Our Expert Guide to Sofa Shopping in the City of Angels: The Best 9 Places to Buy a Couch

Our resident couch guru and editor, Arlyn Hernandez, takes you on a Los Angeles Sofa-ri to hunt for the best places to shop. She answers the burning question most Angelenos have: "where in the f#*k do I go to buy a couch in this city?!" She may surprise you.

I love sitting. In fact, I love it so much that I made it my career…in a sense. Between writing about seating as a home editor, picking sofas and sectionals for clients as a designer, or working behind the scenes at the brands that make them, I’ve been sitting on couches professionally for over a decade. It’s safe to say that I’m an expert in upholstery.

Thanks, Arlyn, but where should you start?

If you’re looking for value, quality and customizations down to the stitch width (without spending a fortune), you gotta stay small and local. Fun fact: Large brands and mom-and-pop shops often sell the same pieces made by the same factories under different names, with slight style differences and for a few hundred dollars less. Why? Well, they don’t have to factor in the cost of shipping across the country which is expensive and often rolled into the retail total.

While I have first hand experience with many different companies and their offerings, I wanted to be sure I dug deep to really find the best at a mainstream price point and do the homework for you since it can be intimidating to waltz into a showroom if you’ve only ever shopped with a serving of Swedish meatballs in hand (if you know, you know). I drove east, I drove west, I even braved the 405 in the name of plopping, rubbing, lounging and asking all the questions IRL.

How Did We Pick the Best Sofa Stores?

Before diving into the actual picks, let me walk you through the criteria I used to determine “best” from “blah”:

1. Good reviews: First and foremost, the store had to have quality reviews for both their actual product if available on their website, or via Google Reviews or Yelp. No duds here.
2. Attentive and helpful customer service: There’s nothing worse than trying to find a sales associate to answer a question or assist with a purchase and there’s no one to be found. On the other hand, maybe the only thing worse is the vulture-like salesperson that follows you around or pressures you into buying something you’re not ready to seal the deal on.
3. Stylish product: Wow is there so much ugly out there. Every store included here had plenty to chose from in a range of styles that felt cool, trend-forward or classic.
4. Comfort: If Goldilocks taught us anything, it’s that everyone has a different meter stick to measure what feels good to them, but in general, everything here had a wide spectrum of cushion type and plushness to suit most people’s tastes.
5. Value: Affordable is purely subjective but value, less so. What exactly do I mean by “value”? Getting a quality product that’s worth what you pay for it (or better).
6. Reasonable lead times on made to order: The longest wait I was willing to let live on this list was 8 weeks since that keeps it competitive with big box retailers, though many blew that out of the water.

The 9 Best Stores to Buy a Couch in LA (The 10th One Was Closed That Day)

1. If you’re looking for a traditional showroom vibe (but fair prices): Atmosphere Interiors

• Location: West Side
• Price: $$
• Customization Score: 9/10
• Made-to-Order Lead Time: 6-8 weeks
• In-Stock Options: Yes

Walking into Atmosphere Interiors feels very much like you’d expect a furniture store to feel. It’s sizable, there are a few helpful salespeople roaming, and plenty of vignettes in a variety of styles beckon for you to come have a seat. From a style perspective, most of the offering leaned transitional and contemporary. A wall of fabric samples at the back of the store indicated to me that there were some customization options, but frankly, I was surprised to learn from the friendly associate who walked me through some important details that almost every sofa and sectional on the floor could be tailored beyond just textile choice.

Since the pieces are made in a factory here in LA, a customer has their pick of cushion fill (the Trillium—a fiber made to feel like down without the annoyance of feathers escaping—was my favorite), fabric, tufting, sofa detailing…everything. Even down to adding a few inches to width, depth or height.

When I visited, they were running great deals on floor models (spoiler alert: this is a theme throughout this article), so don’t be afraid to ask for a steep discount if you see something in-store that you like as-is.

