Furniture shopping can seem like an overwhelming task. Often it sits on our to-do list for weeks on end, because it seems like such a monumental amount of effort.

If you’re anything like me, you’d feel much more prepared if you have an idea of what you’re looking for before you even step foot into a showroom. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that there seems to be a lack of great reviews on the furniture options that major retailers have.

We’ll you’re in luck because I’m about to make your life just a bit easier.

Ethan Allen is one of the most popular furniture retailers in the United States. Known for its high-quality, high-end pieces, custom-designed to fit their client’s style and vision, the company has been around since 1932. They employ trained interior designers who work with your style, budget, and even current furniture you may have, to create a space that you’ve dreamed about.

I took the time to review everything that Ethan Allen has in their showroom so that I could give you the low down on what each sofa is really like, in person.

Methodology

One thing to note about Ethan Allen before moving forward is that their showrooms do not carry every configuration or model of sofa that they carry. Each piece is customized for your space, including size, upholstery, and even details like tufting. Therefore, this review only covers the general sample models of what is available.

The sofa collection housed a majority of the significant and common collections that Ethan Allen carries in the Austin location. I took pictures of the showroom, so you could see the configuration of the sample, as well as the way it’s used in an interior space. All of Ethan Allen’s design centers showcase completed rooms utilizing all their furniture. It’s a great idea, since it can really get y our creative juices flowing.

If you see a sofa that I’ve reviewed, but aren’t quite sure about the upholstery or size, definitely reach out to a designer at Ethan Allen. More often than not, they can probably create a custom piece to exactly match what you’re looking for. You can also chat online with a designer directly on the Ethan Allen website if you have specific questions related to the customizations that are offered!

As with any qualitative review, it all comes down to another person’s opinion. In this case, it’s mine. To be as transparent as possible, it’s essential to reveal what’s important to me in purchasing a sofa and the kind of style I tend to lean towards. My priorities and style may not match yours, and I totally appreciate that. In the same vein, if I didn’t care for a particular sofa or design, I did try to imagine a space or style where it would work.

Now, what’s important to me when purchasing a sofa? Well, my living room is the most used in our home. We do everything – lounge, nap, eat, watch TV, knit, read. While there are only two of us, we do have a husky-mix rescue pup who sheds like crazy, and we often have family over, including our 7 nephews! Therefore, we need a couch that can accommodate and standup for a lot of traffic and seating! In sum, our priorities are size, comfort, and napability.

As far as style is concerned, we lean towards farmhouse chic, our rustic vintage. We have a lot of raw wood furniture already and would like a sofa that really works with that look.

Now, onto the Ethan Allen sofa reviews!

Ethan Allen Sofa Reviews

Arcata

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 15”
  • Seat Height: 21”
  • Arm Height: 24”
• Available fabrics: 48
• Cushion fill options: 2
• Sofa length options: 2
• Additional matching products:
  • Sleeper sofa
  • Love seat
  • Variety of sectional configurations
  • Armchair
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: This is a solid couch. I like that the back pillows and seat pillows are removable, as well as the fact that it comes with two additional, matching throw pillows. I’m a big fan of throw pillows, so that’s always a plus.

The frame is solid, made from engineered hardwood, which makes me feel like it would be really durable. And the wooden legs are a nice touch, though I don’t like having that big of a lip underneath my couch. When you have a dog, his toys usually end up under there, and we have to crawl on the floor to get them out. Personally, I’d like a couch that would prevent this from happening, but it’s not that big of a priority.

It’s a comfortable seat, though the filled cushions are a bit firm, even in the showroom display. While this leads me to believe that it’s more durable, I’m not very pleased with how comfortable the couch really is.

Honestly, this sofa is pretty dull, in my opinion. While it definitely leads to contemporary styling, and could definitely work as both a formal sofa or in a more comfortable room, like ours, it didn’t really get me excited. But, it’s a reliable choice if you’re looking for a simple couch that is high-quality and can fit in both a formal or informal setting.

Conway

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 16”
  • Seat Height: 21”
  • Arm Height: 24”
• Available fabrics: 58 upholstery, 4 leather
• Additional matching products:
  • Variety of sectionals
  • Armchair
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: I really like the clean lines that this contemporary styled sofa has! It’s very chic, and the lower boxed arms are beautiful for perching on. It’s surprisingly comfortable, but shorter than most couches. I may need a hoya lift to get out of it!

