Today I’m excited to finally be sharing a review of the Maiden Home Carmine sofa. It came when I moved in April and I wanted to live with it for a while before giving you all the scoop! As you may have seen on my Instagram, I’m hoping to get back into blogging more regularly this fall and when I asked what you guys wanted to see, the majority of responses were “apartment updates!” (among a few other things – NYC tips and book recs being two of the most popular). So I’m glad to have a peek into my apartment today along with everything you need to know if you’re considering buying a Maiden Home sofa!
As you may remember, I’d been looking to get a new sofa for a while and had my heart set on an English roll arm style. After comparing a few styles and brands, I landed on my original favorite – the Maiden Home Carmine in dove gray velvet. (*2021 update* – I’m not sure if they still have this fabric and color combo, so I would email the company to ask and reference this post!
In terms of style, the Carmine is like an updated version of an English roll-arm. The lines are sleeker and the silhouette a bit more modern, but it retains the signature details of that classic sofa style. One of my favorite features: the arms. The classic English roll-arm has, well..rolled arms! Maiden Home updated that by creating these fan-pleated arms, which I love. They’re a great design detail that gives the arms a little something special, while maintaining a clean and tailored look.
As you can see, the Maiden Home Carmine sofa has the classic tight back of an English roll-arm, and the little dip in the middle is another lovely detail which I think adds a subtle femininity to the piece. One of the things I went back and forth on while looking for a new sofa was whether I wanted a tight back or a cushioned back. I love a cushioned back for the comfort and that cozy, casual, sink-in feeling, while a tight-back lends a more formal, tailored look. Ultimately I decided to go with the tight back look–it’s a characteristic of the traditional English roll-arm, and looks neat and clean (versus my old couch, where the back cushions were usually smooshed and wrinkled). I honestly like both and was just ready for something different this time around.
Here you can get a look at the legs of the Carmine. I chose Washed Oak for a natural, casual look that I felt would contrast well with the formality of the sofa.
As far as quality goes, I’m very pleased. Maiden Home’s furniture is made in the North Carolina region (which is like, the holy grail place for furniture manufacturing) by highly skilled craftsmen. The sofa frames are hardwood, the springs are 8-way hand-tied, the fabrics are luxurious and free of weird chemicals…basically everything you’re looking for in a quality investment piece. The seat cushions are very comfortable and soft – you kind of sink into them, but then they bounce right back which is great for maintaining a clean look (again, unlike my old sofa which literally had like, a butt print from where I always sat in it…sorry that might be TMI but the point is a lot of sofa cushions sag after a while!). They have hidden cushion tie-downs so the seat cushions never shift around. The pitch of the sofa is relatively upright, and the back cushions are more firm than the seat cushions, but still very comfortable to lean on. Overall the Carmine is a relatively firm sofa but still very comfy!
These gorgeous roses are courtesy of B. Floral – love them!
One of the biggest challenges I faced on my whole sofa-buying undertaking was picking a fabric. Maiden Home has a tightly curated selection of fabrics, which in a way is good because it avoids the whole choice overload thing. Nidhi Kapur, the founder of Maiden Home, is super nice and had me in to the showroom to view the fabrics in person, which was really helpful. Sidenote – this may be obvious but I highly recommend ordering swatches if you’re not able to visit a showroom or store to see the fabric options in person. It’s so important to feel them and see them in different light and at different times of day!
Anyway, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted for my sofa – light gray linen. Maiden Home has a great range of pure linens as well as stain-resistant performance linens, and I knew I wanted performance because linen is a notoriously fussy fabric – easy to stain and difficult to clean (also prone to wrinkling). I looked at Maiden Home’s light gray performance linen (called Sand) in person and it’s actually a very taupe-y shade – really pretty but not what I was looking for (hence the importance of seeing fabrics in real life, not just on the computer screen). I should note that since then Maiden Home has added a Performance Weave which they have in a color called Silver – had they had that when I was shopping that’s probably what I would have gone for, as it’s stain-resistant, fade-resistant and all that good stuff.
