Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update

SVEN SECTIONAL UPDATE

04.23.20

It’s been almost a year since we got our Sven Sectional from Article (it was gifted as part of a living room update in June 2019) and I’ve received LOTS of messages and emails asking about how it’s held up. With many of us spending more time than usual on our couches, I thought this would be a good opportunity to share an update in case you’re considering the Sven Sectional for your home.

Today I’ll be sharing:

  • How the Sven Sectional looks almost 1 yr later.
  • Where it shows it’s weaknesses.
  • How I keep ours looking good.
  • Would I get another Sven?

Even if a Sven Sectional isn’t something you’re interested in, this post contains some tips that may be helpful for cleaning and maintaining your fabric couch. For more about our living room update and why we chose this couch please refer to this post.


This post was not produced in partnership with any brands mentioned but does contain affiliate links and some gifted items. If you see something you like and decide to shop through the links included, I may earn commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are always my own and I only feature items I love. Thanks for supporting Style Bee!


Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update

THE SVEN SECTIONAL *ALMOST* 1 YR LATER


The photos below show how our Sven Sectional looks after several weeks of use between any sort of maintenance.

Dave and I laze about on it almost every night together and sometimes during the day we work on our laptops on it as well. Dobby snoozes on the chaise by the window during the day and Evie hangs out on the back cushions most evenings.


Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update
Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update

SVEN SECTIONAL WEAKNESSES


You’ll notice that the seat cushions end up slightly out of place since they’re not secured to the frame and the most used spot on the couch is easy to discern from how the foam padding has compressed beneath the cover.

The woven Ivory Birch fabric does develop pills in high friction areas. The inner padding also gets a bit smooshed where it’s most used over time. It’s ultimately a trade off between comfort and structure.

While it looks a little bit rough, a bit of maintenance and a vigorous fluff is all it needs to return to it’s original self.


Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update

HOW I KEEP OUR SVEN LOOKING GOOD


When I’m giving the living room a deep-ish clean, about once every month or so, I like to clean up any pills that have developed on the fabric and spot clean wherever a stain may have appeared.

I must say for a light fabric, the Ivory Birch is very good at camouflaging pet fur, dirt, lint and small everyday types of stains. My husband Dave is a contractor and a particularly spilly fellow so he had some valid concerns about such a light colour couch. Happy to report that we’ve both been really pleased with how well it’s held up.

The fabric is a synthetic blend of 73% Polyester / Acrylic 27% and has a Martindale score of 100,000 rubs, which is more than sufficient for domestic use.

As I noted above, this fabric does tend to pill in high friction areas, primarily on the seat cushions, and this has also been noted in some of the reviews. Below you’ll see a close up image of the pills that develop over a month or so of daily use. Good news though, they’re easy to get rid of!


Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update

To get rid of the pills and return the fabric to it’s original look and feel I simply use a sweater stone or sweater comb. You could also consider using a fabric shaver or an electric defuzzer as well.

I gently brush the seat cushions from back to front (going with the grain of the fabric) collecting the fluff that comes off on the stone. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to sweep them off and you’re left with a brighter, softer, new looking cushion.



Once the pills are removed, I run my Miele vacuum over the cushions and in between to pick up any bits of grit that may collect in the tufted areas and corners.

I give the back and bolster pillows a good beating to get them into shape (a truly therapeutic exercise lol) and once they’re set back in their spot, our Sven is looking pretty much as good as new!

For stains, I will spot clean with some clear hand or dish soap and use a clean white towel to rub out the mark and absorb any wetness. So far no issues with this method but if you get a darker colour you may want to test on an inconspicuous spot first.

I haven’t felt the need to have the cushion covers dry cleaned yet but it’s something I might consider if I find there are any stains I can’t get out myself.

The images below show the cushions and fabric after this quick (10 minute or less) maintenance routine.



Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update

To keep the couch feeling fresh I like to occasionally change up the toss cushions and I’ll light a scented candles to make the room smell great. I put a washable throw blanket on the chaise where Dobby snoozes to keep that section protected.


Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update

SO WOULD I GET ANOTHER SVEN?


Yes, I still love our Sven and I believe this couch is great value for the price. At $2629 CAD you’ll be hard pressed to find such an elegant design that’s also been constructed well. Overall, the frame has held up great with no bowing or any signs of structural weakness. I think it cleans up great, especially for a light fabric and, of course, we also find it very comfortable to sit and lounge on.

Will it be our forever couch? No. We’d love to have a bit more space one day and at that point we’ll be looking into something more luxurious in size with cushions covered in a high quality natural fabric or leather. Until then though, we’ll be thoroughly enjoying our Sven sectional!


Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update
Style Bee - Sven Sectional Update

Thanks for tuning in, I hope this update is helpful for anyone considering a Sven Sectional.

Have any additional questions? Let me know if the comments!

7 comments
04.23.20
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  1. XinYun says:

    Hi there, thanks for sharing this. I am considering the Sven Sofa in Birch Ivory as well. I’ve seen so many posts on how the couch doesn’t hold up its shape with time. As opposed to what I’ve seen in other reviews, your couch seems to have held it’s shape after about a year. Does your family spend more than 2 hours a day on the couch? Since it’s over a year since you posted this, how does your Sven Sectional looks right now? Does your opinion on the couch change? Really hope to hear from you. I love how to couch looks but I am really scared that it will not last.

    • Lee the Bee says:

      Hi XinYun, So far we’ve been quite happy with this couch. It is starting to show its age a bit more now that it’s been through a move and had lots of guests and kids all over it. I still think it’s good value for the price point and it cleans up well. We spend less time on it now that we’ve moved to a new location and have another sitting area, but it’s still great for watching movies and has hosted many a recent nap. If your budget allows for something with a more solid frame, and higher quality upholstery, that will probably give you more years of use. Hope that helps!

  2. Kim says:

    Hi there! Would you ever consider doing a tutorial on how you made your driftwood art? I’m an avid collector of sticks, rocks, shells, and feathers, and I’d love to hear how you attached these natural materials in a lasting way. I think we could all use a fun project right now! Thanks so much, and I’ve always enjoyed your writing and photos.

    • Lee the Bee says:

      Thanks so much Kim! I’ve had a few folks ask about a DIY for the driftwood art piece but the trouble is that it wasn’t all that easy to make. There was a table saw, vice grips, a planer, finishing nails, wood glue and some very tense moments involved haha. That said, I’ll see if Dave and I can’t come up with a more straight-forward approach to get a similar result! I agree that it’s a great time for some projects like this right now. xo

  3. Mary Grogan says:

    Interesting. There was another blogger, I believe Canadian, with long dark hair who I used to get e-mails from. She mentioned you which is how I found you. Would you please remind me of her name and blog name as I haven’t seen anything from her in quite some time. Thanks! I really like your framed sticks.

    • Rebecca says:

      Hi Mary,

      It could be Caroline Rector over at Un-Fancy (Un-Fancy.com). Although she’s not Canadian, she and Lee used to team up for the 10×10 challenge. Her posts have slowed down considerably, but she still updates her Instagram (@Caroline_Joy) from time to time.

    • Lee the Bee says:

      Thanks Rebecca!

      Yep, I think Caroline is taking some time away from UnFancy but the site has tons of useful resources.