I Tried One of Instagram's Favorite Couches — Sixpenny's Neva Sectional

Ordinarily, here at Hunker, when we write reviews we tend to save our final judgements on the product for the end of the article. But this time, I can't keep it in: I'm in love with Sixpenny's Neva Sectional sofa. And I don't say that jokingly. I literally feel as though my love language is this couch. I have nothing bad to say about it; the "cons" in this article aren't so much drawbacks as they are situational reasons why this couch might not work for you.

Update: Scroll to the bottom for my updated review after over a year of use.

Sixpenny is a direct-to-consumer furniture brand founded in 2017. The company specializes in linen seating (best known for their cloud-like sofas and chairs) catering to people who are looking for traditional style with modern upgrades in terms of colors and details. Sixpenny's mission is rooted in creating heirloom-style pieces — they want you to keep your purchase for several years, and so they source high-quality materials and hand-craft their frames.

The Neva Sectional is one of Sixpenny's most popular pieces (other best-selling styles include the Gabriel and the Aria). The details:

• The four-piece sofa features removable cushions for both the backs and seats, stuffed with either down or poly filling.
• Each piece is modular, so even the ottoman that creates the chaise side of the sectional can be separated and attached to any part of the couch (or detached completely and used on its own).
• The base price is $4,799.
• For the slipcover, you can choose from cotton canvas, a variety of different linens, or velvet. All of the fabric options, aside from the cotton linen and cotton canvas, come with added price tags varying from $350-$700.
• Like Sixpenny's other couches, the Neva slipcover is removable, and depending on the fabric you choose, can be dry cleaned or carefully washed at home.
• Choose from feather down or poly fill cushions.
• The frame is made of kiln-dried hardwood and plywood.

I knew from the beginning that out of all the styles Sixpenny offers, the Neva would be a winner. While the more minimalist Aria was also a contender, I decided I wanted something that felt more traditional to go in our craftsman home. (Although Sixpenny offered the product free of charge, this didn't influence my review in any way.) I ordered multiple fabric samples, which is a must — some of the differences in the taupe/cream offerings are very subtle and difficult to discern on a computer screen. I'm happy to say that the fabric I picked — Cracked Pepper, one of the lightweight linen offerings — matched the sofa exactly when it arrived. I also opted for the poly fill over the down after reading reviews of other down-filled couches that tend to flatten out and require frequent fluffing of cushions.

As the couches are made-to-order, and the world is experiencing supply chain issues, my Sixpenny order did take a long time to receive — about 4.5 months. (But honestly, who can rush greatness?) The delivery itself was painless, as the couch was set up in less than 20 minutes. Once it was set up, I was honestly blown away. It was just as gorgeous or even more so than the photos online. The cushions were so full and pouffy. And you truly do melt straight into it. It's SO comfortable.

Do the cushions look the same as when the couch arrived a month ago? Pretty close! But it should be said that these cushions are meant to get worn in — it's part of the charm of the couch. And as with any linen product, the material will start to wrinkle as you use it more, and again, this is just part of the style. Think of the vibe as European ... as the Neva ages with us, I could see it belonging in an English cottage, or a boho Parisian apartment surrounded by tons of books.

Other reasons I'm loving the Neva? So far, our cat hasn't expressed any interest in destroying it, which hasn't been the case for our last three couches. Second, our 9-month-old daughter has been crawling all over it with grubby hands (despite our best efforts), and it hasn't shown any extra signs of wear.

Many consumers, when considering a Sixpenny sofa, also research Maiden Home, specifically Maiden Home's Dune sectional. The three-seater Dune sectional is about two feet less wide than the Neva and does not have individual seat cushions for each piece. Maiden Home also does not offer as many fabric options as Sixpenny. The Dune's slipcover is also removable. Maiden Home's style feels more beachy, while Sixpenny's Neva is a bit more European in style.

• Crazy comfy
• True to photos
• Timeless, traditional design
• Quality fabric and construction
• Pet-friendly
• Adaptability: All four pieces are modular so you can reconfigure in a different space, or change the position of the ottoman, or even have the ottoman separate from the couch
• Ability to remove slipcover for cleaning
• Ability to purchase new slipcover for same frame

• Thin arms (so you can't balance a coffee cup on them)
• Substantial size (can be a con if you have a small space)
• Higher cost than average sofa
• Long lead-time, as made-to-order (if you need a sofa ASAP)

The Neva is worth the splurge. This is a couch you can keep for a long time, thanks to the washable/changeable slipcover. I'd rank this product up in my top five things in my home I feel are absolutely necessary and worth it. My top tip: To keep your Neva looking fresh, rotate your cushions every week.

I'm still really happy with the Neva! Considering how much we washed the covers, the look held up extremely well. People still constantly comment on our sofa/or ask where it's from. As for the washing of the covers: Sixpenny advises you to do so with caution (read: they prefer you to have covers professionally cleaned), but with a small child it was just inevitable that blueberry hands would some day wreak havoc (they did, multiple times). My system for washing is to wash with cold water, perm press, and add literally just a drop of detergent. Yes, you will notice that the covers lighten a tad with washing.

For oil based stains, I'd smother the area in baking soda, let it sit overnight, then vacuum up.

One thing I'd always do after washing a cover was to rotate the pillow within the cover; over time, the cushions do tend to slope toward the back of the couch, but it's really not a problem if you make sure you're turning/rotating to even them out.

Best part about Sixpenny: If you're tired of the color, you can buy a new slipcover. I was provided one in Nectarine Dream. Changing it out was so easy and it made our sofa look brand new. Nectarine Dream is a very lovely color, but ended up being a jarring. The swatch felt a bit more earthy in hue, but it is in fact a very orange-y tint. I have a hunch that Sixpenny swatches are kind of hard to judge...they seem different in different lights and spaces. Nectarine Dream isn't a bad color by any means — it's just a bit louder than expected. I will say that there are colorways that do feel a bit safer and that I feel would be fairly true-to-swatch (Summer Plum, Black Pepper, Beach Walk). The key seems to be in colors that are either on the lighter or most dark side.

One year later, I am still a Sixpenny devotee — in fact, I've persuaded two friends to buy the Neva, and they also have zero complaints. So is a Sixpenny worth it? In my opinion: Absolutely.