Best Affordable Lookalike of the Velvet Article Sven Sofa

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So many people have fallen head over heels for the stunning Article Sven sofa! I am one of them.

But I have also been scouring the interwebs to find a more affordable version of it, because well, it’s no secret: I do love saving money.

And guess what? I FOUND IT! So today we’re going to examine it veeeery carefully.

*UPDATE – As of August 2023, the Sven lookalike sofa featured in this article has changed names – it’s now called the ‘Geo’. It has also gone up in price, to $920. Sucks, I know! However, it also comes in a ton of new color variations! Yay colors, boo inflation.

But first I’m going to talk about why I love the original Sven, and nope, this is not a sponsored post, I just really love it! ha.

My obsession with Article’s Sven Sofa

I’ve been obsessed with the velvet Sven Sofa from Article pretty much since it was released. Particularly the “grass green” version!

And when I say I’m obsessed, I do really kind of mean it …

I’ve read Sven sofa reviews …

… (there is an informative and highly entertaining review of the Cascadia Blue Velvet Sven sectional from Jessica Brigham here – love her, she’s one of my faves!)...

… (and a brief and interesting post from talented photographer Emilie Iggiotti and why she calls her Sven sofa the “Freedom Couch”)…

… I’ve admired countless photos on Instagram from people that own it, and I’ve daydreamed about owning it far, FAR too much.

In the end, I wasn’t able to convince my husband that an emerald green velvet couch was the best fit for our living room, so we went for a tan leather sofa instead.

Hey, I’m still happy, I love our current sofa (and it’s not linked because it’s not available anymore).

But I’m pretty sure I can convince him that it would be a good idea to buy the Sven armchair at some point in the future …

The green velvet Sven will always have a special place in my heart. It’s like “the one sofa that got away”… aka, never quite made itself into my living room.

With its cute round bolster pillows, its inviting tufted bench seat and the overstuffed pillows – what’s not to like?

I love the sofa’s mid-century modern look, and I’ve seen it pair really well with a lot of different interior design styles.

And that green…. OH MY GOODNESS THAT GREEN! It still legitimately makes me swoon every time I see it.

Although … the Pacific Blue version is just as STUNNING …

It’s a good thing I don’t have to choose between the two because I just can’t.

I also think that the original Sven is quite reasonably priced. For what you get, it’s not bad at all! What do you think? Here are the current prices:

SVEN SOFA PRICES as of August 2023:

(prices in USD)

• 3 SEATER
  • FABRIC – $1299
  • VELVET – $1499
  • LEATHER – $1899
• LOVESEAT
  • FABRIC – $1099
  • VELVET – $1299
  • LEATHER – $1699
• ARMCHAIR
  • FABRIC – $699
  • VELVET – $899
  • LEATHER – $1199

But, enough raving about the original Sven !!! (See, I can’t help myself!)

We are here to talk about the best affordable Sven lookalike that I have been able to find to date!

‘Cause that’s what I’m LIVING for!

I want to help you achieve that high-end designer look in your home and save ya a bunch of money while you’re at it!

So, if you can’t quite swing the Sven (good tongue twister 🤪), then feast your eyes on this more affordable version of it!

THE BEST ARTICLE SVEN SOFA LOOKALIKE

Before we start, here is a reminder of what the original Sven looks like:

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And here is the lookalike:

WAYFAIR – Derry Sofa (NOW CALLED THE ‘GEO’ as of Aug 2023)– currently on sale for $749.99

I’ve been on the lookout for a while, and I would say the Wayfair Geo Sofa is probably the best Sven sofa lookalike as far as shape and proportions go.

UPDATE AS OF JULY 2021 – THE DERRY SOFA HAS BEEN RENAMED ON THE WAYFAIR WEBSITE! IT’S NOW CALLED THE “LARK”. I DON’T KNOW WHY WAYFAIR CONSTANTLY RENAMES THEIR PRODUCTS, BUT THERE YOU GO.

UPDATE AS OF AUG 2023 – THE DERRY SOFA HAS BEEN RENAMED AGAIN!! IT’S NOW CALLED THE “GEO”. I DON’T KNOW WHY WAYFAIR CONSTANTLY RENAMES THEIR PRODUCTS, BUT THERE YOU GO. I apologize for the multiple names in this post! That’s the reason behind the chaos!