I also like the fact that the back and seat cushions are removable, and also that there are only two of them. When you have a sofa with multiple bottom cushions, and you like to lay and nap on it, it can cause the cushions to spread out and damage the frame in those areas. This poses a significant problem for us since one of the ultimate priorities is nappability!

The Conway has short, wooden block feet that work really well with the other lines in the design, and there isn’t much space between the bottom of the couch and the floor, which means that the toys won’t get stuck!

For overall style, I think this design really works well in contemporary spaces, where the lines of the couch are accented by similar ones in other modern furniture. Either formal or informal living areas are options for this sofa as well. I’m not head over heels for this sofa, but it’s a great durable option if it fits your space!

Bennett

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 15”
  • Seat Height: 22”
  • Arm Height: 25”
• Available fabrics: 58 upholstery, 2 leather
• Arm options: 2
• Cushion fill options: 2
• Optional nailheads: 2 finishes
• Additional matching products:
  • Sleeper sofa
  • Conversation sofa
  • Slipcover sofa
  • Loveseat
  • Variety of sectionals
  • Sleeper-sectional
  • Armchair
  • Chair and a half
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: If you looked sofa up in the dictionary, the Bennett would be the sofa that would be pictured right beside it. It’s the quintessential shape and design of what you’d expect when you hear the word sofa (at least it’s what I think of!).

It’s probably no surprise then that this is Ethan Allen’s classic sofa design. I like how everything is overstuffed, especially the rolled arms because it really makes the sofa look comfortable and inviting.

I think this sofa could work in an open, ever day living room. It’s durable enough for everyday use, and it’s not overly stuffy looking. Let’s just say, I wouldn’t be afraid to sit on this couch if I entered someone’s house!

If you are the type of person who likes to slump back, but mostly sits up and want to be comfortable, the Bennett is a perfect choice. For us, though, because we lounge across the couch, I’m a little concerned about the multiple seat cushions. Yes, they’re firm, and you can choose the fill, but I can see the cushions being put under too much pressure, and affecting the frame.

As far as style is concerned, Bennett’s simple, classic style can work in a variety of spaces. From traditional to cottage chic, by customizing the array of options, you can really make this couch work in nearly any type of space!

Hyde

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 17”
  • Seat Height: 22”
  • Arm Height: 26”
• Available fabrics: 58 upholstery, 4 leather
• Cushion fill options: 2
• Optional nailheads in 2 finishes
• Additional matching products:
  • Loveseat
  • Armchair
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: With an arched back, rolled arms, and turn-carved legs, the Hyde couch takes its styling elements from the neo-classical french influence and updates it for modern design. While the rolled arms and cushions are overstuffed, the camelback style definitely gives this an updated formal appearance.

The couch itself is surprisingly cushioned. I’d expect a formal sofa like this to not be as comfortable as it actually is, and that’s probably due to the type of cushion fill. Still, even though it’s comfortable, it’s not comfortable enough to make me want to sit back with a good book on a lazy afternoon. I feel like I need to sit up straight!

While Hyde is definitely not my style, I also can’t really picture it in an informal living room or den. I think this would be a great option if you don’t have a separate den, and only a single living room, and really like the formal feel. It’s definitely comfortable and sturdy enough for everyday use, while formal enough for entertaining guests.

While it’s not my favorite and does not appeal to my style, it’s an excellent choice for a formal/informal living room area, where it can be accented by other neo-classical pieces. It would look wildly out of place among my raw wood, rustic-inspired furniture!

Chadwick

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 16”
  • Seat Height: 20”
  • Arm Height: 26”
• Available fabrics: 58 upholstery, 8 leather
• Sofa length options: 2
• Cushion fill options: 2
• Optional nailhead detailing in 2 finishes

Overall Impression: Oh, chesterfield sofas have a special place in my heart! They remind me of an old bed and breakfast’s formal sitting area, where you gather around the fire after dinner and meet the other guests over sniffers of brandy!

Ethan Allen’s chesterfield-styled sofa, Chadwick, takes that old-world classic styling and upgrades it for the 21st century. The deep diamond tufting creates the scalloping effect over the top of the sofa, and the rolled arms are much wider than I’m used to seeing on these styles.

