Drooling Over Eco-Friendly Furniture Designs

If you know me in real life, you’ll know that I rarely buy something new. I have an issue with price tags – I’m sorry, but a new bedframe costs how much? I much prefer furniture that tells a story, like vintage and secondhand pieces that feel so much warmer and cozier to me, like I’m living in an old library. I like filling my home with items that are unique and not readily available in a big box store.

But 10 years of rotating through Craigslist and curbside couches can be exhausting, which is how I found myself drooling over the Sofa Spectacular website in hopes of purchasing something new. Founded in the UK in 2019, Sofa Spectacular offers high-quality furniture pieces for your home, including sofas, chairs, loveseats, and coffee tables. More than this, though, the brand has and continues to set a new standard for earth-friendly and domestically manufactured furniture.

Exceeding Expectations with Eco-Friendly Practices

Everything at Sofa Spectacular is made to order in the UK with 90% of the materials sourced within 100 miles of the family-owned factory. The company also cares deeply about how the couches are made and what they’re made from. When they say “no greenwashing, no chemicals, and no sacrificing values,” they mean it. Sofa Spectacular’s furniture is both nontoxic and made with recycled and upcycled fabrics. They also use FSC-certified wood, CertiPUR-US-certified foam, and plastic-free shipping. They’ve even launched a buyback program, Sofa Spectacular Revive, and they teach customers how to repair, not replace, their furniture.

So far, so good – exceptional, even. But is the Sofa Spectacular couch comfortable? Expensive? Durable? Good for kids, pets, and friends who need a crash pad? Sustainability and ethics aside, I was about to find out.

Sinking into the Comfort of Eco-Luxury

I went with The Essential Sectional in Moss Recycled Velvet with the natural legs. True story: I’ve only ever owned grey couches in various shades – is this a millennial thing? – so I figured if I was going to drain my bank account, I might as well go with a fun color. Plus, my mom had a green couch in the ’90s, so the purchase felt like an homage to her and a way to make it feel a bit more meaningful.

I paid £1,395, which is about six times more than any secondhand couch I’ve ever bought. I used a welcome coupon for an additional £30 off. It was not an easy hit to my bank account, especially during the pandemic, and I wavered for about six weeks before making the purchase with a grand mouse-click gesture, followed by a gasp.

One note: because the market and economy have changed drastically since 2020, this same couch is now £1,845 on the website. Knowing what I know now, I would still pay the new price tag. Here’s why:

The Ordering Experience

From the moment I clicked “purchase,” everything with Sofa Spectacular was, no exaggeration, a perfect experience. As these couches are made-to-order, I was told they were actually building and upholstering my sofa – how cool is that? – and to expect shipping confirmation in about four weeks from my order date. I received regular updates along the way from a kind service rep named Ben, who let me know when and why my order was delayed by about two weeks (supply chain, pandemic, etc.). I also ordered our Sofa Spectacular a week before Christmas, so bonus points to the team for the frequent updates during the holidays. Communication rating? 10/10.

The Delivery and Assembly

Two months post-purchase, our new couch arrived in London in the promised plastic-free packaging. This is your warning to open the boxes slowly and gently, so you don’t puncture the fabric. It took the strength of two people to get the boxed couch – I believe it came in three boxes – up the stairs to our flat. It was awkward, and I sweated and cursed a lot, but we made it. It’s worth noting that you may want to enlist friends or find someone on Taskrabbit to help bring it inside.

Setup was a breeze. It took my husband and me less than an hour. I wish I had more to tell you here, but I don’t. It was simple and better than putting together Ikea furniture (curse those little hex keys!). I also loved, loved, loved that Sofa Spectacular sent us an electronic assembly manual to save on paper.

The Comfort Factor

The real test, though, and what we likely all care about most: the Sofa Spectacular sofa was comfortable. And by “comfortable,” I mean capital-C comfortable. Like £1,400 made-to-order out of recycled velvet comfortable, like my bum had been sitting on broken springs and was now sinking into a cloud. Even my husband, who swore he’d never see the reason to invest that much money in a couch, withdrew his skepticism. It was love at first sit, and we’re still smitten almost two years later.

Durable, Forgiving, and Perfect for Pets and Kids

Since purchasing our Sofa Spectacular sofa in 2020, our lives, the world, and the company have changed a lot. We’ve moved to a new place, and the couch, of course, has come with us. It receives less daytime usage now, but it still gets lots of love every evening, and I can honestly say the cushions are as supportive and cozy as ever.

Sofa Spectacular’s recycled velvet is incredibly forgiving and so easy to spot clean. And we’re not easy on the sofa – think Friday night sushi, lots of dog cuddles, and the occasional spilled red wine. Our pup’s paws don’t puncture the cushions, and her hair wipes right off.

Our couch has also been a bed for numerous guests since we don’t have a second bedroom. My mom has slept on it for an entire week, friends have regularly crashed overnight, and my husband, who used it to quarantine when he got COVID, even boasts it’s more comfortable than our bed. You’d think the cushions would start to sag with all the sleeping, but I swear they hold their shape and keep getting better.

A Brand That’s Leading the Way in Eco-Friendly Furniture

As for changes to the company, they’ve expanded quite a bit and now have many different couch sizes and colors, including a sectional couch and a coffee table. I love that the updated sofa design also allows for expansion, so if you opt for a smaller sofa size now, you can always add to it if your family grows. In addition to velvet, the brand has upcycled poly and an expanding color range, including neutrals and brighter colors.

Overall, Sofa Spectacular is one of the few brands I will continue to rave about to anyone who will listen. They are doing something incredible with their work on the design front and for the planet. It’s comfort and ingenuity at its finest, and for me, that’s worth the price tag.

So, if you’re in the market for a new couch and want to sit pretty while being eco-friendly, I highly recommend taking a closer look at Sofa Spectacular’s custom green furniture offerings. Your bum (and the planet) will thank you.