How to Choose a Sofa
Setee, couch, sofa – whatever you name it, it’s the central point of a living room where you can unwind and relax – so it must be the best furniture in your house.
A sofa or couch is the top major piece of furniture you own. A style, marriage, or function – it’s a genuine commitment. We know they’re costly, and they really accommodate everything else in the room with their beauty and classy looks. But with an apparently endless amount of options, how do you understand that what you are planning to buy for your home is the right one? And where should you even start to search from? If you have been planning to shop for a sofa, you might have suggestions about its look, but we suggest our clients to consider the function first.
Your first thought must be like, how many family members you have in your family who need to sit on the sofa to get together, discussion, or to watch a movie. Select a couch on which you all can sit together. On the other hand, if you are an empty nester or single, we recommend you to pick a sturdy neutral piece. In this way, you can change them regularly with burnished, throw pillows and blankets.
Parties and pets are other elements to consider. The fact is, you will more than probably need to replace your furniture, including the sofas faster. Wisely chosen furniture can generally camouflage the various messes that can surely happen. If your sofa is expected to get a great deal of wear and tear, picking the perfect upholstery is phenomenally important. It is all about the look that feels at first glance, how functional and comfortable it is for its intended use. You must also focus on the longevity and maintenance of the fabric.
Whether you are shifting into a new house or decorating your home with accessories and antiques, you must purchase the perfect sofa set for the living room. There are various options to choose from. When you move around for shopping or browse for online shopping, you encounter an infinite range of sofas that you can pick from. You can also place your order online. If you have made up your mind for what sofa design you want for your home, you can save your money and time on research.
Choosing a sofa is a time taking process. You must pick a style that matches your living standard, wall color, or theme, a durable material, and besides all, it has to fit by the front door genuinely. Get to hold with the multiple filling, sizes, and finishes before you spend your money. A new sofa doesn’t have to be costly, but though there are some essential things you can scrimp on, there are other fields in which it will bear to splurge.
In this article, we’ll be concentrating on: Swatches, Fabrics, sizes, measurement, and fillings of the sofa.
How can you place an order for sofa swatches?
Before you finalize the fabric and color, order multiple swatches of different materials you like. People usually choose the structure of the sofa that resembles the stuff of the couch they previously had for ten years, so it is undoubtedly worth spending the time to select a shade you want. Swatches usually are free, so it can be useful if you hold a vast range of multiple choices. Viewing a photo of your selected fabric isn’t similar to touching it and seeing it in different lights.
Keep the swatches for some days. Watch them and the colors they change in artificial and natural light, to notice how they’ll appear at different times of a day. You could even spatter some drinks or food onto them to check how easily they clean up. And, if you are concerned about scratches by cats, let them hook at the swatches to notice how the sofa fabric endures.
Selecting a sofa fabric
No matter you choose comfortable-looking linen or soft leather, the stuff of your sofa will set the style of your living room. For routine seating in your own place you use for a long time, you should prioritize a tough-wearing synthetic fabric with dirt protection treatment. High-quality leather is an excellent option in the sense of longevity. Synthetic fibers are expected to be the most long-lasting – textured monotonic weaves in specific are within the most family-friendly and hard-wearing, as they are more exonerative of spots and less probable to snag.
The upholstery stuff for an armchair or sofa is a hefty investment. If you select the wrong material, you’ll end up combating snags and stains. Make a wrong choice on the pattern or color, and the entire room bears, or you’ll find yourself planning for reupholstery. Thus, before you choose your new sofa fabric, keep reading the article that what you should focus on while buying a sofa in terms of style, comfort, and durability.
Choosing the right Sofa cover
Upholstery is the stuff, fabric, or material that includes webbing, padding, and springs – that conciliate the soft covers of sofas, chairs, and other furniture. Fashion started in the middle ages and came in trend in the 17th – the 19th century. Over time, a vast range of materials has been utilized wool to horsehair to hay. The latest upholstered products use foam and metal springs for maximum durability. Although the interior stuff may not be seeable, they make a huge difference in whether the fabric is comfy. And while fabric can always be replaced, and may require to be, based on wear and tear – selecting top-notch inside layers will assist make sure the stuff will be durable for future use.
How to select the right upholstery fabric for a sofa?
