How to pick a sofa that works for your home
Some tips to help choose a couch that fits your layout and your lifestyle
Long or short, chaise or sectional — what are the best options when it comes to a sofa?
One general rule of thumb in selecting home furniture and decor is to pick your larger pieces first before making smaller selections such as chairs and accents. Whether you call it a sofa, a chesterfield or a couch, it is really the foundation for the room and can make or break a floor plan and layout.
When selecting a sofa, here are some general rules.
Do’s
1. Choose your sofa once you have a chance to understand how you want a space to function.
2. Choose a neutral-coloured sofa if you are looking for a pieces that are timeless, can be used in different parts of the home and can move with you from home to home.
3. Consider acquiring a sectional with plenty of seating — especially for corner spaces.
4. Use longer sofas along long walls to help fill a space.
5. Look for style, feel, function and comfort.
Don’ts
1. Don’t purchase a sofa without doing some advance measuring of the space where the piece will go. Be sure to allocate room on either side of where the sofa will sit for circulation and flow.
2. Don’t overlook hospitalitygrade fabrics. Many designers solely choose these hard-working fabrics because of durability.
3. Don’t forget to consider using lower-profile sections of a sofa to form a single unit, such as pairing two chaises — a left and a right side — together.
4. Don’t dismiss the beauty of leather and faux leather. Once considered outdated, these materials used with updated styles are modern and on-trend.
5. