Tips For Purchasing a New Sofa

Monthly tip from our Designer, Christy

The Westover Great Room

Purchasing a new sofa can be exciting as well as overwhelming.   There are many things to consider before heading out to the furniture showroom.

1.     The most important…. SCALE

2.     Style

3.     Upholstery or leather

4.     Skirted or non- skirted

5.     Arms & Back

A good place to start is with your existing sofa.  What do you like about it?  What don’t you like about it? Does the scale work with the room? Measure your sofa; be sure to measure the height (arms & back), width & length.   Take the measurements with you when going shopping as this will give you a comparison.  It’s hard to tell in the showroom, but many sofas are oversized.

 Scale- The most important and most over looked factor when purchasing a sofa.  We have all walked into a room where all you see is sofa.  I mentioned above about measuring your existing sofa, this is very helpful.  When going into a showroom always bring your measurements and a tape measure. When you find a sofa you like, map it out in the space it will be in.  Use some low tack painters tape and tape out the height (on the wall), width, and depth.  This is a good guide for the visual person.  Using graph paper with the room laid out to scale is another great way to see if the sofa is the right size.  Many furniture stores offer space planning as well.

Style- When thinking of style, how long do you plan to keep this sofa?  In lieu of the latest trend, maybe consider something with a more classic line and shape if you are planning to keep the sofa for a number of years.  This way you can re-invent the sofa many times throughout its life span by changing accent pillows or throws.

Upholstery or leather- Not all the furniture in the room has to match.  It’s okay to mix leather with upholstery.  When opting for leather, buy the best quality you can afford.  It makes a difference in both wear and aesthetics.  Lifestyle plays a key role as well.  If you are a young family with kids and pets, leather will withstand the wear and clean up well.  If you prefer upholstery, consider fiber content and pattern.  Fabrics that have multiple fiber contents generally tend to be more durable.  Cotton and polyester or cotton and viscose are good examples.  Pattern or texture is important for masking wear.  The plainer the fabric the more soil and wear it will show.  When choosing a pattern think, “How long can I live with it and will it look dated or classic in ten years?”

Skirted or non-skirted- This option is more for the upholstered sofa. A skirted sofa can lend more of a traditional and formal feel to a room.   If your taste is more contemporary or modern, a non-skirted sofa with an exposed leg is a good option.  The exposed leg with the open space under the sofa will help balance the negative space in the room, making the sofa feel less obtrusive and will give the space a light and airy feel.

Arms & Back- Next to scale these are the most important things to consider.  If the arms and back are too high, it can kill a room. If your new sofa is going into a smaller space, consider low arms and back.  This will help to keep the height in the room.  If the arms and back are too high, it can swallow up the room and confine the space.  If your new sofa is going in a very large room with high ceilings, then high arms and a high back will bring the room in a bit and envelope you.  Arms play a role if you like to curl up on the couch for a nap.  If the arms are too high, it can be difficult to rest your head.  Don’t be afraid to lie on the sofa the way you would if you were at home.

Finally, one last tip- Measure your door openings that the sofa will have to fit through. Most furniture stores will not take furniture back and you don’t want to be stuck with a couch you can’t even get into your living room!

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Stay tuned for next month's tip from designer, Christy!  If you have questions in the mean time, feel free to learn more about our Design Center here or contact Christy at chaag@athomebuilders.com, 585-398-7738.