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One thing no one really tells you about hitting your mid-20s is how difficult furnishing your home becomes. Your buy-and-assemble-everything-from-IKEA days are hopefully behind you, but you don’t exactly have an unlimited budget to go full Kelly Wearstler on a place you’re most likely renting. The furniture shopping debacle also uncovers one of the most difficult truths of becoming an adult: there’s no longer a set path your life should follow, and things can be pretty subject to change. Whether you’re upgrading out of that starter apartment to your own place, moving in with a partner and combining design styles, or taking the leap and shipping your entire life cross-country, change is constant.
The only thing more terrifying than realizing you’re a full blown adult, though, is not feeling comfortable in your space. It’s a bit of a catch-22 – nesting is the soothing part of this stage of life, but you’re challenged with outfitting a nest that may need uprooting or rejiggering a few more times over the next few years.
This giant existential puzzle (I’m fine, I promise) left me looking for the seemingly impossible: a beautiful, plush and comfy couch that could grow or shrink as needed, morph into anything from a large sectional to a small sofa depending on my space, and constantly appear spruced up as it hosted frequent guests and the occasional overnight visitor. Little did I know what I was looking for does, somehow, exist. It’s a couch made by 7th Avenue…and I’m so grateful I found it.
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The World’s Greatest Modular Sofa
Giving yourself the title of ‘The World’s Greatest Modular Sofa’ is a bold move – but after living with my 4-Seat Modular Chaise Sectional for about two months, I can fully substantiate 7th Avenue’s claim. 7th Avenue offers one product – a functional and luxurious modular sofa – that can be reconfigured in an endless number of ways. As your space changes or family grows, don’t purchase a whole new couch – simply add, subtract or reconfigure your pieces (which lock into place so they’re nice and secure) to transform your couch into a sectional, daybed or loveseat.
The removable, washable covers on 7th Avenue’s pieces are water-repellent and stain-resistant – liquid literally beads off of them. This furniture is built to be durable, sustainable and comfortable. (Did I mention these couches are commonly compared to Restoration Hardware’s legendary Cloud Couch? The main difference visually is that 7th Avenue’s memory foam cushions are designed to stay perky and plush, whereas RH’s cushions often sink and slump with wear.)
The only thing crazier than the concept of this couch was the experience of discovering it and owning it within a span of three weeks…
From Showroom…
I found 7th Avenue through a barrage of social media ads enticing me to visit the brand’s SoCal Showroom. 7th Avenue currently has showrooms in West Hollywood, Newport, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Houston but has plans to expand across the country in the coming months (in the meantime, 7th Avenue also offers virtual showroom visits). I booked a Saturday afternoon slot online and arrived at an adorable, reserved-just-for-me showroom set up for this modular couch to do its thing: I saw a 4-Seat Modular Chaise Sectional ($3,850) accented with an Armchair in the shade Natural White, a 3-Seat Modular Sofa in Pure White ($3,200), and a 4-Seat Modular Chaise Sectional with an Ottoman in Charcoal Black ($4,500). As founder Billy Shaw explained, though, each configuration is made up of the same pieces – if I went with a 3-Seat Sofa, I could simply purchase an ottoman in the future and voila! I’d have a 4-Seat Sectional.
Credit: 7th Avenue
When I visited the showroom, 7th Avenue had 4 colorways to choose from: Pure White, Natural White, Charcoal Black and Heather Gray. These covers are completely removable, so if you wanted to buy all new covers, you could theoretically transform the color of your couch. Shaw also mentioned that 7th Avenue plans to roll out several additional neutral colorways in the coming months.
Each back cushion is also adjustable. The brand offers Medium-Firm and Medium-Soft options, but you aren’t tied to your decision. If you decide you want a firmer cushion, the brand will provide you with complimentary down-alternative to stuff into your cushions. On the other hand, if you want a softer cushion, simply remove some of the down-alternative for a softer sink.
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sit on 7th Avenue’s couch before buying it – one of my biggest detractors from buying furniture online in the past. I also enjoyed a demo that confirmed how water-repellant this couch is: a sales representative named Travis poured a can of Diet Coke on the Pure White couch (gasp!) – and then proceeded to wipe it right off (deeper gasp!). The entire experience felt extremely personal and homey (each showroom also features drool-worthy art from local artist for extra design inspo).
To Living Room…
I ultimately went with the 4-Seat Modular Chaise Sectional in Natural White and Medium-Firm cushions and was told I’d get a call in a few weeks to schedule my delivery (lead times are ~4-6 weeks). I was lucky to receive a call just two weeks later – someone else had canceled and 7th Avenue would be in my neighborhood if I wanted to schedule an early delivery (I did).
Because I live in Southern California, a local delivery team arrived to deliver and assemble my new sectional. It took them 30 minutes from arrival to departure and was an incredibly smooth experience – I watched as they assembled the pieces into place before washing their hands and outfitting each piece in fabric before locking them into place. (If you don’t live in Southern California, the brand ships each piece via FedEx and can send an assembler via 3rd Party Services such as TaskRabbit to assemble your sofa.)
Sit Back And Relax
While I was smitten with my couch from the second it was assembled, I wanted to really live with it before giving 7th Avenue my full review. After two months, I’m certifiably in love.
I’ve hosted multiple friends and my entire family on it. I’ve slept three full nights on it. I’ve spilled an entire kombucha on it. And I’ve actually reconfigured it! I wasn’t sure I’d really experience its modularity for a while, but while I initially had the ‘L’ set up on the left side, I moved around a few pieces of furniture in my living room and realized I wanted the ‘L’ on the right side. It only took a few minutes to unscrew a connector and move the ottoman over before reconnecting it. When I realized I would’ve been stuck with a less-than-ideal room configuration had I purchased a left-side-L-couch from another brand, I knew it was finally time to sit down and write this review.
Creating a comfortable home is so important! It makes a noticeable difference in everything from your mood to your productivity – and when life feels a bit shaky, having some grounding is truly priceless. If you’re looking to update your space – even if you know you may not feel fully settled for quite some time – 7th Avenue is the way to go. And if you’re feeling settled, I can’t recommend a better couch for hanging out and chilling out for years to come.
