Choosing the perfect sofa

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by: David Martin
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Word Count: 371
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 Time: 8:33 PM
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The humble sofa has to be one of the most loved pieces of furniture in the country, offering salvation from a hard day at work and comfort from the cold winter outside. But for a sofa to live up to all our expectations there are a number of key points to consider when choosing your ideal living room throne.

Two or Three Seater?
Whilst you want to be cosy, there's a fine line between comfy and cramped - establish how many people the sofa needs to accommodate on the average day. If it's the only seat in front of the fire then it may well need to cater for you, your other half and the dog, not even considering the children - so bigger the better. One word of warning however, if you're going ‘big' check on access issues before purchasing.

Vintage or Modern?
This will traditionally tie in with the size question - aside from classic designs such as Chesterfields, vintage sofas tend to be on the smaller size, whilst modern options are generally designed to fall in line with modern living requirements. Corner sofas are a great way to accommodate the whole family and fit neatly and efficiently into contemporary living spaces.

Fabric and Colour
Once you have the style and size sorted, the fabric finish is the next consideration - most manufacturers offer a wide variety of choices with varying cost implications. Sofas can be a big investment and whilst it may seem prudent to opt for the cheapest finish, make sure you're going to be happy with your choice in six months when the seasons have changed, and twelve months when you fancy a theme change in the living room. Adaptability and longevity should be the key here.

Spic and Span
I made the hideous mistake of buying a cream sofa, despite being a notorious red wine spiller and owning a sofa-loving, black dog - however my get out clause is that the covers are removable and machine washable, plus I opted for the fabric protection scheme. If you're going vintage or simply can't find the model you want with removable covers, consider positioning it away from frequent passing traffic, which tends to result in grubby corners.

About the Author

David Martin is an interior designer, specialising in sofas and fitted bedrooms.