As you buy an upholstery fabric, focus on your practical needs. First, consider your living style and how many members will use the piece. This will aid in guiding you on the type of fabric to pick. You may like the appearance of silk velvet, but it will speedily get ruined in a home with pets or kids. Sofas in high-traffic areas like a living room or family room will require long-lasting fabrics, though furniture that doesn’t hold massive wear and tear like headboard or bedroom settee can support any kind of textile.
A big misunderstanding for buyers is not concentrating on how a material or leather may grow older over time. You can ask questions after checking the labels at the showroom to know about the fabric’s limit, and cleaning requirements then think about the maintenance you can do to protect the fabric. Will it change its color in the next five years? Will you love it even after years? Will you be able to vacuum the upholstery regularly?
Which upholstery fabric is suitable for families with kids and pets?
Growing up with our siblings, we were not permitted to enter the living room; it was for guests only. Nowadays, although there are plenteous fabrics for upholstery that not only look good but are durable while thinking and recommending the upholstery stuff for kids and pets, we recommend Sunbrella fabric or faux suede for its longevity and easy care techniques. Many people like slipcovered upholstery, and if you don’t want to be worried about the occasional scratch or scuff, distressed leather can be the best choice. If you have a big family, don’t select silk or any other textured or delicate fabrics because it can be pulled, and stains can’t be cleaned thoroughly.
Luxurious upholstery stuff
If pets or messy kids aren’t a problem for you, you can swank your freedom by picking Belgian linen or flossy Tibetan wool, but keep in mind it’s not a better option to sit around and eat peanut butter crackers. Linen is very sustainable; in light colors, it doesn’t provide the level of a kid-friendly and stain resistance household might require and may not display a wrinkle-free, crisp look after limitless lounging. If you don’t bother about cost and maintenance, you can purchase luxurious fabrics that can be swapped when the trend changes.
Popular sofa fabrics
Whatever stuff you choose for your room with a relaxed-look liner or soft leather, the material of the sofa sets the tone of your room.
For daily seating in your own room, you might favor hard-wavered human-made stuff with stain and dirt protection options. High-quality leather is recommended if you are looking for durability.
Custom-made fibres are considerably more long-lasting and textured flat threads are mainly family-friendly and hard-wearing, as they are more resistant to stains and less likely to snag. We performed a survey over 1,800 families and summarized the basic features of these popular sofa fabric forms to give you a little inspiration.
Cotton Blend: it is highly versatile in blended and pure form. Cotton blend sofas are leisurely and offer easy upkeep, so it’s not unusual that around 18% of the members chose a cotton blend sofa. It features a broad range of shades and patterns.
Leather: a leather sofa stint and crease over time and regular use, moderating the shape and the feel. Any marks or scuffs will only bring to its quality. Leather, besides being soft, and the string is durable. An original leather sofa will endure well to regular use. A little dampen cloth is used to clean the leather. An innovative leather sofa is expensive compared to the couch with faux leather, but the durability is four times higher than that of the faux leather. The flaw of having a leather sofa is; it feels cool in the winter season when you sit on it and feels sticky and hotter in the summer season.
Cotton Linen: these sofas look relaxed and casual. Their natural crinkles break with time. Similar to wool sofas, the surface can begin to “pill” or fuzz over time in areas where it’s consistently in contact with the kinds of stuff in your apparels.
Wool blend: it provides warmth and texture, and is genuinely soft. When maintained and adequately looked after, wool sofas feature a matted feel and look. Any wool merging will normally develop bobbling and piling, so a little maintenance is necessary.
Woven sofas: woven material is particularly long-lasting, which makes them an ideal if your sofa is probably bounced and clambered daily by kids or pets. Rigorous, tightly wavered flat weave appears like cotton and is manufactured by immixing natural cotton and fabricated fibred to turn it into genuinely tough wearing. Woven fabrics concord their shape quickly, so you’ll observe them on sofas displaying a more fixed shape.
Velvet: this fabric has revitalization at the moment, so we can say it is selected based on the ongoing trend. It provides a softer touch and offers deep flat colors. Still, velvet can grow bruises, natural lines, and shading with time. Velvet is non-resistive to spills, which means you must be careful about its maintenance to keep it look stunning every day.
The durability of the fabric
While considering sofa fabric, the very first thing is that we think about is the color. But with the color durability is also imperative. The significance of sustainability is different from family members and in which room the furniture is being used. If you live with pets and kids, your sofa upholstery must also reflect these issues.
