Review: West Elm Jackson Sectional Sofa

I want to preface this post by pointing out that I rarely make purchasing mistakes. I conduct my research before making any major purchases, and I thought I did my due diligence before purchasing the Jackson Sofa from West Elm.

Unfortunately, in this case, I think made a mistake. And who can blame me? There are so few comprehensive West Elm furniture reviews out there. So I thought I'd contribute mine so that others don't make a similar mistake.

Let's rewind a bit, shall we?

The Quest for the Perfect Sofa

The Macy's Ava Metro Sofa after five years of heavy use.

Back in 2009, I purchased the Ava Metro Sofa from Macy's. Actually, my parents purchased it for me as a Christmas present, but I digress. At $699, it was my priciest piece of furniture, and would continue to hold that honor until June 2015, when I purchased the sofa that's the subject of this post. I prefer to buy vintage pieces, but sofas kinda need to be new.

Ava wasn't the most beautiful of couches, but she had one major thing going for her - durability.  She was structured and was constructed of that kind of strange microfiber fabric that showed every brush of a hand but could survive the nuclear holocaust. And considering we had two cats that exhibited rare but aggravating periods of destructiveness, we were grateful for her high performance and vowed to continue opting for non-woven microfiber or velvet fabrics in the future.

Okay, let's jump forward. Picture this - Sacramento, 2015. I'm nine months pregnant and in full-blown nesting mode. I just want a place to put up my feet during my maternity leave, and the chaise sectionals at West Elm, Crate and Barrel, Joybird, and CB2 are looking positively dreamy.

And then, it happens. West Elm has a sale.

I'd been eyeing the Peggy sectional for quite awhile, but with a price point of nearly $2,300 (pre-tax) in my fabric of choice, I was understandably hesitant. So when I saw that the the similarly-styled Jackson Sectional was listed at a mere $1,279 and was in available in the "high-performance" marled microfiber fabric, I just had to jump.

A family nap on Teddy's first full day home. The last time this has ever happened.

My son and the sofa were delivered within hours of each other on the hottest day of the year.  Needless to say, we definitely got some good use out of our new sofa in those first few months.  Now that both Teddy and the couch are over eight months old, I've had some time to compile my thoughts.

West Elm Jackson Sectional - Pros

• Aesthetics -  3.5 / 5 I have to admit, this couch is pretty darn cute. It's got a slight mid-century vibe, but doesn't veer into kitsch territory, so it works well within a variety of decorating styles. The tufted pillows are surprisingly structured, and can be flipped and rotated easily. The seat and chaise cushions are not reversible, which causes some uneven wear, but this is due largely to the fact that the chaise itself can be configured to sit on the left or the right.

• Comfort -  3.5 / 5 Pretty cushy. In fact, maybe a touch too cushy. I think it could use a tad more cushion structure. My only real complaint is that the chaise is about a foot too short. Notice how I had to curl up in the picture above?
  
  
• Adaptability - 5 / 5 Holy moly is this ever a cool feature!  We had in configured in one direction in the old house, and then flipped it in the other direction once we moved.  Great for people like me who like to rearrange their living room every once in awhile.
  
  
• Price - 3 / 5 Again, this ran (and continues to run) a lot cheaper than the Peggy.  And, to be honest, I think it's more comfortable. Would I say it's affordable? No. But it's at least somewhat comparable to similar chaise sectionals I've seen at Macy's or even Ikea.
  
  I'm glad I went with the cheaper sofa, because my issues are mainly with the fabric, which I'll get into in a second...

West Elm Jackson Sectional - Cons

West Elm's "high-performance" Marled Microfiber fabric.

• Durability - 2/5 West Elm describes their Marled Microfiber fabric as follows:
  
  "High performance, low maintenance. As hardworking as it is welcoming, this light, heathered gray microfiber not only has a great marled texture, it also resists stains."So you'd expect such a high performance, hardworking fabric to be able to endure daily use, right?  Not so much. Though the marled microfiber is definitely stain resistant, it's less of a traditional microfiber and more of a tight weave. According to my research, microfiber typically consists of fibers less than 1/5 the diameter of a human hair. The fibers in West Elm's Marled Microfiber fabric are considerably thicker. If I were to guess by eyeing one of the frayed threads that have popped up, I would say it's close to 2 times the diameter of a human hair.
• 
  And guess what happens to weaves when exposed to high traffic? You guessed it - fraying and pilling.  Almost immediately.  And forget about having pets.  Anyone who knows cats knows that weaves, even tight ones, are cat claw magnets.  Hell, they make cat toys out of weaves. Had I known that West Elm's Marled Microfiber consisted of such thick fibers, I would have shelled out the extra dough for the Performance Velvet.
  