I also liked that they opted to use untufted, removable seat cushions! One of my biggest pet peeves with chesterfield couches is the seat tufting you usually see. I don’t know how anyone can get any crumbs out of there! Add in our dog’s neverending shedding, and it’s just a recipe for disaster in our house! But Chadwick addresses that problem, so it makes me love it a little more!

Plus, because the cushions are removable, with optional fill, this couch is actually much more comfortable than other chesterfield couches! While this isn’t my personal style and is a bit too formal for our home, I think if you really love a chesterfield styled sofa, but have similar problems with comfort and crumbs like I do, this is the answer to your prayers!

Emerson

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 15”
  • Seat Height: 21”
  • Arm Height: 23”
• Available fabrics: 58 upholstery, 4 leather
• Sofa length options: 3
• Additional matching products:
  • Armchair
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: The Emerson combines modern styling with an old-world elegance thanks to the high back and sloping arms, giving the sofa a refined sensibility. It’s very fancy looking, without being overly stuffy, which I like!

It’s surprisingly comfortable, which I really didn’t expect, but I’m glad I sat on it. I like that the bottom cushions are T-shaped, closing in the gap where the sloped arms meet, and making the sofa appear wider in the seating area than in the back. It’s a pretty cool illusion!

In my opinion, Emerson belongs in a formal living room, or even as part of an open floor plan. I think the back of this couch is as unique as the front, and if it was stuck against the wall of a room, you’d lose a lot of its character.

In my space, we’re unable to accommodate that kind of setup because our living room is separate, and if we put something in the middle of the room, we’d have no space! While the sofa does have three sizes to choose from, and could most likely accommodate our lounging and high-traffic, but it’s a bit too elegant for us! We’re pretty laid back, and like our home to have that same welcoming feeling.

While Emerson isn’t welcoming in the way that I’m looking for a sofa to be, it’s still an excellent, solid couch. I think it belongs in a more formal setting, though – maybe a traditionally styled room with modern elements, where it could really shine!

Mansfield

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 13”
  • Seat Height: 19”
  • Arm Height: 32”
• Available fabrics: 58 upholstery, 4 leather
• Seat depth options: 2
• Optional nailhead trim in 2 finishes
• Additional matching products:
  • Grand sofa
  • Small sofa
  • Armchair
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: Another modernized version of the classic chesterfield style sofa, the Mansfield has the traditional rolled arms and deep diamond tufting you’d expect. However, the arms here are much higher, and level with the back of the sofa, similar to how tuxedo sofas are designed.

Again, I like how the bottom cushions are removable and don’t have the same tufting, removing the dog hair and crumb collection areas from the bottom of the couch. The wooden legs and nailhead trim, though, really make this couch, and I don’t think it would be the same without it! Though, it’s an option that you can have removed.

I’m not a fan of the boxed-in style of the tuxedo couch, though. I much prefer a sofa that has lower arms, because otherwise, I feel cut-off from the world. Even though the arms only go up to shoulder height. It’s also a problem for lounging and napping – what would my pillow lean against?

I think this would be gorgeous in a traditional or classic styled formal living room. There’s nothing informal about this couch, and I think putting it in a casual space is doing it an injustice. It’s clearly meant to elevate a room and bring a sense of elegance and grandeur. If that’s what you’re looking for, this is the sofa for you!

Nolita

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 13”
  • Seat Height: 19”
  • Arm Height: 23”
• Available fabrics: 61 upholstery, 10 leather
• Sofa length options: 3
• Cushion fill options: 2
• Additional matching products:
  • Love seat
  • Variety of sectionals
  • Armchair
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: At first impression, the Nolita is very boxy. From its rigid frame, short, full arms, and higher back – there are a lot of right angles going on. But, the cushions themselves are overstuffed looking and look comfortable from afar.

I like that there is virtually no space underneath the couch and that the feet are just big enough to keep the sofa off the floor. This means that the dog won’t lose his toys underneath, and I won’t be on my hands and knees trying to fish them out!

The modern styling really allows this couch to move on a variety of different spaces, mainly because it still is casual. I think this would work in a more informal, every day livingroom, or a livingroom that caters to both, but more on the relaxed side of things.

