6 Tips And Where To Buy Your Perfect Sofa

Choosing the Sofa can, at times, be an overwhelming experience. As there is just so much choice out there. In this article, I'll go through all the steps you need to go through, from measuring your living room to choosing the best materials so you can choose the perfect sofa for your home. Stay around till the end because I'll be sharing some of my favorite sofa brands.

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Step One, measure your living room and sofa

The first thing you need to do when choosing the sofa is measure your living room to ensure that the couch is not too big or too small for the space. A sofa that is too big will dominate the space and make it look overcrowded while one that is too small will look dwarf or like it is drowning in the room.

The rule of thumb, there is roughly two three length of the room or the wall it is going to go against if you have an open plan space, the same two third rules apply but to the living area. Do this by using imaginary lines, or create zones within the open plan space.

You also want to consider how it will fit around other existing pieces of furniture, such as side tables and coffee tables. Take out your measuring tape and write down all the measurements of your room as well as the ideal measurements of the sofa before going shopping.

Measure everything twice! A couch is an expensive investment and often the centerpiece of a room. So you want to get the size right. You wouldn't think so, but furniture is often sent back to the showroom because the delivery man can't get it through the front door. That is why you have to measure the width of doorways, lifts, hallways and staircases to ensure the sofa can be brought into your home when delivered. 

Also, consider if there are any obstructions on the delivery path, such as shelvings or heaters. The shortest of these measurements is the widest your sofa can be or a consider a flatpack sofa if possible, bring your tape measure to the furniture store so you can measure the sofa itself, including the sofa depth, cushion depths and arms. If you're purchasing online, double check the measurements listed on the stores website.

Cushion depth is an important measurement, as they can often vary, which affects how you sit on a sofa. It is also important to consider the seat height, back height as well as the overall height of the sofa. A sofa that has a low seat height of 40 centimer or less is low sofa and can be difficult to get out compared to one 60 centimers high. You also want to consider seat height in relation to coffee table height as a coffee table needs to be the same height or slightly lower than the seats. Finally, overall height should be considered, especially an open plan, living rooms. Lower sofas tend to look better in open plan spaces because it allow your eyes to glide through the space without the couch breaking up the space.

Step two, Choose a sofa style that matches your home

It may seem like an obvious thing to do, but many people go to a furniture store to see a sofa that they like, bring it home, and then realize that it doesn't match the style of the other furniture or decoration of their home.

I like to use Pinterest to get images to set up a visual image board and then use it as a reference. This way, you can figure out what type of sofa you want as well as colours and upholstery. For example, if your house is near a beach, you may want cream upholstery or light Brown or a lighter coloured sofa for a modern industrial look. If you live in the city in terms of colour, my general advice is go for a solid colousr. This could be a bold colour or neutral. It is much easier to dress up or down a solid coloured sofa with pillows or throws.

Step three, consider your lifestyle and the function of your sofa

There are so many different types of sofas these days, which are built for different purposes. You really need to consider your needs in terms of your lifestyle and what function the sofa will have in your home. You might want to ask yourself some of these questions.

Are you going to watch TV on the sofa every day?
Is it for a formal sitting room?
Are Pets alowed to sit on the sofa?
Is the sofa where the kids will have friends over?
Do you like to sleep on the couch?
Do you like to eat or drink at the couch?
How many people are going to sit on the sofa at once?

These days are many different types of sofas to choose from, including traditional three or four seaters, sleepers or sofa beds. Two seaters, also known as love seeds, as well as modular or sectional sofas, which are multipieces that can be arranged in many different ways.

If the sofa is mainly for TV watching, you'll want something that has good cushioning so you can sink into it. In contrast with a sofa for a sitting that you want to be more structured and more upright.

A modular or sectional couch is good for large families or people who often move as they can be rearranged to fit into different rooms. If there are any tall people in your household, they would appreciate a larger sofa, while younger, shorter children will prefer sofa that is lower so they can easily climb onto it. If you have kids or pets, you need to carefully consider the upholstery, opting for a sofa that can withstand wear and tear where spills stains and pet marks can be easily cleaned off. You might also consider getting a sofa that has cushions that are not attached to the base or ones that have removable cushion covers for easy cleaning.

Step Four, Choose the best materials

Now that you have considered your lifestyle and the function of the sofa, use this to narrow down the type of materials that are best suited for you. First, consider sofas come in many different fabric finishes, such as leather, linen, polyester, twill canvas, as well as specifically engineered performance fabrics. Leather is highly durable, easy to clean and good for shedding pets, however, it can easily be scratched if you live in a hot and humid climate, a leather sofa may work against you, especially if you sweat a lot.

Linen, along with other natural fibres, is fantastic for hot and humid climates. However, it is highly absorbent and not structured, which makes it prone to stains. Like leather and other natural fibers, linen is much more expensive than synthetics. A cheaper alternative will be canvas, which is a sturdy fabric. Synthetics such as polyester are the most affordable as they're a manmade. They're usually very durable, depending on the weave as well as stain resistant as they are hydrophobic. There are other types of weeves, such as Twill valve Bui that can be made from various types of fibers, but most commonly synthetics or carnum. 

Twill is the same width that is used for jeans and is a very durable fabric that gives a casual look. Velvet is a cut pile loop width that is very soft with low Shine that gives a luxurious look.
In addition to upholstery fabrics, you need to consider the quality of the frame or base of the sofa. You want to look for high quality base because it will last a lot longer and can be reupholstered. A quality frame is made from solid hardwood. Some examples are hardwood in Oak, Ash or Beach. Unfortunately, Hardwood frames are very expensive, and you are unlikely to get one for under £1,000, so plywood may be a decent choice, but of course, if you're spending £5,000 or more you don't want to get plywood.

Step five, Consider the quality of the construction

Nowadays, there are many budget option couches, but this comes at the expense of good construction. Before purchasing, make sure you evaluate the frame, joinery Springs and upholstery to ensure that it is top quality. The weakest part of the frame are usually the legs. Cheap sofas often have legs that are not secure. Look for sofas that have legs that are secured with screws or dowels or legs that are in integral part of the frame. Ideally, the joinery throughout the couch should be a mix of different types, such as wooden, dowels, metal screws and brackets. Glue, staples and nails are very weakto use alone. Finally, check the upholstery. Make sure that the buttons are sewn on well, and that seams and piping runs straight. If there are patterns on your couch, check that they match at the seams. Otherwise it will look cheap. You don't want to seams fraying or buttons falling off. 

Step Six, Determine your budget

Sofas can vary in price and depends on whether you are on a bedget or are looking to buy a luxury brand. The general rule of thumb is that cost correlates to size and quality. Electronics such as Recliner Loungers are much more expensive. You can always get a vintage or secondhand couch if you're on a tight budget. They're usually 70% to 80% cheaper and can bring characters to a room. It is very important to inspect them in person, make sure that they are not damaged and are clean and if they are beat down, you can lower their price even more. If you're purchasing online do your research and read reviews. Look for return policy and delivery options. Check out nearby showrooms or Popup source if they're available.

Where to buy you next sofa

I recomend browsing through some of the fantastic sofa stores that are available to browse right here on furnish well! You can compare prices, styles and sizes.

So go on right ahead and check out the great range of sofas that are availble.