- Waved patterns endure longer than printed designs, just like the tight weaves and more thread counts. Thread count means the number of threads used in the weaving of the fabric and dense fabrics are more durable.
- Select a fabric depending on the members who will be using the sofa. If you have pets, consider buying a leather or microfiber fabric because these can resist extra wear and tear.
- Fabric longevity is vital if your sofa will be used daily.
Looks and design
Select a fabric that embellishes both the interior décor and piece of furniture in your home.
Your upholstery selection should be symmetrical with the character and style of the furniture it is coasting. For example, a typical fabric is an ideal choice for an orthodox-style frame. That stated, if you have an adventurous style sense and some knowledge to blend two apparently different styles, try that. This approach contributes uniqueness to your area. An example of that unique selection might be a geometric pattern on a wing-back chair. This example is perfect for a room where a wing-back chair is necessary; this way, the print on the chair will complement the rest of the décor.
Some fabrics look casual, though some look very formal. Select the material that reflects your style and the theme of the décor in the room.
Focus on the scale of the pattern. It must be adequate according to the size of the furniture it will be covering. A broad and bold pattern might look good in a big room; contrarily, a smaller and muted pattern will look perfect for a small space.
Which color will look good?
The color of anything is usually the first choice everybody made. When you buy a sofa, it has a vital impact on the décor, mainly if the furniture piece is a big sofa and it will rule the room.
You must be sure that the color you are choosing will make you happy for a long time. For example, it might be perfect to avoid a very dark color for a small room, particularly if your sofa is big. Neutrals are usually the safest path as they tend to satisfy with time.
Don’t go for elegantly colored fabrics if you live with your kids and pets.
To bang the right mood, think of the color temperature. Cool and warm colors have a high impact on the mood of the room, and this factor should be an essential part of your decision. Don’t choose colors which are in trend but you don’t like them. They will look old after some time even before the chair or sofa requires recovering.
If you’re initiating a décor project from scratch, a chair or sofa can be selected initially, so you can plan to decorate it. A showpiece sofa to beautify the room could be covered by a vivacious luxury fabric or upholstered in a colored print. It is the central point of a room.
If you are planning to add a sofa on an already designed and decorated room and want the couch to support the theme or dominate the room, then selecting color becomes vital. Choosing a new sofa for an existent color pattern shows that you’ll have to finalize if the couch will be achromatic or if it will perform an accentuate part.
Interior décor designers favor a sofa that complements the wall color to commix the room and make the room look broader. This is an innovative idea for a symmetrical color scheme. If you are planning to buy a sofa to go with the color of your wall, then changing the wall paint could be difficult in the future. The most casual approach is to select a sofa that embellishes the other décor and is not the core of attention nor disguised into the wall paint. This is the reason why neutral sofa colors are chosen the most for homes.
Dark or light sofa
When you finalize about the sofa color, either neutral or accent, you’ll make up your mind if the sofa will be dark or light. Your base color cast a huge effect on selecting the ideal sofa color. If you’re thinking about a potential sofa in your home, will it swim on a carpet or on a sea of vibrant wood dumping, or will it immix into it? As a couch is ordinarily big and upholstered, and many fabrics engulf light, it can modify a room to a great extent.
If you want to put a dark-colored sofa on a dark floor, it will seem to vanish into the room. If you’re going to use a dark-colored sofa on a dark base, you should consider a sofa more visible. A dark sofa with light wood or metal leg can develop visual space within the floor and the sofa. The addition of a light-colored rug below the front of the sofa can divide the dark color and make the sofa color bulge out. A metal coffee table or a light wood table could also help separate the sofa from the base.
A light-colored sofa brings different challenges. The most significant challenge is to wear and to stain. Before choosing a light color or white sofa, think of the room and its use instead of how you expect it to be used. If your pets love to lie on the sofa or couch, you would likely not wish to put a light color sofa in your living room. If you live with your kids and pets and still adore the idea of having a white sofa, drip-dry slipcovers can be an ideal compromise with severe retention.
The color choices ideal for your demands
It’s the perfect time to consider the color when you’ve finalized the dark or light color for your new sofa. If you’re not planning to buy a showpiece sofa, then a neutral colored sofa is an ideal choice. Neutral sofas can be leisurely decorated and easily sustained with the room’s style and décor.
