i-Nterior: Furniture

10 tips on choosing a sofa for a new home

Buying a sofa is one of the most exciting and important purchases you’re likely to make for your home. Your sofa is the focal point in your living room, and it’s where a lot of us find ourselves lounging, reading, entertaining, sleeping and even eating and drinking. You want to make sure you get this piece of furniture right, so here are Sofa Club’s top 10 tips on choosing the perfect sofa for your home.

1. Measuring is a must

There is nothing worse than buying a sofa that doesn’t fit your home, so before you do anything, measure up your space. Get out the tape measure and make sure you are certain of the maximum sofa dimensions that will fit (and suit) your space. It’s important to note both the width and the depth, and check if the sofa you are looking to buy comes in separate parts or as one when assembling.

2. Create a moodboard

The purpose of a moodboard is to help you explore ideas and inspiration and to figure out the style, colour and overall feel of the sofa you would like in your home. A quick and easy way to do this is to create a Pinterest board and start pinning the sofa styles you like. Also, think about your colour scheme and accessories that you want for the overall look and feel of the room.

3. Does it catch your eye?

There are many sofas, all in various colours, shapes and sizes – but don’t let this overwhelm you. The first thing to do is to choose the model that you like best, and then find out what colours it is available in, whilst bearing in mind the place where you want to put it in your home. A top tip – go for neutral colours, these go well with almost any kind of decor and allow you to constantly switch up the interiors in your home.

4. Is it a style steal?

Check out the current trends online and explore your options to make sure your sofa is a total style steal! It is always nice to have friends and family compliment your purchase, and who knows, they may even want to copy your style after seeing and lounging on yours.

5. Focus on fabric

This is perhaps one of the most important decisions when it comes to purchasing a sofa. A bad choice may result in your cat scratching open the fabric, or sticky fingers from your little ones making it difficult to clean. Decide on what fabric will work best for you, whether that be cotton, velvet, linen, chenille or leather.

6. Opt for classic colours

Besides being a spot for relaxation and gathering, a sofa tends to be the centrepiece of any room. Due to its size and placement, the colour will stand out. As mentioned, we advise going for a sofa in a neutral colour like cream, stone or grey, as you can easily change the look of your sofa by adding in throws or pillows to suit the seasons.

7. Comfort is key

A host of materials are used to make the filling of your sofa, so you should always bear in mind the kind of use you are going to give it. Will it be used frequently, or is it more of a showpiece? Will your children and pets be sitting on it, or is it one for just you and your partner? All these questions will determine whether you want to go for a super-soft, cosy sofa or a slightly firmer one.

8. Decide on your cushion combo

Cushion combinations are crucial – a pillow-back sofa (also known as scatterback) has several extralarge cushions as the back support. On the other hand, a high-back sofa has cushions specifically shaped to match the sofa, which come up a lot higher to give more support. They may or may not be fixed to the sofa back, but definitely make a difference.

9. No need to break the bank

Sofa shopping doesn’t need to break the bank. You can increase the value of a room and dramatically change its appearance without spending a fortune on a new sofa. At Sofa Club; for example, we offer good-quality, on-trend sofas, without the designer price tag. Our 0% finance option also takes the pressure off of paying upfront, so you can achieve your dream sofa and pay over several months.

10. Try before you buy

Finally, it’s always good to give the sofa you’re planning on purchasing a little try, as it’s important to consider how you like to ‘lounge’. For example, if there are two of you and you both like to sit with your legs up, then check that the sofa is deep enough to accommodate

you both. If you prefer to lie down on your sofa, make sure that it’s long enough for you to stretch out or perhaps consider buying a corner sofa with enough space to accommodate the two of you. Enjoy your sofa shopping experience; it’s an exciting purchase after all.