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When my husband and I decided to downgrade from a two-bedroom to a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn last fall, the decision came with several other choices to make. Was it time to change out our rugs for ones lighter and brighter? Yes. Maybe a new bed was in the cards? Also yes. Did we want to give up our one unobstructed living room wall to a TV? Definitely not (which is why we sprung for a projector). And, finally, did we want a sofa that could pick up the slack after losing precious square footage? I bet you can guess the answer to that.
After extensive research in the sleeper sofa category, we narrowed our hunt to compact sectionals from brands that offered semi-customization. The idea was that the piece had to fit snugly into a specific corner of our new home and hold up in several different situations. We wanted something relaxed enough for us to crash on at the end of the day, upright enough so that dinner party attendees could perch with a drink, and with a concealed mattress comfortable enough for overnight guests. This was a surprisingly difficult combination to track down, but when I learned that Interior Define’s James design was available as a sectional that came with a sleeper component and lots of details to tweak, I knew I had found our sofa. It has been six months since ours arrived, and here’s why I think it’s a game changer for small spaces.
James 3-Seat Bumper Sleeper Sectional
The Real-Deal Stores
Sofa purchases are like mattress selection: very personal and hard to get it just right without an actual sit test. At Interior Define, free fabric swatches are shipped in two to four business days, and the brand also offers a few digital tools to help you narrow things down, like an online designer chat and virtual appointments.
But, if you live in proximity to one of the 14 brick-and-mortar storefronts across the States, I highly suggest popping in to get a feel for the several styles and 150-plus upholstery options. I don’t know if I would have sprung for the performance chenille by photo or swatch alone, and understanding the difference between the three cushion fills and the two sleeper sofa mattress densities helped me feel confident in our choice.
The Timeless Appeal
There were a few reasons I liked the James design more than anything else I looked at across retailers like Crate & Barrel, Sixpenny, The Inside, and Pottery Barn. For one, I just really wanted a wrap-around sectional over a chaise. There’s something extremely inviting about the style, which allows for snuggling into the corner, stretching out on one side, or squeezing in a bunch of friends. But I didn’t want to get a prescribed size, it couldn’t be super-deep, and I didn’t really want to go for a beige-y neutral—our new apartment was a blank slate and I like layers of texture and color and objects.
The other options in this category at Interior Define had details that I wanted to avoid (the arms of the Scarlett were too narrow, the flange cushions of the Skyler were distracting, and the silhouette of the Sloan wasn’t exactly my bag). The James also offered a version that only had an arm on one side, called a bumper sectional. This appealed to me in our specific apartment layout, and I also appreciated that it would let one of our plants create a boundary versus the hard edge of an arm.
The Customizable Design
Here’s a run-down of everything you can change in this style. Choose your bumper side first, then select your fabric (there are several weaves and velvets that won’t add to your total, but you can choose from a variety of performance and natural options at the $250, $300, and $400 price point). There’s even a ‘buy now and choose your fabric later’ button, which seems useful for certain instances. I pined for a natural linen at first, but after a visit to the store and touching literally every swatch, we sprung for the rose performance chenille. The color is a little lighter in person than in the photos online, making it more like a neutral without losing the personality. It felt nice to sit on, is structured enough without feeling stuffy, and would supposedly clean up easier. That’s proven true: we’ve already been able to scrub away pen stains, old book smudges, and some flecks of spilt guacamole.
Then, you choose your bumper length (the standard 85 inches was fine for us), amount of seat cushions (we chose a bench, which is $100 more), and your cushion fill. Standard down is included, and the down alternative option is a best seller. But we sprung for the double down blend, which offers the softest sit and makes the cushions reversible. The brand says it requires frequent fluffing, but we haven’t noticed that; besides, we don’t mind a lived-in look and we love the sink-in feeling.
The Smart Sleeper Component
The last item on the list to make decisions about is the sleeper mattress. The 72-incher lives in the longer, non-bumper module, and pulls out smoothly from the frame. The standard is just a box spring mattress with foam, but the $200 upgrade is made with high-density foam topped with memory foam. That’s what we went for, and now that several guests have slept on it, we have only heard glowing reviews. Taking the bench cushion off is a whole experience, and not for those with weak arm muscles. But I like that the back cushions settle back in as a makeshift headboard.
I don’t know if it’s even possible, but I’d love for the bumper component to have an option for storage like there is in the chaise style—I would have scooped that up if it was available. I’m always carving out more stash spots in our small space where I can.
The Shipping Timeline and Delivery
I ordered our sectional at the end of August, and it arrived exactly 12 weeks later, which is the higher end of the window, which starts at eight weeks, that the brand estimates. Coordinating delivery with the distribution center was breezy and, since it was a made-to-order item, the fee included white glove service. The two sectional frames are incredibly heavy, so they really stay put; I’m glad we knew exactly where we wanted to put it ahead of time.
It’s important to note that Interior Define, founded a decade ago, has seen its share of bumpy periods over the last several years, particularly later in the pandemic. After a bout of expansion, the supply chain crisis hit the brand hard, then sales dipped, and then thousands of customers had unfulfilled orders (including people I know personally). But, since an acquisition by Havenly in 2023, the ship seems to have been righted.
The Price
I’d place this sofa smack dab in the middle of the price bracket of similar products. It’s not entry-level by any means, but it’s also not tipping into $7,000 territory. Something also worth considering: it’s smashing two pieces into one, and you aren’t buying a separate bed for a guest room or office (or, if you’re us, you’re all-in-one living room). In anchor furniture pieces, you need solid (i.e. more expensive) construction if you expect it to last through the seasons of life, and that always makes the case for me. I suspect we’ll be lounging on one for many years to come.
More Interior Define Sleeper Sectionals
