cyber monday 2019

If You Buy One Thing This Cyber Monday, Make It the Sectional That My Group Chat Recommended

The writer has the four-piece version of the Radley sectional. Photo: Courtesy of retailer

We moved into our new house in February, and while we had plans to buy a new sofa — a big, comfy sectional that we could actually spread out on while watching episodes of The Sopranos instead of jockeying for elbow space on our little placeholder two-seater from Target — our baby was born just a few weeks after moving in. So we got a little distracted.

My husband and I are both cripplingly indecisive about pretty much everything, so this search took a lot of effort. Every time a holiday came around, each one full of furniture sales, we told ourselves that this was it. But Memorial Day came and went, and so did Independence Day. Still no sofa. We didn’t know how much we should expect to spend, or even where we should be shopping. Were the new direct-to-consumer companies any good? Should we spring for a well-priced, highly rated one from Wayfair? Or why not Ikea?

Then one weekend, we went to visit friends at their new house in New Jersey. They had recently moved in, too, but unlike ours, their home was already beautifully furnished and appointed. They had two very large, very comfortable sectionals — one in their finished basement, and another in their elegant living room. They were the same model — the Radley from Macy’s — but in different colors and configurations. The one downstairs was a dark gray, while the other one was ivory. Both complemented their respective rooms perfectly. Not too trendy, but not fusty either. Just a good-looking, versatile piece that would work in just about most décor schemes. We talked about it on the car ride home, then promptly forgot.

A couple of weeks later, I was in a group chat with a different set of friends. When someone asked for sofa recommendations, another person said they had the Radley in their family room: “It’s a great comfy, loungy sofa that has held up really well to lots of guests and a toddler. We’ve had it for five years.” Two of her friends, she said, had gotten the same one after trying theirs. That was all I needed. (That was all the friend who asked the question needed, too.)

Although it wasn’t a holiday weekend, when we went to Macy’s website we were surprised to see that the Radley was on sale. We settled on the four-piece in a mocha gray and paid $192 extra for white-glove delivery, which was absolutely worth it. The two men who came to deliver it were so fast and efficient and thoughtful. One of them even asked if I wanted to vacuum the area before they set up the sofa and waited a few minutes while I did. In 15 minutes, they were done, and we were on our new couch.

It is truly the most comfortable place in the house. The cushions, which are covered in a velvety, textured chenille upholstery, are just so plush and comfy — ideal for serious veging out — but they also feel durable. We eat on the sofa and let our son bounce all over it and don’t ever have to worry about stains or otherwise messing it up.

Right now, on Cyber Monday, the Radley is even cheaper than what we paid for it. And you won’t have to wait seven months to start enjoying it, like we did.

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If You Buy One Thing This Cyber Monday, Make It This Sofa