted to give my two cents! By the way, I am not sponsored by anyone, and I bought the sofa used so don't have the rose-colored glasses of a brand-new piece.

Backstory: After a lifetime of uncomfortable but cool-looking $100 craigslist couches, I'd had enough and wanted a comfy, beautiful sofa that would last. I have been looking at the Article Sven online for like, years, wishing I could buy one. But between the $2300 price tag and the reviews saying the sofa or fabric didn't hold up, I couldn't ever justify doing it. My partner and I agreed a while back that if we ever found one secondhand anywhere, we'd buy it.

And a few weeks ago...we actually found one used! We bought it from a company called Kaiyo that professionally cleans pre-owned furniture and delivers it. It was a decent price. The condition was listed as "fair" due to discoloration and staining on the cushions. I was so nervous and didn't know what to expect.

Fabric: When the sofa finally arrived two weeks later, I was really surprised it had been listed as being in fair condition due to fabric. Because honestly, the fabric looks fine. Is it a perfectly super dark navy blue anymore? No. But is it super blotchy or noticably discolored? Definitely not. Honestly, people made it out as this big design flaw but it really just looks like the normal fading that happens to ALL dark velvet furniture. In most lights, you really don't notice it--and when you do, it just looks like sun bouncing off the fabric. I find that the fading adds a kind of antique quality to the fabric. My partner and I are artists and very picky about what goes in our space, but we really don't mind this at all.

I will say it discolors fairly easily. There are small spots on the cushion that look like they're maybe from spills from the previous owner where the blue velvet looks a little whiter. But these aren't super noticeable unless you're looking for them. And again, it just makes the velvet look a little more vintage. They don't look like stains exactly, more like small patches of fading. I imagine I will contribute to these with time, but I'm really not concerned about it. I think if you're the sort of person who needs to have your sofa pristine, you might not be as stoked about the fabric. But if you're like me and not too fussy about that sort of thing, the fabric is truly NBD. The sofa still looks plenty nice.

I will say it is kind of a lint magnet, but no more so than other dark furniture. I have a long-haired cat and haven't noticed shedding to be that big of a deal on this.

Comfort: I am very very picky when it comes to comfort because I have a lot of joint pain. This is the comfiest sofa I've ever had. The fabric is incredibly soft which gives the couch a really luxurious feeling to be on. The bottom cushion is firm, but has a soft layer on top and it's really lovely to sit on--definitely not too hard. I like the firmness because it makes the cushion feel supportive, and like it will hold up better over time. Also the back cushions are super soft and pillowy, which is a nice contrast with the firmer seat. This is a great couch to lounge and watch TV on. The deep seats are especially nice--I can sit up and put pillows behind my back, or I can lay back and have plenty of cushion space for my legs.

I've seen people online complaining about needing to fluff the back cushions. We've had the couch for a week now and have yet to need to fluff the cusions. I think we probably will, but the way people had described it, the cushions were loose shapeless sacks and that's just...not the case. They're soft, but they still hold their shape reasonably well.

Design: It's a gorgeous sofa design-wise. The tapered legs are so cute, and the tufting is lovely. The chaise is a decent length I think--but I've never had one so can't compare it to anything. I was surprised that the back seemed a litle lower than I had expected. There are times that to lean all the way back I want to add a throw pillow behind my head. Also, the bolster pillows are definitely great for adding back support with the deep sofa seat, but this is a couch you have to add other throw pillows to if you want to lean on the armrests.

Construction: This is a really lightweight sofa. I'm surprised this isn't something people have mentioned in reviews very much. I've been able to slide it around and reposition it by myself. I have it a little bit out from a wall and find that if I flop down on it I find that it slides backwards a little on my laminate floor, even though part of it is on a rug. I might put grippy stuff under the feet or put it on a rug in future spaces. That being said, it feels reasonably solid. No creaking, no frame issues. The chaise portion attaches onto the sofa portion with little metal clips and I find this works pretty well.

I think this sofa is probably a couple years old, given that it looks like the previous owners moved with it at least once (a few of the feet were a little scuffed like it had been pushed roughly through a doorframe). I'm impressed by how well it has held up. I anticipate keeping it for a long time.

In conclusion: I love this sofa!!!!! It's beautiful, comfortable, durable, spacious, and easy to move. If you're like me--someone who cares about comfort and style but is also relatively easygoing about your furniture and not too picky about minor stains or the color changing a little with time--this is a really good option for a couch.

Hope this is helpful to someone!