  Also, the seat cushion covers are already getting a big baggy.  They get pushed toward the front of the cushion, making the seam uneven.

• Value and Longevity - 2.5 /5 Yes, I just listed the price as a pro. But value is the perceived benefits received divided by the perceived price paid. If I'm honest with myself, I can't see this sofa working for my family for more than another couple of years, and so what originally seemed like a reasonable price now feels exorbitant.  Remember, my $799 couch lasted me five years. For me, the value of the Jackson Sectional falls short.

Aftermath and Conclusion

I ended up contacting West Elm about the problem, and they provided me with a small amount of compensation for our trouble.  Still, I'm feeling a little down about the whole ordeal.

Sofas are tricky.  There are so many factors to consider when purchasing the bedrock of your living room. In the case of this purchase, I think I went against my better judgement and prioritized aesthetics and comfort over durability. Next time, I'll be sure to put a little more thought into the potential lifespan of a piece before shelling out the dough.

I'm not going to tell you that the Jackson Sectional isn't worth the money, because for you, it might be. Your lifestyle and needs might be vastly different from mine. But, in my case, the purchase was a dud.

May the upholstery fabric odds be ever in your favor.

And we're back.

It's been over two years since I've updated, and what a two years it's been! Here are the CliffNotes of what you've missed...

1. Pregnancy
The road to expanding our family had a few bumps, so we were thrilled (and, let's be honest, terrified) when I discovered we were expecting right before the Thanksgiving holiday.

37 weeks and feeling fabulous.

Despite being warned that I'd be fat and perpetually sick, my pregnancy was legit amazing. If I could, I'd be pregnant all the time. I looked great, I felt great. Labor sucked, but I've been told that's a thing. Pro-tip: Don't eat a vending machine Hot Pocket immediately before being induced.

2. The Layoff
After months of rumors, the axe finally fell.  In early March, my team and I received news that we'd be out of our jobs within a month and a half. And so began the period of...

3. Job Searches, Offers, and Decisions 
Talk about awkward. Five months pregnant and out of a job, I made it my mission to apply to any and all jobs in a 50-mile radius that appeared to even be a minor skills match. The experience was not what I expected. Within a month, I had three job offers and a couple of additional interviews scheduled.

Sometimes I disclosed the pregnancy, sometimes I didn't. I learned to trust my instincts and believe in my own value as an employee and an ambassador. In the end, I accepted a dream of a marketing and communications position with University of the Pacific. And if that didn't make me feel lucky enough, they also hired some of my favorite co-workers from my previous job.  Go Tigers!

Though everything worked out for me in the end, the experience of searching for work while pregnant really encouraged me to reflect on feminism, privilege, and mentorship. More on that to come.

4. Baby Teddy
Number four on the list but number one in our hearts, our Theodore (also known as Teddy) joined our awkward little family last July.

I'll post a formal introduction (and probably loads of media documenting his every breath) later, but here's an obligatory adorable photo. He's as sweet and good-natured as he looks. He's as happy as a clam and loves everyone he meets. I feel so fortunate to be this little guy's mom.

5. Bertridge
And then, as if we hadn't already had an insanely eventful year, we decided to buy a house as 2015 was drawing to a close. We ended up finding a small, somewhat bedraggled postwar minimalist house on a lovely, tree-lined street and fell hard and fast for it, even though it didn't have some of the things on our wish list.

After what seemed like an extended wait, several major repairs (roof and floors, and a whole-house paint job (thanks, Dad!) we settled into our new home, which we dubbed "Bertridge" - a nod to our family nickname and the wealth of pavers and stones in the backyard.

I kind of dropped the ball on taking before and after photos. In fact, I've yet to take a photo of the exterior.  The one above was included in the sale listing several months back.  I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but...more to come.

So...yeah.  That's the gist of it. I decided to start using this old junker of a blog again because my writing skills are getting a bit rusty and I need a repository for all my home improvement project stories and furniture reviews. (I'm not happy with West Elm, at the moment.  I'll explain why later.)

In short - hello again!  I'm now a power mom and a homeowner, but still as awkward as ever.  I have lots of opinions and I want to discuss them with you.

P.S. I'm due to become an aunt any day now and I couldn't be more excited about it.