Dana Rose Falcone has worked as a journalist for eight years, during which time her writing has appeared in Apartment Therapy, Brides, Fast Company, HuffPost, Money, Newsweek, Popular Science, and more.
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In 2015, American furniture designer Edgar Blazona founded BenchMade Modern to offer completely customizable couches delivered in as little as five weeks.
The OG Couch Potato features a relaxed feel and a mid-century modern design with current and sophisticated finishes.
BenchMade Modern uses locally-sourced materials to handcraft its pieces in Dallas and Los Angeles.
Living in my share of one-bedroom New York City apartments over six years meant that most of my living room seating consisted of futons or loveseats. Those options never let me fully relax and curl up with a bowl of ice cream while zoning out with some reality TV or the newest rom-com—my preferred evening and weekend activity. Moving out of Manhattan into a bigger space allowed me to get an actual couch, and BenchMade Modern’s OG Couch Potato Sofa drew me in from the name alone since I want a super soft sofa where I can comfortably plant myself for hours. The ability to pick from ample color and fabric options when designing the couch only increased its appeal to my often indecisive self, so I gave it a chance.
Trying out the OG Couch Potato Sofa
Ordering from BenchMade Modern
BenchMade Modern prides itself on allowing customers to completely customize the size, fabric, and cushions of their piece. So when ordering from the brand’s easy-to-follow website, BenchMade Modern breaks the process down into three steps.
First, you choose the couch’s length, any 5-inch increment between 65 and 100 inches. Next, you pick the fabric. The website shows close-up views of all the material and color options, plus the opportunity to order free swatch packs. After taking a look at all the swatches, I landed on Meis Taupe.
Lastly, you decide between foam and fiber or slightly pricier foam and trillium cushions. Hypoallergenic trillium mirrors the characteristics of natural down, but BenchMade Modern claims trillium is more resilient and supportive and won’t leave you dealing with rogue feathers. Because of its sustainability and eco-friendliness, I went for the trillium cushions, which BenchMade deems its more popular option.
Once you’ve made all your selections, BenchMade Modern will mail you a paper printout that shows the exact sizing of the piece to ensure it’ll fit in its intended space. As someone who had to toss out a couch because it wouldn’t make it into my second-floor walkup, I very much appreciated this. And after checking out my printout, I actually upped the length of the couch from 90 to 95 inches. My sofa measured in at 95 inches by 37 inches by 26 inches.
I was told the lead time for manufacturing would be five weeks, plus another one to two for delivery, but I actually received a call to schedule the delivery after just three weeks.
The Delivery Process
BenchMade Modern shipped my sofa from GLB Trucking through Werner Final Mile. Werner called me on a Friday to schedule the delivery and informed me that they were in my area on Tuesdays, so I could schedule my delivery for the coming Tuesday or the one after that. I opted for the closer Tuesday and the Werner representative said they’d call me that Monday to confirm a four-hour delivery window. I also received updates via text. When delivery day rolled around, unfortunately my delivery driver called out sick and they had to reschedule for the following week.
Take two went as planned, and the delivery company even called when the driver was one hour out from my house.
I went with BenchMade Modern’s white glove delivery service, meaning the two-person delivery team took care of all the assembly and disposed of the bulky boxes that the couch came in. This made the entire setup process stress-free. BenchMade Modern also offers curbside and threshold delivery options where the delivery team will leave the boxed furniture outside on the property or in a covered area/lobby, respectively.
Living with the Couch Potato
The OG Couch Potato Sofa’s sleek design means it blends right in in the room, but still presents as a beautifully-crafted, high-quality piece. It can easily feel at home in any area of the house, especially with all the fabric customizations BenchMade Modern provides.
The cushions come off as firm at first, but once you take a seat, they depress slightly and let you sink in just a bit. The support holds up during a prolonged sit, so you can work from home on this couch without feeling like you’re totally lounging
The cushions come off as firm at first, but once you take a seat, they depress slightly and let you sink in just a bit. The support holds up during a prolonged sit, so you can work from home on this couch without feeling like you’re totally lounging. But for someone who wants an ultra soft, pillowy cushion, the OG Couch Potato’s trillium cushions might be too firm. However, that means the cushions will likely hold up over time and won’t sag within months to a year of consistent use. The seat depth of 23 inches could be slightly longer to allow you to curl up and truly be enveloped by the couch rather than hanging off a bit.
The back cushions, which don’t attach to the couch in any way, have a similar feel. At 17 inches high, they sit a bit low, so some might find it lacks the back and neck support they desire; at 5 foot 3, I didn’t have that problem. The slightly reclined back frame and low height aim to maximize lounging position. The covers of all the cushions have zippers, so you can slip them off when they need washing. (Although you could pop them in the washing machine, BenchMade Modern recommends spot cleaning any stains.)
