BUYING Guide
Lisa Mehydene, Founder of online interiors destination edit58
Size matters: While you don’t want a massive sofa in a tiny space, you do want a sofa that’s roomy enough to relax on. So measure up to ensure the t is right for both the space and how you live.
When it comes to shape, think about the look you’re going for, the design of the room, and how you use a sofa. Do you lie out on it or do you want support? Will it t the whole family? It’s important to understand how you will use the sofa and match the design aspects to this.
Price and construction: Sofas are normally lled with foam, bre or feathers, or a combination of these. While I love feather- lled sofa cushions, they do require regular plumping! The frame of the sofa is really important, so go for the best you can a ord.
A solid hardwood frame such as beech will last longer than a frame made of pine or metal. Although cheaper, these frames can be a false economy as they’ll need replacing in a few years.
Placing your sofa: The space will dictate where to put the sofa. We have a sofa with two armchairs in our living room. I like the way the space is broken up by the chairs alongside the sofa. I’ve noticed that guests o en gravitate towards the chairs – I suppose they feel they are encroaching on ‘our’ space less by sitting there! However, if room allowed, I would happily have two sofas facing each other, with a coffee table or ottoman in between, as this creates a cosy set-up that encourages conversation.
I am not a fan of pushing sofas up against the walls, I like them to ‘breathe’. Putting your sofa centrally, if space allows, creates a lovely feel in a room. Sometimes, you can use a sofa to create zones in a room: a seating area and a dining area, for example.
Be bold with colour: I love strong shades for sofas – our sofa is a lime green velvet. On paper, that sounds brave and di cult to work with but, in reality, it provides the room with a wonderful injection of colour that’s actually much easier to work with than you might imagine. It genuinely acts as a neutral (honest!), and provides a great base from which the cushions and homewares in the room can ‘pop’.
Much like bold colours, patterned fabrics can also pull a space together. Pa erns and colours don’t need to match, so you can have fun adding di erent yet complementary designs into the space through so furnishings and wallpaper.
Consider the t: Once you’ve decided on your fabric, the next thing to think about is whether to opt for ed covers or removable slip covers. The latter are great in family homes as they are easier to keep clean. But I’d say that stain protection is essential on all sofa fabrics. We added this at the time of buying our sofa and it has meant that a bottle of red wine spilt over the seat simply washed straight o . A lifesaver!