Summary: We tried a Home Reserve sectional to see if the family- and pet-friendly design would hold up to our family’s hard-on-furniture lifestyle, and we are totally in love! The customizable seats were super easy to assemble and are not only comfortable and sturdy, but they contain storage in every unit! The covers are removable and machine washable, emboldening me to try a lighter shade despite living with two dogs, a cat, and a kindergartener who seems to constantly be wielding an open marker. We love that the sectional is big enough to fit our whole family, whether we set it in “guest mode” or “big bed mode.” We will definitely be using and loving this piece for years to come.

Pros:

  • Washable, pet- and kid-friendly fabrics and storage in every seat make this sectional an instant fit for families.
  • A renewable design gives options to change out the fabric, arm, and sofa-back cushion styles, or to add or rearrange units to update the look of your piece without having to replace the whole couch.
  • Very easy assembly with thoughtful instructions and materials, designed to fit any space.
  • 10-year warranty on every part and piece of the frame that breaks or becomes damaged, no questions asked!

Cons:

  • The strand board frame is rough to the touch; if you don’t wear the gloves or use the sandpaper provided in your setup kit, you will get splinters.
  • The fabric is very hard to get onto each piece.
  • This is not a problem for my family, but one friend mentioned that she prefers a squishier sofa.

“For the past several years, our living room has been a mishmash of gifted, thrifted, and rescued furniture.”

For the past several years, our living room has been a mishmash of gifted, thrifted, and rescued furniture. Centered around a long, green velvet mid-century modern sofa we’d found on the curb (a neighbor decided she needed a leather piece that didn’t collect pet fur), we pushed an old ottoman, our Kindergartner’s play couch, and a couple of footstools into a sort of patchwork sectional that both dogs, our senior cat, and the three humans could pile onto somewhat comfortably. The sofa was beautiful, and the price was Free.99, but it was a highly structured, narrow piece with no lumbar support and barely enough space for three adults to sit ramrod straight side-by-side, nevermind the melting cuddle-puddle my family prefers.

While the specifications of our setup weren’t exactly perfect, it did shine some light on what we needed functionally: Having cobbled-together seating revealed that we like to rearrange our space to meet various needs. Whether we’re fitting in a Christmas tree or making a fort, looking to snuggle while watching a movie, or needing enough space to spread out while sharing drinks with friends, we liked being able to move everything around to create whatever flow worked best for the situation.

My dream was to get a modular sectional with wide seats that was strong enough to withstand the dogs and child jumping up and down on it without losing its shape, but comfortable enough to lounge on without needing to pile up throw pillows for back support. Oh and yes, it would be nice to not have to drape the thing in throw blankets in my slapdash attempts to protect the fabric from muddy paws and sticky fingers so, washable would be cool too. That’s a thing, right?

“My dream was to get a modular sectional with wide seats that was strong enough to withstand the dogs and child jumping up and down on it without losing its shape, but comfortable enough to lounge on.”

Enter Home Reserve. I’d come across the brand while idly browsing for the unicorn that might check all these boxes, and their focus on renewability by creating a fully adaptable design (you can replace everything from a fabric section, cover set, frame piece, or cushion at any time) with the built-in storage, plus stain-resistant and washable fabric, definitely had my attention. Then I learned that they had a 60-day risk-free trial, where the brand will ship you a unit in the fabric of your choice so you can test it out at home — genius! I’d encountered great sustainable couches before, but never quite like this. I had to find out if this brand made the sectional of my dreams.


About Home Reserve

The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, specializing in adaptable, ready-to-assemble furniture made in America. They are committed to sustainability initiatives like carbon-neutral shipping and recyclable packaging, with thoughtful attention to everything from production to materials to the longevity of their designs. The strand board frames come from trees harvested under the Sustainable Forest Initiative, and the brand uses recycled foam and 100% post-consumer plastic bottles to make its fiber fill.

“They are committed to sustainability initiatives like carbon neutral shipping and recyclable packaging, with thoughtful attention to everything from production to materials to the longevity of their designs.”

But what I really love is the way that the furniture is designed to be completely renewable, meaning that no matter what damage or accident might occur, you never have to replace the entire sofa. All individual components, from frame to fabric to foam to fill, are replaceable, so you can keep your piece in top form, even if all that happens is years of regular wear and tear. That’s pretty innovative!

“Part-by-part renewability is a big step forward in ecological and lifetime value — it extends the lifecycle, keeps the item out of the waste stream, and saves the energy of reproduction.”

– Home Reserve

In their own words, “Part-by-part renewability is a big step forward in ecological and lifetime value — it extends the lifecycle, keeps the item out of the waste stream, and saves the energy of reproduction. It is also the recipe for taking the stress out of having new furniture because you can keep it looking new.”

For someone who loves versatility and gets nervous about investing in anything I have to be precious about, this is music to my ears! Couches are investments, after all. With units starting at $330, it’s not on the higher end of the sectional spectrum, but you can easily spend several thousand dollars depending on how many units and what fabric you choose.