I also absolutely LOVE the Carmine in the dark gray that they show on the website, but I had just gotten finished having a charcoal gray sofa for the last six or so years and I was pretty determinedly set on light gray. I was kind of at a loss for what to do and then luckily my brilliant mother swooped in and said what about velvet? I almost can’t describe to you how much I thought I didn’t want a velvet couch (wasn’t even considering velvet when I ordered swatches) and how now I am SO HAPPY I have a velvet couch. I had some kind of weird aversion to the fabric, but as it turns out Maiden Home’s velvet is to die for. It is gorgeous, both texture-wise and color-wise, in the Dove Gray that I chose. I really wanted that casual, laidback vibe that linen gives and was a bit afraid that velvet would feel too formal, but it doesn’t. It just feels clean, classic, and upscale.
Interesting sidebar: did you know that actually “velvet” isn’t really a fiber in itself? There are cotton velvets, silk velvets, synthetic velvets, etc…so when choosing one it’s important to know the fabric content. Maiden Home sourced these really lovely, high-quality ones. The “hand” of a fabric refers to the way the fabric feels on your skin, and this velvet has a smooth, soft hand. Also key: it doesn’t do that annoying shading thing that some velvets do (where it’s one color when you brush it one way and another color when you brush it the opposite way). It’s very sophisticated and doesn’t feel at all fussy – I couldn’t be happier with it! It also adds some nice texture to the room. I added the blush pink linen pillow in there for contrast and to get some linen texture in as well!
Overall, I put a lot of time and effort into researching what for me was a big investment purchase, and I definitely made the right decision. I’m really happy with the look and the quality of the Carmine and it feels like I got a very high-quality piece at an affordable price point. Maiden Home has a really unique, modern, and sophisticated collection of pieces and I’m excited to watch as they continue to grow!
Great post, especially the part about me 😂😍
The whole room looks amazing and the sofa is beautiful. I love the tied down cushions, a quality detail I do not have on my current sofa and the cushions shift in a bad way. I would buy this piece or another in their collection for my next couch for sure. Thanks for the review.
Mom to the rescue! 🙂 Love love the velvet so much, so happy I got it!
I just love everything about your home decor style! This couch is beautiful and looks perfect in your space!
So kind of you to say – thank you so much Christine!
Love the sofa! I also have a light gray sofa. Had I known about Maiden Home before I bought it, I might have bought mine from there instead. I’ve been looking for a floor lamp like the brass one you have next to the sofa. Where did you find it?
Thank you! The lamp is from Lamps Plus: https://www.lampsplus.com/products/fairfax-adjustable-antique-brass-pharmacy-floor-lamp__1d677.html
I really like it! I was looking for one that was relatively short and that was pretty hard to find – this was the most affordable one I came across that’s still good looking.
I ADORE this sofa!!! When we move we’ll need to get a new one, so I’m adding Maiden Home to my list. We’ll definitely need a performance fabric as we have an almost-six-month-old son! Thank you so much for sharing your process–I love this sofa!!!
Sarah | all in the details
http://allindetailsblog.com/
Yay, keep the apt updates coming! I’ve loved following your decorating journey over the years, and the couch looks great!
xo,
Sarah
http://www.dctoat.com
Thank you Sarah!
Gorgeous room! Could you share your sources for the pillows, end tables, and coffee table?
Hi Stacy! The floral and leopard pillows are from Arianna Belle and the pink one was from Willa Skye on Etsy. The coffee table is Ballard and the nesting tables are vintage!
I love the look of your living area and am contemplating a Maiden Home sofa myself. I definitely want the Carmine for the reasons you described and have ordered swatches. I did not order a velvet even though I think velvet looks fabulous. My concern is that it would appear to “heavy” or “hot” in a climate with four seasons, including hot and humid summers. Did you find your velvet sofa comfortable and attractive during hot weather as well?