Neutral sofa fabric options are; cream, gray, beige, and taupe. A matte beige fabric can look sluggish around other shades, but coarse-textured beige stuff with patches of monochromatic color can bring interest without the addition of new colors. Pale and charcoal colors are some examples of gray sofas. If you like chameleon style, these can be a crisp, comfortable, cool, or sophisticated. Neutral sofas can completely embellish your décor theme and look attractive and stylish.
A sofa of any color can be attractively incorporated into your room if you consider it as another color from your chosen color pattern. This depicts bestowing prints or accessories in the matching color, to disperse the color all across the room. A sofa is a significant area of fabric; recurring pops of a similar color as a dialect can balance the space.
Some important tips about the sofa color
When you purchase a new sofa, you are not bound to buy a duplicate love seat. As a more conciliatory style option, you can pick a set of upholstered chairs to embellish the new sofa. The chairs don’t need to be a precise match but can integrate the sofa’s shade in texture or pattern. Using a set of chairs in the place of a duplicate loveseat gets you even more choices to pick a color from your color palette and more choice for furniture positioning.
Do remember the accent cushions and throws as the final touches while matching your new sofa with your décor theme.
Choose the right sofa size for your room.
Just like all the other things, there are infinite choices for everybody when it comes to choosing the right size sofa. You might perceive that you have the exact idea of what you need, but when you walk into a sofa shop or browse sofa images online, the shapes, styles, and customization substitute can be overtaking. Save yourself the money, time, and energy a buyer has. How can you know that the sofa or chair you are deciding to buy is the right fit for your life, your living room, and your front door?
What does it take to select the right sofa or armchair?
Sofas are linked to every kind of use and abuse and are vulnerable to much more than just being sat or laid on. While deciding to buy a sofa, ask yourself what is the primary purpose of your sofa? Does your living room look like a hotel at the weekends? Maybe a sofa bed is a better option for you on which you can curl up with a magazine? A comfortable armchair might be a good match. Does the sofa hoard numerous movie marathons?
The fun fact here is; the average families spend 3 to 4 hours every day vegging out on the sofa in front of the TV. But irrespective of whether you are in the average, your furniture must be above average. Most significantly, it should be the ideal match for your space and lifestyle. As the most prominent furniture purchase you’ll make – both the price and size-wise while furnishing your house, there’s much more to consider when searching for the perfect fit.
Fortunately, in this sofa buying guide, we are helping you to walk through the different options of sofas and couches to understand better what will be the best option for you.
1. Standard sofa
The standard sofa’s average dimensions are; 70-84 inches in length, 30-40 inches in width, and 30-40 inches in height.
A first standard sofa can never be wrong or bad; it can provide you with plenteous space for cuddling up with your furry friends and dear ones. It is believed the key to a well-decorated living room. Typically, a standard sofa is 86 inches long with three seat cushions. If you are planning to place a coffee table in front of the sofa, be sure to let yourself be 11-18 inches in the middle for maximum legroom space.
2. Loveseat sofa
The average dimensions for this loveseat sofa are 52-72 inches in length, 30-40 inches in width, and 30-40 inches in height.
The loveseat is generally found in small formal seating regions, but it’s an excellent way to snitch some sofa seating into more small-scaled areas. The dimensions of a loveseat will differ from 52 to 72 inches and can leisurely conciliate two people, but don’t let this thought stop you from seeking the best fir. The seat cushion is usually a single cushion for a more definite line or two individual seat cushions. When we consider the stylistic manner of the loveseat sofa, it can scope from orthodox to modern, which permits for versatility in any room you are planning for.
3. Convertible sleeper sofa
The average dimensions of a convertible sleeper sofa are 70-84 inches in length, 30-40 inches in width, and 30-40 inches in height. Sofas are a delicate option to sit around, but having a guest you sofa can turn into a useful piece of furniture. In the day, it can be used as a sofa, and at night it can be converted into a king-sized bed that has been finely nestled up below the sofa’s cushions. You just need to place this sofa in a room broad enough to expand this hidden bed when required.
4. Sectional Sofas
Difficult to say – deciding the size of this sofa is based on how you set it up. The sectional sofa is titled “family sofa.” Symmetry and balance do matter while choosing a sectional; give yourself plenteous time to project and measure your room when finalizing this option. Dissimilar to the standard sofa, sectionals are made of multiple separate patches, which can be integrated into numerous layouts. The casual positions for sectional are in L shape, in right-arm or left-arm configuration. There are also U-shaped pieces of furniture that are perfect for bigger spaces where a great deal of seating is required. Not similar to the traditional or loveseat sofas, these sofas genuinely feature no particular size, as this form of sofa presents flexibility to fit any more significant area.