2. If you have something in mind but don’t know where to find it: Landon Cole Furniture

• Location: Mid-City
• Price: $$$
• Customization Score: 10/10
• Made-to-Order Lead Time: 4-6 weeks
• In-Stock Options: No

A nondescript storefront on La Brea, you’ll walk into Landon Cole and be greeted by the friendliest pups and the ever-chill Landon Cole himself. While there was definitely a bit of a bro-y vibe, the namesake proprietor let me know that anything on the floor could be made to your exact specifications (for no extra charge), and if you didn’t see something you liked, all you had to do was bring in a picture, and he could get it made for you. Fabric samples tumbled out of dressers, topped beds, and were stacked high on shelves near the back of the store. A mountain of wood samples sat behind the front desk, and while some people might see “mess,” anyone who loves tweaking to their heart’s (and living room’s) content sees possibility.

You won’t find price tags on any piece, but Landon is quick to give you a quote when asked. A large cushy 5-piece corner sectional I swiftly got comfortable on was quoted at $4,800, which is fairly comparable to something of its size and style from any mid-range furniture e-commerce brand or big box store…except you can change every last detail of it to your liking.

3. If you want an affordable, stylish sofa like…tomorrow: Living Spaces

• Location: Various locations
• Price: $
• Customization Score: 2/10
• Made-to-Order Lead Time: N/A
• In-Stock Options: Yes

Alright, so Living Spaces isn’t exactly a “boutique” mom-and-pop store, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t include it in this roundup. With the addition of top-tier collaborations from design personalities like Joanna Gaines, and Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, they’ve seriously upped their cool factor in the last few years. Plus, there’s something to be said about a good-looking $1,000 sectional that you can get delivered (for free) the next day.

The Mid-City store off Venice I visited was a deceptively large two-story space, and not a single salesperson followed me around or bugged me like I’m used to in stores like that. Every now and then someone would check that I was doing okay, and then leave me be. If I had a question, I didn’t have to search far to find someone. The furniture doesn’t come with any included extended warranty like some of the other stores on this list, but they do offer a buy-up wear-and-tear type program for five years. It’s helpful to check out any silhouette you’re eyeing online to read customer reviews, though most things get 4 stars and above.

From a sheer value and style perspective alone, Living Spaces shouldn’t be missed.

4. If you want to buy into that effortless California cool look: Pampa Furniture

• Location: Mid-City and Sherman Oaks
• Price: $$
• Customization Score: 9/10
• Made-to-Order Lead Time: 2 weeks
• In-Stock Options: Yes

Pampa Furniture is a beautiful store. The kind of place that makes you want to go home, throw everything away that you own, and start over. I won’t name names, but I used to work at a brand that sold sofas, chairs and sectionals from the same factory that makes Pampa’s custom pieces, but they charged more to cover the cost of shipping (told you).

Martin from the Beverly Blvd store was attentive but not smothering, and quickly let me know that anything with a Made in LA tag could be fully customized (fabric, leg finish, size, cushion fill) in just two weeks. A large, well-made sectional will run you between $3,500 and $4,000 depending on style and size, but if you’re looking to spend less, they also sell a good amount of import pieces that are in stock and very affordable (at the time of my visit, they were all 50% off).

And on the off chance that you crush hard on an import upholstery piece but want to make changes, Martin assured me their factory can custom make those, too.

5. If you’re ready to invest in your dream couch: The Joneses

• Location: Beverly Hills
• Price: $$$$
• Customization Score: 10/10
• Made-to-Order Lead Time: 1-3 weeks
• In-Stock Options: Yes

I’m going to get down to brass tacks here: I almost walked out of The Joneses with a new sofa. And I do not need a new sofa. That’s how good the store is and how wonderful the sales people are. As a design lover, I found treasure after treasure every time I turned my head. This store got a gold star from me for a number of reasons: an amazing lineup of sofa silhouettes you can’t seem to find anywhere else, quality you can actually feel when you sit down, so.many.fabric choices, true customization (down to the inch) and one of the most genuinely helpful associates I’ve encountered.