For us, we’re not too big on the boxiness and prefer furniture that isn’t as structured. Curved lines work better for us, since they’re more organic and work with the raw wood furniture we have in our space.

Richmond

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 16”
  • Seat Height: 19”
  • Arm Height: 27”
• Available fabrics: 45 upholstery, 4 leather
• Sofa length options: 4
• Additional matching products:
  • Variety of sectional configurations
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: The Richmond screams comfortable and casual, and that’s probably why I love it! Those two things are super important in choosing a sofa for our home! It’s incredibly inviting in the showroom, and it really makes you feel like you just have to sit on it to see if it’s as comfortable as it looks.

And don’t worry, because it totally is! It’s a deep-seated sofa, so you can really sink back into it. The rolled arms are overstuffed and the back cushions, while removable are T-shaped so that they fit perfectly over the arms, creating a fully cushioned look that I have no trouble napping on.

I love that the legs are short, and there’s not much room underneath for stray dog balls and bones getting stuck under there.

The one thing that I don’t like is the bottom cushion. Though the cushions are boxy, thick, and overstuffed, our lounging lifestyle doesn’t work well here. If I were interested in purchasing this, I’d ask if I could customize it with a longer bottom cushion, that’s better for the structure of the sofa, and fits well with our lifestyle!

Melrose

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 15”
  • Seat Height: 19”
  • Arm Height: 24”
• Available fabrics: 38 upholstery, 4 leather
• Sofa length options: 2
• Base options: 2
• Additional matching products:
  • Variety of sectional configurations
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: Holy midcentury modern, this sofa has it all if you’re looking for that perfect option for a modern space! I like that you can choose either wood or metal base since that can really work with the type of space you’re trying to create. An authentic mid-century modern style would be excellent with the wooden base. It would complement the boxy cushions and deep lines really well, especially with other wood mid-century modern pieces.

Alternatively, choosing a metal base, you can configure a sofa that can bring to life an industrial rustic or even minimalist style. I can picture this in a city loft or penthouse, set in front of floor to ceiling windows, creating a clean minimally styled room, without taking away from the view.

It’s a super comfortable couch, too! It’s deep-seated, so you just sink into it, and the cushions are really well made, where they don’t squish right down, but slowly cuddle you as you sit. It’s more of a sinking feeling than a plop!

Marcus

Details:

• Dimensions:
  • Seat Back: 14”
  • Seat Height: 19”
  • Arm Height: 24”
  • Leg Height: 5”
• Available fabrics: 41 upholstery, 10 leather
• Sofa length options: 2
• Optional tufting with accent buttons
• Additional matching products:
  • Loveseat
  • Variety of sectional configurations
  • Armchair
  • Ottoman

Overall Impression: While this is definitely not the vintage couch from your grandparent’s house, Marcus has all the features of your classic mid-century modern sofa upgraded for the contemporary home. With removable seat cushions, but a solidly built-in back, it’s actually much more comfortable than the couch you may remember from years gone by!

I think what’s most impressive about this couch, though, is that the optional tufting with accent buttons that you can add. I believe that by adding the accenting as such, it moves it further away from mid-century towards a more traditional, or grande vibe that you’d find in a formal living area.

The thing I like most about this sofa though, is that it’s upscale in a simple way. This allows it to work in both an informal or formal setting, as well as a variety of different styles. I like the modern styling with this the most because I think it really does capture the aesthetics of the period and would be the perfect asset to really drive home that styling, while also keeping the room casual.

FYI, if you like Ethan Allen furniture but it’s too expensive for you, it’s worth looking for it as second-hand furniture.

Ethan Allen Sofa Round-Up Winner

At the end of the day, I need to pick a winner. While Ethan Allen has a ton of options when it comes to the perfect sofa for your room, the one we loved the most was the Richmond. It looks great in an informal space and really makes you feel cozy. I like how casual it is, while still looking as high-quality as it is!

There are a few things that I’d like to change: I’d like there to be as few cushions as possible, so I’m going to ask about the possibility of converting the three seat cushions to two or one just so we can feel more comfortable lounging on it!

If you’re still overwhelmed by all the choices after this review, it’s totally okay. Ethan Allen also does free in-home design consults. They’ll come to your home and work with you on the pieces you already have to maximize your space, and achieve your style goals – even if you don’t buy their furniture! It’s definitely worth the effort to get the space you want!