It is only as a college student that you can get away with a sofa less living room. A well designed sofa is symbolic of well designed home interiors. However, it isn’t easy to choose a sofa. Sofas are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles, configurations, etc to suit every budget. When it comes to decorating a home and buying sofas online, a sofa is also one of the biggest investments in terms of furniture. Hence, it is important to educate yourself on the different aspects of a sofa and to choose your sofa carefully. When you are buying sofas online, ask yourself these three questions.
What is your sofa’s purpose?
A sofa isn’t only a place to seat your guests. The first point to consider when buying a sofa is where the sofa is to be kept and how it is to be used. A sofa designed for a formal living room will be very different from a sofa intended for the den. The Lawson sofa is designed for comfort and hence ideally suited to a den while the Indian Melange sofa’s subtle tufting and upright form make it better suited to a formal living room. At the same time, keep in mind the way upholstery affects a sofa. Upholstering the Lawson sofa in a plush velvet would transform the look of this sofa making it formal and graceful.
The placement of the sofa and the intended functionality also determine the shape and form of a sofa’s armrest. Rolled arms like the Camelback sofa are conducive to lounging while the Tuxedo sofa’s high armrests contain a person and encourage them to sit upright. Thus, this is more suitable for a formal living room or reception.
Also, take a look at where you want to position your sofa in the room. A straight lined L-shaped sofa is perfect if you want to use the sofa to divide a large space but if you want to create an intimate corner, a curved sofa like the Hilton sofa would be a better choice.
Who do you share the sofa with?
Like everything else, sofas have a life and their wear and tear depends on how it is used. Children, inevitably like to jump on furniture. This can weaken the structure of your sofa unless the sofa has a hardwood frame like the Howard sofa. With children in the house, you might also want to consider a sofa with a rounded form instead of a straight edged sofa. Similarly, upholstering your sofa in silk or velvet is a disaster waiting to happen if you share your home with pets.
The sofa length best suited to you depends on the space available and the number of people it needs to seat. While a 6’ sofa can seat 2 people comfortably, 7-8’ sofa is ideal for 3 people. The length of the sofa also determines the number of seat cushions on the sofa. If a sofa seat is longer than 4’, it should be split into two seats. The number of seat cushions is also determined by the people it needs to seat. For example, a 8’ sofa can be divided into 2 or 3 sofa seats depending on whether you want the sofa to seat 4 or 3 people.
What is the room like?
Lastly, the character of the room, the sofa is to be placed in also plays a role in choosing a sofa style that fits it. Before buying sofas online, take accurate measurements of the room and ensure that the sofa will fit through the doorways. The overall size of the room will also determine the size and proportion of the sofa. While a Chesterfield sofa needs a lot of space around it to be fully appreciated, the Howard sofa can suit small or medium sized rooms comfortably. Also, take a look at the height of your room. A low backed sofa may look out of place in a high ceilinged room and a tall back sofa could make a living room with low ceilings look crowded.
For most people, a sofa is a once in a lifetime investment so don’t be in a hurry to buy your sofa. It’s easy to get confused about what would suit your home so if you need help buying sofas online or you need one custom designed, give us a call. Making your home look good, is out ultimate aim.