5. Daybed Sofa
The average dimensions of this sofa are 70-80 inches in length, 35-45 inches in width, and 30-40 inches in height.
What would you have if a twin bed and loveseat are mixed? The answer is a daybed. It is an incredible combination of small-scaled areas where you want seating, but still, you need accommodations for a guest for the night on and off. Dissimilar to the convertible sleeper, where a bed is inserted within the sofa, this daybed sofa provides a leisurely modification from couch to bed. The backside seat cushion when your guest sits around is ready to hold some Zs. Multi-use rooms and apartment dwellers can make the best out of this sofa.
Some useful tips for buying a perfect sofa
Here are some useful tips for you to consider while planning to buy a sofa.
· Confirm the fit
There is no meaning of considering a sofa or couch if it doesn’t fit in your space. Seats must be comfy for every family member. If you’re purchasing a recliner sofa, confirm that it is flexible and leisurely in all the positions. The best fit consideration is the profoundness of the seats. Pick shallow or deep seats based on your height; the back of the couch must be rigorous enough to provide your back adequate support. If you are choosing a sofa where you want to lay for a nap, confirm that the sofa’s style and position long enough for relaxed snoozing.
· Assess the frame
The cushions, along with the upholstery fabric, can be changed when they get worn and old. Still, no sofa can be counted as an ideal piece of furniture unless it showcases a durable and solid inner frame if your mission if to purchase a right sofa, begin by evaluating the frame. Cheap sofas display plastic, particleboard, or metal frames, but a top-notch sofa will have a rigorous hardwood frame – like ash, oak, or beach made hardwood frames. Pine frames are also inexpensive, but they mostly start to wrap and tilt in five years.
The legs of the sofa are a crucial part of the frame. Don’t purchase a sofa is the legs are simply glued on.
A straightforward evaluation technique for solid frame building is to elevate one front corner to a height of 5-6 inches. If the other leg stays sitting or rises slowly, it’s an indication of a weak frame. Sofas that visibly creak or twist under this technique must not be bought.
· Inquire about the joinery
While the technique by which the frame constituents are held together may not be instantly evident, the printed technical specs or the salesperson should provide this info. Search for frames that are united with wooden corner blocks, wooden dowels, metal brackets or screws, or double wooden dowels. Never choose a sofa that is joined with nails, glue, or staples only, which may be utilized to present extra reinforcement.
· Give the arms a try
A sofa made of high-quality hardwood frame joined with corner brackets or dowels should be a masterpiece of furniture. However, it is still an excellent idea to intentionally try out the arms of the sofa to ensure they are rigid when you lean on them. If you have active kids in your family, the most casual region of failure on a sofa is the arms.
As you try the sofa, push it hard, and observe the signs of wobble. If the arms are not rock-solid, don’t buy it.
· Observe the springs
The springs that hold out the cushions on a sofa showcase three stages of quality. Low cost and least durable springs are just a mesh or webbing. Most sofas use serpentine springs, which are sinuous picks of twisting wire that bridge the game between frame portions. They provide fantastic support, but they may droop with time if the metal used in their manufacturing is not solid-gauge.
Eight-way hand-tied springs are incorporated in luxury sofas, which are expensive and comfortable. Some experts argue that serpentine springs perform better than hand-tied springs, but it’s all considered vague.
You can feel the springs by the upholstered fabric. Good springs feature firmness and arranged close enough for maximum support. There must be excellent support without too much collapse when a person sits on the sofa.
· Don’t ignore the padding.
The sofa frame and all the portions of the sofa must be well padded. Move your hand over all the sofa corners to confirm that the edges of the frame can be felt through the upholstery. If you can feel the corners, there is a possibility that the upholstery is not done correctly, and the sofa will not be comfortable in the long run.
Final Thoughts
We all know that a sofa is a big investment and you may keep it in your house for decades, so choosing the right piece is essential. Style preferences are a matter of choice, but when considering the quality and longevity, you must follow some objective criteria to make sure you’re buying something you can stay happy for years.
We tried to our best to provide you sufficient information regarding the purchasing of the sofa. Now you can focus on every aspect while deciding to buy a sofa for your living room or front door.