One other cool thing the company has is a resale branch called Home Again, where any of the pieces that were returned get refurbished and sold at a discount. So smart! I love how the brand is really committed to keeping their pieces out of the landfill, and breaking the mold on fast-furniture production left and right.

I couldn’t wait to see if Home Reserve was as great IRL as it was on paper.


Choosing fabric

We decided to test the whole purchasing process from start to finish, beginning with the fabric samples. There are over 75 options, ranging in price and features from washable, stain-resistant, and designer. I was instantly drawn to the ones labeled as “preferred by pet owners.” They looked like a performance velvet, which I was happy about since we’d gotten sort of used to the way our curb couch could seem both luxe while still handling most of what our family threw at it like a real workhorse. And that was with spot-cleaning only!

The fabric swatches arrived quickly, with clear and delightful instructions to really get them dirty. The brand says to rub them on your pets, spill on them, do whatever it is that you would expect to do on your couch, so you could really get a sense of what it would be like to live with that fabric. I was impressed! I was used to thinking about swatches in terms of just touch and color, but to also get to really test the performance function felt like the invitation of a company that knew what they were about. Love the confidence!

“The fabric swatches arrived quickly, with clear and delightful instructions to really get them dirty.”

The absolute number one concern for us is pet hair — and very specifically, our basset-corgi mix Penny’s down coat. I regularly brush enough of it out to make a small sweater, and yet the first few swipes of the beautiful dark blue fabric made it instantly clear that we were going to be veering to the other side of the spectrum, unless I wanted to commit to lint-rolling the thing every two hours.

We decided on Retriever Ice, a soft, performance velvet in a kind of sea-greenish-pale-gray. Penny’s hair barely showed on it at all!


Risk-free trial unit

I knew I wanted one of their deep-seated sectionals and tbh, I got sort of overwhelmed trying to pick from the options. They all seemed… the same? Since the only thing I felt strongly about was that the seats were big enough for me to spread out with all the animals, my husband, and my kid, I more or less closed my eyes and pointed to choose from the cushion-back and arm shapes. Millie Deep Seat sectional it is! The #2 customer favorite! Great!

I was comforted knowing that A) if I didn’t like the style once I tried out the unit I could always change it, and B) the brand promised that changing the back cushions and arm shapes was always an option anyway. So I put in my order for the trial run with a unit of Millie Deep Seat in Retriever Ice.

Home Reserve shipped me the two boxes in seven days as promised, straight from their Indiana base. I put my handyman (aka my husband Aaron) to work right away on assembling the extremely heavy frame, strand board procured in the US under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. (Have I mentioned all the pieces are made in the USA?)

If you’ve ever put together a flat pack from IKEA, you know how complicated and confusing putting together something as seemingly straightforward as a shelf can be. But this piece had not only an instructional booklet with photographs of someone doing each step, but it also came with a sanding block and two sets of gloves. Each piece was clearly labeled with a laser-cut number so there was no confusing the piece you were supposed to use with a faded stamp or a misplaced sticker. And there was a surprisingly helpful cardboard triangle in which you could prop up your anchor piece of wood to make the initial attachment experience much easier.

My handyman, who is a bit of a woodworker himself, was impressed with the setup materials and instructions. He can be kind of a tough customer, a little prone to looking for problems, and I think that the brand really threw him by making the whole thing problem-free. When he pulled out the sanding block, he shook his head. “Okay, yeah, this is very thoughtful.” Ten points for Home Reserve!

The one thing I wish they’d include with the unit is an arm. But all in all, we were really happy to get to both test out the final product and the assembly experience. After all, if putting one unit together was a nightmare that tested the bounds of our marriage, then why would we ever be able to commit to additional pieces? Luckily, the super easy process made us excited about choosing the layout we really wanted — we measured out our space and looked at all the pieces and finally settled on five extra pieces, including two ottomans to help us readjust the shape of the sectional on a daily basis.

“We were really happy to get to both test out the final product and the assembly experience.”

One last thing about assembling! I almost called the process “smooth” instead of “easy,” but stopped myself for this one important note: Strand board, while durable and sturdy, is extremely rough to the touch. There’s a reason Home Reserve includes gloves and a sanding block in their thoughtful assembly packages! These boards are Splinter City. Do not proceed without the gloves.


The sectional

My handyman was rudely not available on the day our sectional arrived (something about a “day job?!?”) so I supervised the UPS delivery of our eight 50+lb boxes alone. I was intimidated by them all stacked up like that on our porch, but I was more excited about finally getting a proper sitting area going. Fueled by adrenaline and false confidence, I started on what ended up being an almost three-day, one-woman job putting these together.

There were…a lot of breaks.

The process was overwhelmingly easy. The photos matched the steps! The pictures even helped me figure out which way the pieces should go based on looking for what orientation the laser-cut numbers were facing. The written instructions made sense. Honestly, it was like following Lego instructions: Designed for a child-level comprehension and attention span. Which is exactly what I needed.

“It was like following Lego instructions: Designed for a child-level comprehension and attention span. Which is exactly what I needed.”

