The sweet spot
longer than all-foam, which will flatten in time.”
Leu doesn’t care for all-down seats “because no one has time to fluff them as often as they need it.”
Some other hallmarks of a well-built sofa: hard, solid woods and joints integrated into the frame.
For sofas that will see hard use, choose a hardy fabric, says Courtney Thomas, based in La Canada Flintridge, Calif.
“We use lots of polyester and chenille blends for sofas where large families put them to the test,” she says. “Generally, synthetics endure hardship better than natural fabrics, which don’t hold up as well.”
She says her firm often Teflon-coats fabrics for extra protection against stains and spills. She also likes Sunbrella upholstery; the outdoor-fabric technology has advanced so textiles are softer and now well-suited for indoor use too.
Alison Pickart, an interior designer from Larkspur, Calif., advises against huge sofas.
“I don’t think you should ever have a sofa over 8 feet,” she says. “Very rarely will more than two people occupy a single piece of furniture. Plus, if your sofa is too big, the opportunity for other beautiful and interesting accent chairs, ottomans, poufs and small tables diminishes.”
To facilitate conversation, Pickart says, furniture should be arranged so that people are at 45 degree angles from each other.
“So the best living rooms are ones in which occasional seating can be comfortably placed at both ends of the sofa,” she says.
She also likes armless sofas in narrow rooms; using one or two center components of a sectional can be an option.
And don’t forget accessories, says Houston-based designer Margaret Naeve.
“I love to style sofas with oddly shaped pillows and a colorful throw to add something unexpected that also ties into other elements in the space,” she says.