I Searched for My Dream Couch for Almost a Year, and This One Checks All the Boxes (It’s So Stylish!)

I never realized just how much a couch can transform your space — and, honestly, your mood — until I ended up with a sofa that I absolutely despised. When my husband and I first moved in together, I bought a trendy gray couch that everyone raved about. Long story short: I picked the wrong fabric, the couch cushions quickly lost their shape, and it became my biggest home decor regret. 

Because it was such a large purchase, I lived with my decision for a few years before finally deciding enough was enough, and I began my search for the best couch ever. I knew I wanted a sectional in a green velvetlike fabric that’s durable enough for my 5-year-old pug. And even though I live in a mid-century style apartment and have several pieces of furniture that look like they’re from that era, I wanted a couch with a more timeless, neutral silhouette that could evolve with my style and potentially fit in a different space, should we ever decide to move. 

Shopping for my dream couch wasn’t easy. I sat on literally every couch in the IKEA and Living Spaces showrooms, plus browsed online for more expensive options from Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware. I even thought about splurging on a comfy Lovesac couch to appease my inner child. Then, a couple of my friends, who also owned the same couch as me, told me they purchased a new sectional from Joybird. I’m lucky enough to live minutes from the Joybird showroom in downtown Los Angeles and made plans to play Goldilocks once again until I found the sofa that was “just right.”  

To my delight, Joybird had several sofa options that I immediately loved. One sectional — the Bryant U-Sofa Bumper Sectional — was a fabulous Cloud Couch dupe but sadly too big for our living room. I also loved the Lewis Sectional as a mid-century option. But then, I turned the corner and saw the Joybird Wilder Sectional in the velvety green fabric I’d envisioned. I plopped down and was met with the comfiest, cloudlike embrace and was immediately sold. 

This couch is 123.5 inches wide by 36.5” tall with a depth of 60.5”. It’s a tad large for our space compared with our old couch, but we measured our living room several times, and it ultimately fit perfectly. We also realized that since we spend so much time on our couch, a little bigger is better in this case. It comes in lots of different colors and fabric styles, but we opted for the Kenley Spruce chenille as a green velvet alternative that’s pet-friendly and, honestly, it felt more luxurious than Joybird’s velvet upholstery options. 

You can buy the couch as just a sectional, but it’s also available in a sleeper sofa style, which we decided to splurge on since we live in an apartment and have friends and family stay with us often. We tested the different sleeper mattresses out in the showroom, and although Joybird carries an upgraded TEMPUR-Response Memory Foam mattress, we actually thought the Standard Foam mattress was comfier and went with that (and saved some money). 

All in all, it took me almost a year to find my dream couch, but I can say that it was worth all the work and the wait. A couch is a big purchase in both size and cost, so you want to choose something that you truly love and that’s functional enough for your space and lifestyle — and this one checks all my boxes.