Be sure to make an appointment (even if you’re just browsing), or else you’ll be standing in front of the store hoping you can call the number on the door to convince someone to let you in (they did, and they were lovely about it). This is the most expensive store in the bunch—the insanely cool two-piece sectional I got a quote on was over $6,000 on sale—though their sofas start at a more reasonable $1,450 plus local shipping fees of about $150 and their floor models are up for grabs for a considerable discount.

This is where you go if you moved into a home you’ll be in for a while, are ready to invest in something special and want top-tier yet approachable service. The Joneses…I’ll be back one day for that sectional.

6. If you want your pick of good-looking seating but don’t need the endless custom options: Joybird

• Location: Mid-City
• Price: $$
• Customization Score: 5/10
• Made-to-Order Lead Time: ~4 weeks
• In-Stock Options: Yes

Joybird is an e-commerce furniture brand first and foremost, but we’re lucky to have one of their 11 brick-and-mortar locations here in LA’s Melrose Avenue shopping district. You can’t miss the bright blue exterior, once inside are greeted by a manageable number of vignettes to take in and test out. Honestly, sometimes less is more when it comes to something like couch shopping, as long as the options are all mostly solid.

Here’s something you won’t get at other shops in this docket: Buy Now, Decide Later, which just means you can lock in a sale price even if you aren’t ready to pick your color. The ideal solution for someone who wants the best deal but wants time to simmer about design decisions.

7. If you’re on the East side and don’t feel like getting on the freeway for a custom couch: Sofa U Love

• Location: Pasadena
• Price: $$$
• Customization Score: 10/10
• Made-to-Order Lead Time: 8 weeks
• In-Stock Options: Yes

“We’re usually people’s first and then final stop.” That’s what the wonderful designer slash salesperson Barbara said to me while I was squishing around a chic velvet sofa on display. I can see why. With a large sectional running around $5,000, pricing here is fairly middle of the pack (not IKEA by any means but also not Beverly Hills).

She even said they can send someone to your home to measure for you and help you understand what might fit best. That level of high-touch customer service isn’t for everyone (introverts: I’m looking at you) but know that it’s an option should you want and need it. Also, any floor model can be had at a large discount, as well, so if you don’t have the 8 weeks to wait, there’s something you, too.

8. If you prefer to go straight to the source: Sofa Interiors

• Location: Glendale
• Price: $$$
• Customization Score: 10/10
• Made-to-Order Lead Time: 6-8 weeks
• In-Stock Options: No

Shopping at Sofa Interiors is essentially buying factory direct because, well, it’s not exactly a store in the traditional sense. What you’ll experience if your first touch point is plugging the address into your GPS for an in-person visit is a fairly unpolished workroom jam-packed with random sofas and unending piles of fabric samples and bolts. This is where you come if you know you want a very specific couch from a known brand (say, RH, for instance) but want it made locally, to your exact specifications, and for less.

By the end, you’ll be telling everyone who comes over to your home how you’re basically a designer at this point and that you have the inside secret source for them to get a great deal on whatever it is that their living room desires.

9. If you want people to tell you how cool your home is, but you don’t want to spend alot of $$: Valyou Furniture

• Location: Chinatown
• Price: $$
• Customization Score: 2/10
• Made-to-Order Lead Time: Varies by piece
• In-Stock Options: Yes

As for style, the vibe is cool modern loft, and the majority of the pieces are available in just a handful of neutrals, though some styles come in a few colors, as well. One of the biggest selling points besides the price point for Valyou was the removable and washable covers on many of the sectionals and sofas (without that slipcover look). I did find that most of the seating was on the softer side in terms of cushion structure, but if you like that cloud-like feather plop, you’ll likely find something here that feels good to your tush.

Ask their very friendly sales associates (Stasi was warm and genuine) about the free home trial for their best-selling Feathers collection, in case you’re on the fence and want a risk-free way to see how it feels in your own place.