What to Know About Burrow’s Editor-Loved MCM Furniture

Mid-century modern has been a mainstay of interior design for decades. Its recognizable clean lines and earthy palette has shown up everywhere from city lofts to suburban living rooms, advertising minimalist warmth with fewer words than Don Draper. But just because mid-century style has stuck around doesn’t mean that people necessarily want everything about it to stay exactly the same. Enter: Burrow.

Burrow, the direct-to-consumer brand of sleek furnishings that launched in 2017, has built a multimillion-dollar business by blending the looks of the past with the technology of the present. Read on to see how the company puts its spin on modular mid-century design, shop editor favorites, and more.

Burrow is a popular direct-to-consumer furniture brand and retailer. Founders Stephen Kuhl and Kabeer Chopra met as classmates at the University of Pennsylvania when a discussion over beers led them to a question familiar to anyone who has ever stared at an empty, unfurnished room: “Why is furniture shopping so hard?” They shared stress-inducing stories about sofas that were either too expensive or required too much of a wait, and commiserated over settling for what was available to them in a pinch. 

Kuhl and Chopra used this frustration as fuel and landed on a sofa prototype that included a modular build to fit cozy corners and McMansions alike, cushions that can be compressed into a flat-pack box, and legs that can be easily removed. They focused on making the frame easy to build with minimal effort (and minimal tools!), but that was still sturdy. Oh, and its look would be largely mid-century modern, with a hint of Scandinavian sleek. 

Since its debut seven years ago, Burrow has become one of the most recognizable names in online DTC modular furniture. It’s also expanded its offerings from sofas and sectionals to side tables, bookcases, dining tables, rugs, and even mattresses, making it possible to outfit many rooms at the same time. 

Yes, Burrow’s furniture is easy to assemble, and it all starts with the packaging. Items arrive in boxes that are at most as heavy as a toddler, and labeled clearly with large text across the front. This way, you can unbox items in a certain order as you assemble and reclaim some floor space.

You also don’t need a loaded toolbox for assembly, and much of it can be done by hand. Most of the furniture comes together in about an hour or less, depending on your level of experience and how many able-bodied people are on hand to help. Remember: Don’t push yourself if you don’t have to!

Burrow ships all of its large furniture items for free and delivers it to your door via FedEx. Smaller items, like pillows and trays, will likely arrive by USPS or DHL, though the carrier will depend on your location and service area. While wait times were only a few days prior to the pandemic, it can take a few weeks now before your boxes magically appear.

If time is of the essence — cough, unexpected visitors, cough — make sure you’re shopping in the ready-to-ship section. 

About a year after Burrow officially launched, it opened a flagship store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. Since then, stores have opened in Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago, and there are plans for more. 

Burrow furniture is made to last years, even though it can be assembled in minutes and without tools. The fabric sofas have long been reviewed as pet-friendly, and that is by design: Its tightly woven material was meticulously tested to withstand the claws of dogs and cats. Furthermore, these fabrics are stain-resistant, so you don’t have to sweat the accidental spill. The full-grain leather and velvet options are made to be durable, too, but won’t be as hardy as the former fabrics — keep that in mind, in case you entertain frequently or have kids! 

Burrow holds sales a few times throughout the year, and it’s possible to save hundreds of dollars. Currently, Burrow is running an early Labor Day sale with 20% off the entire site through August 22 with the code LDS20.

Other ways you can get discounts? Shop the outlet selection or the clearance section for regularly updated finds, or use the refer-a-friend program for a win-win partnership that involves savings for them and an Amazon gift card for you.

According to multiple Apartment Therapy editors, especially former Deputy Lifestyle Director ​​Madeline Bilis, who raves about Burrow’s popular Range Sectional Lounger, yes, Burrow furniture is worth it. 

Bilis purchased the Range after much research — she even had a “sofa spreadsheet” to keep all her notes together. She loves the low-profile yet comfortable feel of the Range, and that she can build upon it with additional seats if ever she were to move into a larger apartment. Here’s what else she had to say: “Something else that sold me on it, aside from its handsome shape and modular design, was how it arrived at my doorstep,” Bilis wrote. “Each piece shipped in a separate box that I could lift on my own (single gals, unite!). While I did enlist my brother to help me build the couch, it was a fairly simple process that took a little over an hour.” 

So, if you’re on the hunt for classically stylish furniture and Burrow is a strong contender, which items should make your list? Here are a few of our favorites to consider.