Whether you call it a couch, a sofa, a settee, or a lounge suit, the furniture you buy for your living room is a bit of an investment- both in terms of the money it costs and the time it spends as the centerpiece of your lounge room. So if you have visions of sitting back and relaxing in a new comfy couch groove your need to ask yourself some hard questions before you commit.
1) How will you use it? • The average sofa spends more than seven years in your lounge room so it not only needs to be long-lasting, it also has to balance aesthetics and function. • Getting a good idea of the style and the purpose of the sofa before you hit the shops is recommended. • How is gonna use the sofa? How many people are gonna sit on it? Does it need to match existing furniture? Do guests need to sleep on it? Is it gonna be used ever day or occasionally? Will the kids be on it? Do you like to lie down or sit up? Read, eat, discuss philosophy, or watch TV? And most importantly, is it comfortable? Always test it out.
2) Size matters: • Make sure the size of the sofa is right for the room. It should not overpower the room or stop the flow of traffic. Scale proportion are both important. You might love that large sectional, but will it fit the room? •If your space is small consider a sofa with a petite arm profile. A smaller sofa can be made to look longer and sleeker by using one or two seat cushions as opposed to three. •If you have the luxury of space and want two sofas, don’t jump into ordering a pair. Consider a modular and combine it with alternative seating such as a feature armchair or ottoman. Or two different types of sofas that work sympathetically with each other such as a deeper one and slimmer one. 3) Sofa Style: Does the style of the sofa match the room and your home? 4) Quality is key: Purchase the best quality you can afford. You will spend more time sitting on your sofa than driving your car and yet buying a sofa is rarely given as much attention.
5) Sofa Measurements: •
The seat height : many contemporary sofas are too low. When a woman sits down on a sofa, she has trouble keeping her legs together, and a man over 40 has trouble getting up. The minimum height is 20” (51cm)
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The seat depth: for a sofa not to have an appeal like it belongs in a dentist’s lobby, make sure the depth of the seating cushion is at least 22” (55cm+)
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The arm width: it is easy. There is a thin and a wide arm. A thin arm gives a sofa more sophisticated and refined look, and visually doesn’t take up as much room. While the wide arm space consuming, it can be used as a spot to sit on if the sofa is full. Might better be used in spacious interiors.
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The backrest height: most contemporary sofas have low back-cushions, which are not as comfortable as they don’t allow to lean back and relax your head.
6)Inner filling: the best filler for your cushions is the one that meets your needs and preferences. You may have allergies that prevent the use of some materials or you may want low or no- maintenance cushions. You may want softness most of all or you may prefer firm, long-lasting cushions. There are three main types of cushion fillers, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these three types will help you choose the filler that is best for you.
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Loose fiberfill, a polyester fiber, resembles down when used in cushions. It is soft to sit on but flattens quite quickly and requires frequent turning and plumping. It must be encased in a fabric shell before being inserted into the cushion and is not recommended for use alone in seat cushions; however, it works well in separate back cushions.
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Foam core: a foam inner core surrounded by loose fiberfill and encased in a fabric shell makes a popular seat cushion. It looks like down but will be much firmer and will require less fluffing. The foam will hold the cushion shape much better than down and the cushion will last years longer. If the fiberfill flattens, that portion of the cushion may be replaced or supplemented.
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Down: the most expensive cushion filler is down. It is comfortable to sit on, conforms to the body well and stays cool in warm weather. Filled with down only, cushions must be fluffed and turned regularly and will eventually become soiled, flatten permanently and become difficult to fluff up. Cleaning may restore some fluffiness but the expense of the cleaning is often more than cost of replacing the cushions. Foam- core down cushions are a less expensive substitute for all-down cushions. Down is a natural material and is considered a renewable resource. However, it should be noted that down is not hypoallergenic.