What makes the Maxwell different
RH's own listing describes the Maxwell as bench-made on a kiln-dried, precision-cut, FSC-certified wood frame with mortise-and-tenon joinery and eight-way hand-tied springs. It's one of the more prominent sofas in RH's catalog. RH doesn't label it a bestseller the way Room & Board does with the Metro, so we'll call it popular, not confirmed as RH's top seller.
How we take the Maxwell apart
The back is the part that usually comes off a Maxwell. We open the back, cut the wood frame free, then rebuild the joint with wood, steel plates or both, screwed across the cut, so it holds as strong as before, or stronger. We reattach the upholstery the way it was. What's left is a U, both arms and the seat. For a tighter entrance we take out an L instead, the back plus one arm. The building decides which one we use, not the sofa.
If it doesn't fit
RH's own return policy, checked September 27, 2026: 30 days, but only on the small handful of stocked Maxwell fabrics. The product page we checked listed 10 stocked options and 218 special-order options. Every special-order fabric "cannot be canceled, altered or returned," and RH takes a non-refundable 50 percent deposit up front. On a typical special-order Maxwell around $7,000, that's the full price plus the $349 delivery fee if it doesn't work out, about $7,344.
Source: rh.com/us/en/customer-service/return-policy, checked September 27, 2026.
Before you order
The Maxwell is shown at RH's Meatpacking District gallery at 9 Ninth Avenue, just off the West Village. Measure the whole route before you order: building entrance, elevator or stairs, hallway turns and your own apartment door. Our doorway and hallway guide covers the measurements that matter most, and we work across Manhattan every day, including the Meatpacking District. Check the route with Will My Sofa Fit?, and send the Maxwell's product link to the AI Quote Tool to see your price range.
The fabric
The Maxwell we priced was in Classic Belgian Linen, which marks easily. We lift the upholstery with the tool always pointed inward, away from the linen you see, so a slip can't mark it. For cleaning and care, RH publishes its own fabric care guide.
Light fabric? Have it taken apart indoors
With the Workshop Fit, the Maxwell comes to our workshop before it comes to you. We take it apart indoors on a clean carpet, one sofa at a time, then carry it in and rebuild it in your home. It's never opened on the sidewalk or a lobby floor. The Workshop Fit →
What it costs
- The On-the-Spot Fit: from $275. The exact price depends on your entrance and what the talk-through finds; the full range runs to $450.
- The Workshop Fit: double the On-the-Spot price, from $550. Stairs and tolls are added once, not doubled.
- Stairs: free up to three flights, then +$25 per flight.
- Same day: available when you book before 7 PM; otherwise, the earliest open slot.