Differences between the Sven Sofa and the Derry Sofa

1. Dimensions

First of all, check out a comparison of the dimensions:

SIZE COMPARISON BETWEEN SVEN COUCH AND DERRY COUCH:

SVEN: 34″ H x 88″ W x 38″ D (3 seater)

DERRY: 37” H x 88” W x 37” D

As you can see, the Derry is 3″ taller than the Sven sofa. And the Sven is just 1″ deeper in the seat.

Other than that, the dimensions of the two sofas are pretty much identical.

Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the differences between the two sofas.

2. The color

Update August 2023: the Wayfair dupe now comes in a TON OF AMAZING COLORS!!!!!!! Very exciting indeed! The section below does not reflect the updated colors, so be sure to check them all out on the Wayfair website!!

The first difference I notice between the original Article Sven sofa and the Wayfair Derry sofa is in the color of the velvet.

Let’s take a look at the colors side by side:

Judging from the photos, I do not believe that the Derry Emerald Green is at all the same as the Sven Grass Green.

After reading several reviews, it seems that the overall consensus is that the emerald green color in real life is darker than what appears in the Derry product photos.

If that particular shade of grass green from the original Sven couch is very important to you, then I would NOT recommend buying this Sven lookalike!

Below are a few photos from the customer reviews of the green version of the sofa, there are several more posted in the review section on Wayfair that also show all the other colors. I would definitely examine those!

I don’t think the Copen Blue is meant to be the same as the Article Pacific Blue. They are both in the “teal” color family but they are still extremely different colors.

The Dark Sapphire Derry sofa is like a very intense “superman” blue (as one reviewer called it). Whereas the Cascadia Blue of the Sven is more of a proper navy blue.

The Platinum Derry is a lighter gray than the Shadow Gray Sven.

I would recommend you check the photos in the customer reviews to make a judgment call on which color you think is best for you.

There are several reviews with great, unedited photos which will give you an idea of the true colors of this sofa!

3. Plushness

Another difference between the Sven and the Derry is that the bench seat (the cushion you put your tush on!) appears to be slightly more plump in the original Sven. The Derry looks to be more firm on the seat cushion.

I tried to create an image of what I mean 🙂 Does it help? 😅

I think overall the upholstery and the fabric looks a bit softer on the Sven.

I feel like if I were to sit on the Sven and then immediately sit on the Derry right after, the Sven would be softer and more plush than the Derry. The Derry looks quite “serious” and firm to sit on.

In fact, many reviewers agree that the Derry sofa is very firm and most people appreciate this, but some have said that it’s TOO firm.

The Derry sofa pillows have 3 layers of foam, as one reviewer shows in her photo:

4. The legs

Lastly, it seems to me like the Sven’s wooden peg legs are slightly thicker than the Derry’s. They are also set a bit wider.

Check it out:

Overall, I think the Sven’s proportions are ever so slightly more refined.

I think the Sven ultimately looks more comfortable than the Derry due to the fact that it’s a couple of inches shorter and has wider set legs. These small details help lower the piece to the ground, making it look a bit more relaxed and inviting.

If the differences mentioned above don’t bother you, the Derry sofa truly is an excellent Sven lookalike! It will save you quite a lot of money and get you a very similar look.

The Wayfair Derry sofa has an average score of 4.5 stars out of 5 on Wayfair, and over +2300 really amazing customer reviews.

The price is what is really appealing about this sofa, coming in at exactly half the price of the original velvet Sven couch from Article.

The Derry sofa comes in 6 different velvet colors:

• Blush velvet
• Copen Blue velvet (like a light teal)
• Dark Sapphire velvet
• Emerald velvet
• Olive green velvet
• Platinum velvet

• There is also a Derry armchair and it costs $509.99. It now also comes in a TON OF AMAZING COLORS!!!!!!

Other Sven sofa lookalikes

Not feeling it with the Derry sofa? There are other similar affordable options! Check out the:

The Womble Sofa

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The Kaiden Sofa

• if you’re looking for a lookalike of the leather Sven

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The Abberton Sofa

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The Pamula Sofa

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HEY! ARE YOU IN EUROPE? There is an awesome Article Sven lookalike for you too! 🙂 Keep reading.

Sadly, the Derry is not currently available on Wayfair.co.uk 🙁

But if you’re in Europe and you want the exact same model as the Sven, you can find it at Made.com. The sofa is called The Scott. They even make it in a few extra colors, which are really pretty!

Here are the links:

• 3 seater
• 2 seater
• sectional
• ottoman

NEXT UP: For even more amazing affordable velvet sofas (all under $1000), check out this post!