A guide to navigating online sofa shopping
The promise of online shopping — that virtually anything you want can be sent to you within a day or two — is not true for many home items, and for no item is it less true than a sofa. Go to just about any furniture website and you will find that sofas have anywhere from a two-week to three-month lead time, which is a long period to wait when you want that sofa now.
Long lead times are a result of customization; most companies now sell only sofas that require some sort of customization — fabric choice, arm style, leg colour and size, to name a few.
And once ordered, your sofa decisions are set in stone; custom orders are non-returnable.
Sofas with shorter lead times — and the possibility of returning them — do exist. Companies such as Crate and Barrel and RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) offer a limited range of “quick-ship” models.
But those are upholstered in basic neutral fabrics, and shipping (if the item is available in your area) still takes a couple of weeks. If you aren’t satisfied you can usually return a quick-ship sofa, but it has to be within a 30-day period (you must contact Crate and Barrel within seven days) and you are often required to pay a restocking fee.
To successfully purchase a sofa online, you should educate yourself on a few matters.
SIZE
Your room will determine the sofa’s length; in general, your sofa should take up between one-third and one-half of the wall it sits against. Your physical height will dictate its depth: Taller people often prefer deeper sofas and shorter people prefer shallower.
If your friend has a sofa you think is comfortable, take its measurements. Or test sofas at a local furniture store and note the dimensions that are most comfortable.
Most important, make sure you measure the interior space of your home’s doorways, passages and stairwells for delivery — that sofa won’t be of much use if it’s stuck on your front lawn.
FABRIC
Online furniture companies typically offer free swatches, but there is usually a five- to 10-swatch limit. Fabric colours can vary from one computer screen to another, so it’s a good idea to order a swatch before completing your order.
CONSTRUCTION
When perusing online product descriptions, look for buzzwords such as “eight-way, hand-tied steel springs” — those are the strongest and most resilient springs available.
Frames should be made from “kiln-dried hardwood” and be “corner blocked” for stability.
Also, look for “mortise and tenon” joinery.
Sofa cushion inserts will usually be down, polyester, foam or some combination of the three.
BEST CONSTRUCTION AND QUALITY: SERENA & LILY
At Serena & Lily, you will find an edited selection of stylish sofas made with top-quality materials and excellent construction. Click on Dimensions & Care and you’ll see all the buzzwords that signify quality and the sofa’s dimensions.
Serena & Lily does not have a large fabric selection; pattern offerings include only stripes and checks. But the fabrics are stylish and of good quality.
You can see how a fabric will look on a sofa by just clicking on a swatch. For some sofas, you will need to choose among three wood leg colours.
Serena & Lily sofas range from US$2,000 to US$7,000, are made to order, have a six- to eight-week lead time and are non-returnable. (serenaandlily.com)
BEST ONLINE EXPERIENCE: CRATE AND BARREL
Crate and Barrel’s website has clearly laid out product information that includes sections on dimensions, comfort, reviews and care. The section “How does it sit?” shows you how a sofa measures up in terms of comfort (cushion firmness, seat depth, height). Click on any fabric swatch and you can see how the finished sofa will look.