Back in 2016 I purchased an Article Ceni Sofa in Pyrite Gray, you can read about that process over in this blog post. I’m here to update you on how it’s holding up after 2 years. First off, you should know I do not have children or pets, this sofa lives with myself and my partner Andrew but we both use the sofa every day for serious lounging.
I’ve had a lot of inquiries through email and social media on how it’s holding up and if the fabric and the cushions are wearing well so below is my honest feedback. This post is not sponsored, I wanted to provide you all with honest feedback so you can make an informed purchase in the future.
Article Ceni Sofa Review After 2 Years
Cushions: like new, no sagging what so ever and I’m a heavy lounger with weekends of Netflix marathons.
Fabric: minor pilling on the seat cushions only, but personally it doesn’t bother me, I just live with it because it’s hardly noticeable. The back cushions and sides are like new with no pilling.
Overall shape: the cushions and general shape are like new, holding their shape and still firm. This is exactly why I went with the Ceni sofa, because Article told me the cushions were firm and I wanted the foam to last for years and hold it’s shape.
Wood base: the beautiful wood base/trim is like new even though I’m an aggressive vacuumer, I’m surprised there are no scratches.
Frame: the overall frame is still very solid, springs are still bouncy and firm, no movement in the frame at all, it’s very solid.
Pros and Cons of Article’s Ceni Sofa After 2 Years
Pro – the price is perfect for the style and construction, delivery and no assembly, amazing value
Pro – the wood base is real wood and the frame is solid construction
Pro – the cushions are firm and hold their shape for extra support, they haven’t sagged at all
Pro – beautiful slim lines with the mid-century vibe I was looking for
Con – the upholstery is only on one side of the seat cushion on this particular model, so you cannot flip them over if you spill. However there is fabric on both sides of the arm cushions and back cushions.
Con – minor pilling on the seat cushion fabric, but like I said, it’s hardly noticeable.
Con – too damn comfortable, I don’t want to get up!
All the photos in this post are what it looks like in its current condition after using it for almost 2 years. Overall I’m still very happy with my purchase. It’s impossible to find a style like this for this price point and the fact that it was delivered right into my apartment with no assembly required was a dream.
The only thing I’d ask Article to improve with this sofa is to have fabric on both sides of the seat cushions, they currently only have upholstery on one side of the seat, so I’m always in fear that I will spill a drink and not be able to flip over the cushion. The back cushions and arms are fully covered though.
So the big question, would I buy this sofa again now that I’ve lived with it for 2 years? 100% yes! Like I said, the value is great and I really wanted a mid-century style. I shopped at some local stores and I’ll say the prices were more or similar but the construction felt weak, so I’m happy I decided to shop online, even though it gave me anxiety initially, I was comforted by Article’s amazing return policy.
If you’re curious about my rug, it’s also from Article, it’s the Texa Rug, you can check it out in my product review over in this blog post.
Thank you for your review and follow-up. I have been eyeing this couch and saving up for it for a year and a half. I do have kids, so how it holds up was really important, but also the comfort level, so nice to know it now only looks nice and holds up but also is comfortable.
I was curious about the rug, but as I was scrolling down to leave a comment to ask, I saw your tag at the end of this post….Thanks!
Quick question- I can see your dining chairs in the background- so you mind telling me where you got those?
Hi, thanks for asking, those are also from Article, they are the Ecole chairs, not sure if they still make them. They have held up so great, fabric and structure is in perfect shape and we sit on them every day.
This is really helpful, thanks for the update!
thinking of getting this sofa, while majority of people say it’s comfortable, I’ve seen a few posts where people returned it because they found it too firm or uncomfortable. I’m assuming every person has a different approach to comfortable, would you sleep on this?
Would you say this sofa can only fit 3? because our previous 3 seater fits 4 people pretty well. Been wondering about that since it has side cushions that take up room.
Hi Cole, thanks for reading! You’re right, it’s hard talk about comfort of a sofa since everyone has a different opinion. I personally like a more firm sofa and I knew from experience that over time firm cushions tend to soften up, but after 2 years they’re still fairly firm. I have had a nap on this sofa, it wasn’t bad but I don’t think I’d want to spend the night on it, only because of the 3 individual cushions at the base. I’ve heard Articles Sven sofa is nice for sleeping on though because of the solid base cushion and round side pillow. I have comfortably fit 3 people on this sofa, you could probably do 4, but because there are 3 bottom cushions, people would end up sitting in the cracks and I’m not too sure that’s very comfortable. I hope this helps! I highly recommend contacting Article’s customer service if you have any other specific questions, their team is awesome and they also have all sorts of videos and tips on their social media channels.
Awesome sofa! Does anyone know if the manufacturer for this sofa also makes this same model in a smaller size (around 76″long) , inbetween the size of the Sofa and the Love seat? Thank you.
Hi, where did you get those pillows?
Hi Graham, the pillows are from IKEA, but I think the cushion cover design is discontinued now.
