Author: Sydney Piwowar
Endless times have clients requested the cloud sofa. While the 100% down feather filled cushion wrapped in your “custom” choice of upholstery sounds lovely on paper, it does function as lovely in real life. Clients are often drawn towards the modern and relaxed look of the cloud. While there is nothing wrong with modernity and a relaxed setting, this sofa creates a lot of stress due to its construction.
The first, simpler issue is that the oversized frame makes it difficult to install in homes - you need to double check your door widths to ensure it will fit in your home.
Taller clients, or those that like to cuddle up and watch movies on their sofa, are often attracted to the oversized depth of the sofa. Deep cushions are actually one of the things RH is famous for. While you may think the cloud is cuddly and wraps you like a hug, your grandmother or great aunt might think different. Comparable to a bean bag chair, this sofa sits very low to the ground and is very hard to get out of.
Its 100% down feather cushion fill does not help with this either. Each time you sit on it, the feathers relax and compress, similar to your down feather bedding. Only issue is that since there are so many feathers needed to fill it, its own weight compresses it down and doesn’t allow it to fluff back up after you sit up. As a result, each sofa cushion should be regularly fulled after every use to ensure it keeps its fluff. If that wasn’t annoying enough, try lifting one of those cushions yourself. If you don’t believe how much these feathers can weigh, stop by an RH near you and try for yourself. You are NOT going to want to lift that daily.
This blog post isn’t meant to bash Restoration Hardware. I simply believe you have the right to know these things that sales associates won’t share with people willing to spend $14K on a sofa.
Since I am being honest with you, I should tell you that 100% linen upholstery on this sofa is also a nightmare. Since the sofa does not bounce back once you sit in it, the fabric stays depressed and wrinkles with every touch. Not to mention, linen is also a stain magnet for children.
To summarize, remember that bigger is not always better. Remember to check your cushion fill to ensure you have the appropriate balance of synthetic materials and down. It should be noted that the exact percentage will be different based off of personal preferences. And always bring home a sample of fabric before you agree to custom terms of agreement. Rub it on your dog to see how much hair it collects, let your two year old play with it for an afternoon and see how hard it is to clean - you will not regret it.
