Our Leather Article Sofa – One Year Later

Every once in a while I go through my blog analytics to see what posts are doing really well, and which ones were a big ‘ol flop. Doing this is extremely eye-opening, because the posts/projects that do really well are never the ones I expect. The two most popular posts I wrote in 2018 were “How to Paint Shiplap” (this one surprised the heck out of me), my series and review of our leather furniture from Article.

The question I get asked most often these days is “How is your Timber leather sofa holding up, now that you have had it a while?”

 

So let’s chat about that, and I’ll give you all the dirt.

First off, here is a link to the sofa in question, the Timber sectional from Article. 

Article is a furniture company that sells beautiful, modern furniture and very reasonable prices…but they are only online. That means you can’t see, touch, or sit on your furniture before you buy it, which is scary.

Hopefully I can help make your decision easier. The good news is that even if you mess it up and hate your purchase, Article has an awesome return policy. I originally ordered a different sofa, and when it arrived I didn’t like how it looked in my house. So I exchanged it, and it was the easiest thing ever.

When the Timber arrived I was instantly in love, this one was beautiful and felt right in the space. Now came the dangerous and slightly scary part…letting my family live on it.

Since most of the hits on this post are going to come from Google (aka people that know nothing about me) and not dedicated readers, let me explain why our house is a great tester for how things hold up over time. There are actually four reasons, and their names are Elijah, Levi, Judah, and Abram. They are 9, 7, 4, and 2, and if something can hold up to the, ummm….attention that my four sons give it, then it’s a quality product.

We started out as most people do with a new expensive item, being extremely and overly careful with it. The kids had strict rules and treated it really, really well….for about a month. Then we realized it could handle us and we all relaxed and treated it like a normal member of the family. Here are a few pictures I snapped of life on the sofa….

There has been jumping. There has been climbing. There has been so much cushion squishing. There have been spills, sharp objects, more smashed food than I care to admit.

So how has it held up?

Overall, it has held up really really well. I am very pleasantly surprised. My boys have left their mark on it on  a few places, but that isn’t the couches fault. Here is what it looks like today, after 16 months of constant abuse.

Have the cushions held their shape?

When I get questions about the couch, the thing people are most concerned about is the cushions not holding their shape over time. I’m happy to report that we have not had a problem with that at all, the cushions have held their shape beautifully. They aren’t saggy or sloppy, or really any different than the day we got them. There is one exception to this though, which I knew would be a concern with any sectional we purchased.

This is how my kids watch TV –

That is just the baby in that photo, but all four of them do this…usually more than one at a time. That armrest cushion gets a TON of abuse and is in that squished position all the dang time. Even if they aren’t watching TV someone is usually sitting on top of that cushion, facing the other way and shooting their brothers with Nerf guns or something.

I expected that cushion to give up the ghost and just be flat permanently, but if you give it a few good whacks it goes right back to its original shape. I do wish that I could switch the two armrest cushions so that they would each get a break every now and then, but with the way the cushions are made (fabric on one side) that isn’t possible.

Here is that cushion the day we got it –

 

and now –

You can tell it’s been lived on a little, but I’m really impressed that it still looks decent at all.

 

How is the leather holding up?

The leather is holding up amazing. It’s quality leather, and I LOVE that I can just wipe up spills, food, and all the other goo and disgustingness that my family admisisters to our belongings.

I do think it is important to mention that we do NOT have a dog, so I can’t comment on how it hold up to claws. We do have an indoor/outdoor cat, and I was really nervous about that. I could just picture waking up one morning and the back of the couch being shredded or the cushions being covered in cat scratches. Fortunately, the cat has zero interest in the couch. ZERO. I watched him jump on the sofa the first day we got it …and then immediately jump off. He hasn’t been back since…I guess leather just isn’t his thing.

Also, I have never conditioned the leather. I own the kit that Article recommends, but I’ve never actually used it. I know, I know… how hard is it to condition it every now an then? Not hard at all, it just made it to the top of the to-do list. You know how it goes. Anyway, if you think the leather looks good (it does), just know it’s not because I have taken care of it (I haven’t).

Things have happend though…horrible things. Unspeakable things. Things that the couch had no control over.

First is the artistic work of my toddler….

He scribbled on the couch with a pen, in about five different places. This one is the worst, mostly beacuse of me trying to get it off. All my attempts to remove the pen only rubbed the color off the leather (DON’T use alcohol based products on leather…learn from my mistakes). I e-maiedl Article to ask if they had any tips, but they said pen is impossible to get off without rubing off the leather color (should have e-mailed them before experimenting on my own). You can order replacement cushions if someting like this happens to you…but my leather color had been disconinued. Such is life.

Nex up…somehow there is some blue paint on the back.

Normally I get up paint spills by soaking them with rubbing alcohol, but having just learned my lession on the cushion I knew that was NOT the solution. So the paint stays.

Last up, is this spot I never noticed until I was photographing the couch for this post. So that spot on the cushion where my boys lay and watch TV? Evidentally they aren’t JUST watching TV and smothering my cushion….they are also using the sofa as a teether.

Look at those dang teeth marks, and the color loss on the trim has been sucked right off. Kids are the worst. Actaully, to be totally honest, this spot doesn’t bother me. The pen? Bothers the heck out of me. The color getting sucked off by my babies? It’s a sign of life. It’s one of those things I’ll look at fondly when they are older and know better.

I think that about covers it, but if you have additional questions, please ask! Also, if you own something from Article, how has it held up over time?

You may also like – 

• My new sofa from Article (and why I returned it) 
• Double sliding barn doors for the office
• Our custom build – The floorplan
• DIY reclaimed wood ceiling