Very happy I found your review. About to buy the same couch on article.com and was a bit wary. (I just canceled an order from structube after a lot of people said it was cheap quality)
Could you share where you got that coffee table from? It looks great and isn’t too massive looking!
So glad I could help you! Yeah I haven’t heard good thing about Structube either, plus their customer service isn’t great, but Article has amazing customer service. The coffee table is actually an IKEA VITTSJÖ nesting table I found on craigslist and sold the smaller section for a more simplified look. Been thinking about replacing the bottom piece with a solid piece of wood.
So…as someone with cats and kids I will say, this fabric has NOT held up. So much pilling.
That said, I love the shape and finish of this sofa so am now considering slipcovering and/or re-upolstering. I am thinking of purchasing velvet cushion covers directly from Article then seeing if I can match the velvet locally (a risk) and recovering the rest. The one company I found that does slipcovers for the CENI is quoting over $900 CAD. Yikes! Almost worth buying a new sofa.
Hi Pamela, thanks for sharing, I think Article recommends leather or velvet if you have pets or kids, but either way that’s unfortunate yours hasn’t worn well. Reupholstering can be expensive yes (i did it to 2 vintage chairs) but sometimes it can be really worth it if you find the right fabric, just be sure to confirm how many double rubs that new fabric has, that will tell you how well it will wear. I recommend over 55,000 double rubs if possible. Have you tried a fabric defuzzer? I use that sometimes on my bottom cushions because I find they attract lint and get a bit fuzzy every few months. Again thanks for sharing your experience, I’m sure others will appreciate the feedback.
I ordered replacement cushion covers right through Article for my Ceni couch and matching chair. It came to just over $500. It took 5 months to get but that was during Covid it maybe quicker now. I emailed Article to order.
Hi, I am wondering if you still have your sofa and how is it holding up? Furthermore, would you mind commenting on the clearance of the ceni sofa as it’s not available from the website – distance from the floor to the bottom of the wooden base, I am trying to decide if a robot vacuum can go under it.
Hi Xin Yi,
My Ceni is still doing great! The structure is the same as when I bought it, the only thing I’ve noticed is the fabric on the seat cushions is pilling a bit but once a month I use a fabric defuzzer and it makes it look new again. This is a common problem with more “affordable” furniture, fabric can get fuzzy. The cushion still hold their shape, no sagging, wood legs are still great even after I’ve hit then many times with my vacuum. As for the clearance at the base, it’s about 3″ I hope that helps!
I was initially happy with my Ceni, delivered 11/28/2020, but 10 months later, 3 of which I was out of town for, the cushions have gone so flat. I contacted article support about the sagging cushions, provided photos, and explained that I followed their pillow fluffing instructions before leaving town for two months, but when I returned, the cushions were still flat and deformed. I weigh less than 200 lbs and no one who weighs 200 lbs or more has ever even sat on the sofa. I’m appreciative that they’re sending replacement cushions without too much trouble, but I’m skeptical that they will hold up any better than the first set.
I noticed in the comments on your first post about the Ceni, a commenter mentioned the cushions had springs in them. I asked support about that and they said mine were just foam. I’m not sure if that was a design change or perhaps that commenter was mistaken, though I believe they were quoting Article support.
Sofas from discount furniture stores last longer than these cushions did.
That’s unfortunate to hear, sounds like there may have been design changes. Mine is still holding up great going on for several years now, I do believe I have springs in my cushions though. I personally love the style of Articles furniture which I couldn’t find at discount retailers or big box stores, so this was my justification for the purchase.
I love my Ceni loveseat so much- but so do my cats- went finally trained them away from the armrests, but they are fairly shredded. Amy recs for a slip cover that won’t totally house the aesthetic? The cushions are still great- it’s just the front of the arm rest part of the frame that needs help.
I can’t say that I’ve seen any slipcovers for this type of chair. Might be worth getting one made. Or hold out and save money to get a leather chair at some point. I’ve heard leather can be better with pets, but I don’t have pets so I can’t speak from experience.
Just FYI my Ceni is a little under three years old and the slipcovers are falling apart. Article no longer sells or offers replacements and their customer service said they won’t offer/sell them again in the future.
Thanks for sharing this info! I also discovered this because now my fabric is starting to pill and I can’t replace them. I just use a fabric defuzzer. It’s a real shame the fabric isn’t holding up as well as the structure and the shape of the cushions. I heard their leather is actually better than the fabric.
Hi,
Now that it’s 2023, do you have another update on the sofa? 🙂
Thanks for asking! The structure is still in great shape and the cushions are still holding their shape, firm, not sagging, however the fabric is now wearing. it has pills on the surface. Sadly this is the only reason I would now want to replace the sofa. But I’ve managed to keep it looking good by using a fabric defuzzer on it every few months. I still think it was good value for what I got. I’ve heard the leather from Article is a really great option and wears really nicely.