Choose the Right Sofa
While shape, size, scale and space are important, so are style, fabric, comfort, colour and price. As you can see there’s a lot to consider when buying a sofa, so take your time with this investment piece and follow these top tips to make the right decision for you and your home.
» Style – What’s your preferred interior design style? Modern, French, Scandinavian? This is important because you want to buy a sofa that suits your style preference, your home and existing pieces, like accessories, and other furniture.
» Fabric – Once you know what style you want, you’ll be able to choose a suitable fabric. Choose a fabric that also suits the people who will use the sofa. If you have kids for example, you want a sturdy fabric. Also remember to ask what the rub count is, for a sofa you want a rub count of at least 30,000. Rub count is a test the manufacturer does that demonstrates how many times the fabric can be ‘rubbed’ or sat on before it fades.
» Comfort – Test your sofa for comfort. How deep is it? Are you legs touching the floor? Is your back supported? Obviously this will vary for all the different people using the sofa, so it’s important to try a few different sofas and to sit on it for more than a few minutes.
» Colour – You can use your sofa to make a colourful statement but decide on your colour palette first so that your sofa works. Again bear in mind where the sofa is positioned and who will use it? For example, is it near a kitchen and could it get food stains? It is in a sunny position, could the colour fade?
» Price – As one of the most expensive pieces of furniture you will buy, be prepared to spend at least $3000 on a good sofa (click the photo above). Of course you will find cheaper sofas that do the job, but over time you’ll find a considered approach will stand the test of time.