The couch material seems thick and durable, and didn’t budge at all after some light scratching from my miniature dachshund. She made herself right at home on the couch in a matter of minutes. I did notice, however, that after a short nap (of the human variety), the stiff fabric crinkled a bit and firmly held that shape for a matter of hours before laying flat again.
The OG Couch Potato Sofa, with its hardwood frame, feels incredibly sturdy and unwavering.
The OG Couch Potato Sofa, with its hardwood frame, feels incredibly sturdy and unwavering. The low, floor-hugging base gives the piece a hefty appearance—and also means you won’t have to worry about losing a remote under the sofa. My favorite feature of the couch would have to be the wide, firmly cushioned armrests. Because they’re flat, you’ll still need a pillow if you want to comfortably recline horizontally, but at 10 inches wide, you can rest your arm plus a phone, remote or tablet and have everything within reach. And if you’re in a bind, a guest can even plant themselves on that armrest.
Still, the wide couch cushions invite multiple guests to take a seat and make it the perfect sofa for entertaining. Guests will feel comfortable on game day or at your Oscars viewing party, but not too cozy that they’ll fall asleep and overstay their welcome. The couch also looks incredibly sophisticated and well made with its rounded corners and single-needle top stitch, which is exactly what you’d expect at the approximately $4,000 price point. I believe the OG Couch Potato Sofa will withstand the test of time in both durability and design since the crisp, clean lines certainly have mass appeal. Should anything happen in the long run, take advantage of BenchMade Modern’s lifetime warranty on frame and suspension. And if you don’t love it within the first 100 days after delivery, BenchMade Modern will allow you to return the sofa and receive 100 percent of your money pack, minus a 10 percent return processing fee.
Pros
The customizability lets you truly tailor the sofa to your space, down to the inch
The cushions offer firm support with slight give
Timeless, sleek but simple design
Receiving a printout of the size allows you to be sure the furniture will fit as intended
U.S.-made
Cons
With a 17-inch seat height, the couch only allows for mid-back support
Not an incredibly accessible price point, but a long lasting piece of furniture
The Couch Potato’s cushions exhibit medium firmness, which will support you during the many hours a day a true couch potato spends on the sofa. The cushions slump a little without totally conforming to your body. Taller people may find the back cushions too low for neck and back support, but the height aims to allow for a more lounging position.
What is the lead time for customization, manufacturing, and delivery?
Currently, BenchMade Modern quotes a six week delivery lead time for its OG Couch Potato collection. However, the company notes that production time varies depending on the business level of their factory. At the time I placed my order, BenchMade Modern estimated I would receive my OG Couch Potato Sofa in five weeks, but I had the couch in my home one month after finalizing my pick.
What’s the delivery process? And does the sofa come ready-made?
BenchMade Modern has curbside, threshold, and white glove delivery options. With Standard Curbside Delivery, which costs $99, the delivery person will leave the boxed furniture at the end of the driveway or on the curb during the scheduled delivery appointment and you will be responsible for moving, unpacking and assembling the piece. You’ll have to do the same with Threshold delivery, the difference being that the delivery person will drop the boxed furniture in a dry area, garage, or lobby. For an additional $295, you can opt for white glove delivery. A two-person delivery team will carry your new furniture into your home, place it in your room of choice, unwrap it, assemble it, and remove all packaging debris.
BenchMade Modern is a luxurious, high style furniture brand founded by Edgar Blazona in 2015. The brand offers a fast and straightforward way to purchase high-quality, customizable furniture.
"The reason we exist is we want to provide a great quality product at a good price that is custom fit to your room."
All BenchMade Modern products are custom-made and handcrafted in the USA. The brand offers a range of 15 collections with 100+ performance fabrics and leather upholstery options to choose from. Its sofas are made in five-inch increments to seamlessly fit into your space, and all frames have a lifetime warranty.
BenchMade Modern takes the guesswork out of ordering custom furniture online by sending multiple swatch options and a true-to-size printout of the sofa before committing to the purchase. I expected softer, oversized cushions from a piece called the OG Couch Potato Sofa, but the medium firmness and reclined back will grant more support than a plushy counterpart. The high quality and elegance of the handcrafted couch make it a classic statement piece that will fit with ease in any room, especially one where you plan to entertain in a relaxed setting and/or unwind with a book or your favorite true crime series.
Dana Rose Falcone has worked as a journalist for eight years, during which time her writing has appeared in Apartment Therapy, Brides, Fast Company, HuffPost, Money, Newsweek, Popular Science, and more.
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