That’s a great question! The velvet has a really low pile so I find that it doesn’t look heavy at all. From far away you really can’t even tell that it is velvet. It’s very subtle and smooth. My apartment gets really hot in summer but I didn’t find the sofa to feel seasonally inappropriate (maybe because of the lighter color too). I’m really happy with the fabric!
Hi,
I love the look you created! I love the sofa frim Maiden Homes.
Could you share the source of the globe lamp in the nesting tables?
Stacy
Thanks Stacy! The lamp is West Elm and the nesting tables are vintage.
Great post! I also bought the Carmine sofa and love it! Could you share the details of the cofee table (name), I could not find on Ballards.
They actually stopped making it, unfortunately! It was the Suzanne Kasler Boca coffee table though.
This was a timely informative post. How did you know to review/compare the very brands I’ve been looking at? 1000 thanks for the time you took to gather sofa data and get the details to us blogglanders.
Hi! Your living room is beautiful! Where is the blue and pink painting from in the upper left corner of some of your pictures?
Thank you! It’s by an artist named Christina Baker, she’s incredible! I write a bit more about the piece here: https://yorkavenueblog.com/christina-baker-large-scale-abstract-art/
Hi! I was wondering how this couch has held up in terms of comfort, cushion firmness, and if you still Enjoy sitting in It for hours on end? I’ve been researching everything about couches for a while because the on my husband and I have now is so uncomfortable and trying to avoid overpaying for something that hurts our back within 6 months. If you have any extra details to share, I’d really appreciate it! 🙂
Thanks in advance,
Vivian
Hi Vivian! It’s held up well although I do have to say I don’t sit on it for hours on end. I live in a studio apartment so I’m usually on my bed lol. But I do love it and I think it’s very comfy!
Hi!! Your sofa is beautiful!!! What is the width of your sofa? I’m trying to get an idea of the scale for our home! On the website the one pictured was 90” wide. Thank you!
Mine is 85 inches!
Beautiful sofa and room! I’m looking at the Ellis upholstered bed in a velvet so I appreciate your review. May I ask what color paint is on your wall? Love the vibe of this room!
Thank you! The wall color was just the beige they had it painted when I moved in, so I’m not sure what it is, sorry about that!
Is that sofa color called “sky” velvet?
No, it’s Dove velvet!
Any update on how this couch has faired over time?
It’s holding up well! Truthfully it doesn’t get a ton of wear because I live in a studio so normally sit on my bed, lol – so can’t say I’ve put it to a robust test! One issue I’ve had is that the seam along one of the cushions has come unraveled in a weird way – luckily it’s on the side of the cushion so it’s hidden, but it’s just kind of a weird thing. Other than that though I’m really happy with it!
Thank you for your post! The sofa design and color looks beautiful. I have been thinking about buying this item myself but the price and less reviews have stopped me for taking the plunge. Could you share how your sofa has been holding up so far? Taking the date of the post, it’s close to three years now? I would love to hear your honest feedback after having used this sofa for extended time.
You’re welcome, glad it was helpful! I think the sofa is holding up very well. One small area on one of the seams unraveled a bit but it’s underneath the cushion so not noticeable and doesn’t seem to be getting worse, so I’m not too bothered by it. I think it still looks great and is totally comfortable. I’m very happy with it after all this time!
How is your couch doing 3 years after?
It’s holding up very well! I’m pleased with the quality and it’s not showing any major signs of wear, no sagging cushions or anything. Very happy with it still 🙂
What size sofa is the Maiden Home?
Hi, I’m interested in purchasing from maiden home and about to buy the crosby sofa but thinking of updating to 3 cushions or a bench cushion. I’m only thinking of this because I’m worried it’ll be uncomfortable for a person to sit in the middle where the two cushions meet. Do you mind giving me feedback on how it feels to sit in the middle ?