Want to elevate the décor of your living room? One of the best and common ways to do so is simply by adding a suitable sofa. As said by the renowned architect, Le Corbusier ‘Chairs are architecture, sofas are bourgeois’. A sofa is an important piece of furniture that will lend an exclusive look and simultaneously amplify the comfort for your living room. There are so many factors that you will have to keep in mind before purchasing an appropriate sofa for your home. So, it will be better if you follow some tips or guidelines that will help you make the right decision to choose a sofa.
The sofa becomes the focal point of any room that it is present in. So, considerable thought and time should be given before purchasing it since it will also be one of your costliest purchases when it comes to home furniture.
Also Read:
Exclusive Sofa Designs for Living Room
Living Room & Its Furniture For Your Home!
Tips to Choose Sofa
01. Make a List of the Measurements and Features that you Want
Sofas are available in a great variety of designs and seat depth. Sofas are mostly designed with seat depth between 45 cm and 50 cm. If an adequate space to sit and relax is your first priority, then a sofa with an approximate depth of 60cm will be the fitting choice. It is true that there is no barrier to choose good or bad seating height. It depends on your preference and suitability according to your family. You should thoroughly check the features and total width excluding armrests to stretch out before purchasing a sofa for your home.
02. Select Right Size According to your Doorways
Take a tape measurement of the dimension of your doorways and also the space where you intend to place the sofa. It will help you to purchase the right sofa according to the available space within your room. You should check the measurement of stairways as well through which your sofa will be carried into your specific room. In case of limited access, you will have to choose a sofa with a modular design which are delivered in parts or a low back style with removable legs. If you have a smaller room and yet you do not want to deprive yourself of a beautiful sofa, you can go for the single sofas.
03. Select a Good Frame
Always select a good frame made from the best quality materials for your sofa. It will offer longevity without any issue. Framing with softwood is cheap, but it may wobble or degrade with time. Costly hardwood like teak, oak, beech or ash offers longevity. You should avoid framing with plastic, particle board or metal due to wrap or crack. Legs of the sofa should be attached with the frame using pegs or screws and avoid attachment only using glue.
04. Get Information About Joinery
Collect information from the salesperson about the solidity of construction of your sofa, and the materials used for construction like wooden dowels, wooden corner blocks, double wooden dowels, metal screw, and brackets. Make sure that these are enough to ensure stability. You should avoid a sofa which is assembled using nails, staples or glue. You should check the technical specification provided by the company before purchasing.
05. Test the springs
The springs used for holding up the cushions of a couch are available in three levels of quality. You should avoid a lower quality spring if you want to purchase a quality sofa for your home. The springs are preassembled with snaking wires. It may sag over the time if the metal used for the snaking wire is not heavy.
06. Examine the Quality of Sofa Upholstery
The quality of materials present inside and outside of your sofa is a major factor when you are taking your final decision. Sofa designs vary according to the materials used in cushioning. Feather-filled sofas can be a great choice but they also require consistent maintenance in the form of regular plumping. On the other hand, foam or fiber fillings tend to get flattened after using them for a certain period of time. But one of the most economical and utilitarian options for filling that is polyurethane foam. Generally, fillings deteriorate easily with constant use of your sofa. So, the best option would be combining feather with foam, and you can get standard cushions for your sofa. HR (High resilient) foam combined with conventional foam is also being adopted by several households.
07. Go for a Tough Fabric
Upholstery plays a crucial role in the quality of the sofa that you purchase. It also reflects your style and determines the appearance and feel of your furniture. Sofas are made from fabrics like linen, wool, leather, polyester, rayon, velvet and so on. At the end of the day, everything will come down to your personal choice but in a generalized sense, synthetic fabrics are much more durable than the natural ones. So, you have to be quite honest about how your sofa will be handled and depending upon that choose the fabric of your sofa. Please think twice before locking your device, if your home attracts dust -often.
08. Evaluate the Arms
Generally, a sofa made up of hardwood framing is assembled including corner brackets or dowels to maintain the quality of the furniture. You should evaluate the arms of the sofa to be sure that these are fitted tightly for safety. You can check by pushing hard on the arm for the presence of wobble.
09. Check the Padding in Sofa
You should check whether all the corners of the sofa are well padded. Try to feel with your hands to ensure the edges of the frame are covered with the upholstery. You can change your choice if you feel that the upholstery is not quite suitable to ensure durability. By thoroughly checking the padding, you can understand whether your selected sofa is perfect to provide comfort.
10. Examine the Operating System in Sofa
You should check the operating mechanism of the sofa repeatedly. It will help you to be sure about the smooth and hassle-free operation. Usually, the system with recline or motion for a sofa is an expensive purchase. You should be conscious of the presence of any kind of mechanical glitches or difficulties before handling the sofa. Otherwise, you will have to face several issues for using the sofa at your home.
By following the above-mentioned tips, you can purchase a sofa which can fulfill your requirement. If you have kids or pets in the house, go for a sofa that has a tougher built and fabric and if you want to go for more sophisticated versions which will only be used occasionally, you can even choose suede. Jacquard can also be a good option to bring about an artistic appeal to your home décor.
Choose a sofa that will match the vibe and mood of your home décor by following these tips.
Image Courtesy: Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Image 6
Author Bio
Kakali Biswas – Kakali Biswas is a blogger and full-time mother. She loves to write on informative topics sharing her knowledge with the entire world. Her only goal in life is to always stay productive and happy.