The gloves, however, were too big. So reader, I did not wear them. And yes, I’m still picking splinters from the newly formed calluses on my palms, but also this makes me feel kind of like a boss? I built the entire sectional almost entirely by myself!

The hardest part was pulling the fabric down around the cushions and over the frames. The fabric is not stretchy, which is a good thing in terms of the final look (it’s not saggy or weirdly shaped!). But I did ignore the photo instructions at first, thinking that with a lifetime of stuffing duvets and pillowcases under my belt, I had the experience necessary to hack it. Reader, I did not. Learn from my mistakes: Follow the instructions. And wear the gloves.

“Learn from my mistakes: Follow the instructions. And wear the gloves.”

Choosing the layout for the main piece took us a day or so of positioning and considering in our space. I won’t lie: Despite measuring, the sectional ended up being a little bigger than we’d really anticipated once we started considering comfortable walkways and flow around our other existing furniture. The initial layout I’d envisioned, with an ottoman sort of permanently positioned like a chaise on one end, just wasn’t going to work. But once we figured out where everything could fit, attaching the units couldn’t have been easier. All we had to do was remove the seat cushion and the storage lid, then screw in the connecting pieces through the pre-drilled holes conveniently already in position on every piece.

When I first assembled the units I was concerned that, though I could rearrange the sectional in theory, it was so heavy and substantial that I would find the process more trouble than it’s worth. But this is not the case: This is a modular sectional I can actually imagine rearranging! It would take less than five minutes to do it.

I am obscenely proud of our new sectional. We usually keep it in an L-shaped orientation with the two ottomans pushed together into a kind of chaise across from it, in what I’ve read sometimes called a “Conversation Layout.” This makes it easy to have guests and provides both enough seating while not blocking the walkways or the views of the TV and fireplace (which are on adjacent walls respectively).

Penny enjoying our “Conversation Mode,” with the two corner ottomans pushed together in a chaise in the foreground.

Our family-favorite layout, however, is what we call “Bed Mode,” when we push the ottomans up against the piece to make a single, giant bed. It is beyond cozy, and the perfect way to start a weekend morning or to spend a rainy afternoon watching movies.

Here is our Millie Deep Seat Sectional in “Bed Mode,” with the ottomans pushed up against the seats.

I’ve successfully lint rolled and spot-cleaned the fabric a few times, but so far I haven’t had to take the covers off to wash them. I’ll be honest — though I’m delighted by the concept, I do not relish the idea of removing these covers. Putting them on was so hard! Granted, my hands were fully of splinters, but still! There are some sections where I can see that the fabric was less than ah, expertly applied, so the perfectionist in me will probably get a wild hair about it at some point. For now, they are good enough.

“I’m excited to share that spot cleaning is as easy as the brand says: Wipe with a damp cloth.”

Since I’ve lived in fear of the muddy paw prints and I was bold enough to get a light fabric, I was really anxious about what spot cleaning would actually entail. I’ve taken the tactic of using throw blankets in the past, or trying to catch the dogs or kid before they get on the sofa to give them a wipe down. But this is not exactly ideal; I’d like to be able to relax too!

My dogs, always so eager to please, helpfully romped all over the cushions with muddy paws on the day I needed to file this review. I’m excited to share that spot cleaning is as easy as the brand says: Wipe with a damp cloth. I started with a dry cloth and it was like magic: The paw prints just disappeared! The idea that I don’t have to constantly monitor or prevent the marks on this sofa puts me in a state of near-euphoria.


Do I recommend Home Reserve?

The short answer: If you are looking for a workhorse sectional that can withstand years of hard use, then yes, emphatically YES! If you are in the market for a sofa for a small or oddly shaped space, or you are interested in a sofa but you know you will one day want a sectional, or maybe you just like the idea of changing your look up one day, then yes, yes, yes, this is a brand I recommend.

“If you are looking for a workhorse sectional that can withstand years of hard use, then yes, emphatically YES!”

One of the reasons we tend to have a lot of hand-me-down furniture is because furniture is expensive, and it’s hard to spend that kind of money on something we’re worried about ruining. Spills, tears, and cushions going lumpy from use are inevitabilities with my crew, so I would never spend money on something that required us to be precious with it.

But Home Reserve is made to be lived/laughed/loved on, with a proactive eye toward what that means from production to daily life to future adaptability needs for all kinds of families. That kind of thoughtfulness makes me feel less nervous about investing in the furniture, because it feels less like a risk. Instead, we’re investing in our own comfort, with the promise that we’ll be able to easily maintain and enjoy our sofa no matter what happens.

So, you know where to find me: On my Home Reserve sectional in Bed Mode, snuggled up with my pile of pets and family, enjoying the sofa we’re planning on keeping and caring for in the decades to come.


Stephanie H. Fallon is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade. She is a writer originally from Houston, Texas and holds an MFA from the Jackson Center of Creative Writing at Hollins University. She lives with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she writes about motherhood, artmaking, and work culture. Since 2022, she has been reviewing sustainable home and lifestyle brands, fact-checking sustainability claims, and bringing her sharp editorial skills to every product review. Say hi on Instagram or on her website.