The first time I was able to buy a brand-new sofa, I was intimidated. There were so many sizes, styles, and materials to choose from. And how the heck did I know what would fit in my apartment living room, let alone which one was worth the hefty price tag?
Fortunately, I love the oh-so-durable microfiber sofa I settled on (particularly the fact that even though it’s white guests can spill entire beverages on it and they come out—trust me, it happened right after I bought it).
Since I was dropping one of my first post-college paychecks on my sofa, with the hope I’d keep it for years, I found two pieces of advice invaluable:
1. Buy the best sofa you can afford. (Really, cheap doesn’t cut it.)
2. Pick a classic sofa style so it works no matter how often your tastes change.
Beyond those pointers, here a few more to get you going:
BEFORE YOU GO TO THE STORE
• Kimberley Seldon at Home Envy agrees with the “buy the best sofa you can afford” statement I learned. Better yet, she provides a list of questions you should ask before beginning the sofa shopping process.
• Measure the dimensions of the doors in your home to make sure the sofa will fit. (Remember the Friends episode in which Rachel and Ross tried to get his giant couch into his apartment? It was funny but didn’t look fun, so if you’re an apartment-dweller keep stairwells and elevators in mind too.)
• Consider room proportions. This blog recommends using painter’s tape or masking tape to mark off the area where you want the sofa to rest. And be sure to leave at least 3 feet of space around the sofa for traffic. In a small room, that may mean a loveseat is a better option than a full-size sofa.
AT THE STORE
• Check out how the sofa is made. In particular, check the sofa frame for quality craftsmanship. Kiln-dried hardwood frames are sturdier than pine or composite wood and resist warping. Good frames have cotton or polydacron padding so the upholstery fabric never touches the wood. And look for eight-way hand-tied or sagless springs so your sofa won’t bottom out. Seat cushions should be constructed of feathers wrapped around a polyurethane foam core.
• Consider style. Sleek and contemporary or comfortable and casual? Tight back or pillow back? With arms or without? Sectional or standard? There are a slew of style choices to consider. You have to live with this couch for the long haul, so unless you have a fat checkbook you might want to avoid super-trendy versions in favor of something comfortable and classic, as I mentioned before. (Then you can add some smaller, funkier furnishings to your space.) Here are a couple of cool couches.
• Pick upholstery that fits your lifestyle. If you have kids or pets (or friends who spill drinks), think easy-clean and durable. Natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, or silk work, or try synthetic fibers like nylon or polyester. As I mentioned, microfiber fabrics are easy to clean. Leather is too. (If you pick leather, make sure it’s made of top-grain leather; split-grain leather isn’t as durable.)
• Sit on it. If you plan on lounging on your sofa with a good book or plopping down in front of the television, make sure your sofa is comfortable. Even if it’s for a more formal area, you want people to sit on it, right?
Learn more about sofa buying basics.
Then comiserate with others who are just getting into couch-buying mode.
Looking for sofa manufacturers? Try these:
Ashley*
Broyhill
Ethan Allen
La-Z-Boy
Lane
* My microfiber couch that I love so much is Ashley, in case you were wondering.
Until tomorrow,
The Home Know-It-All
Comments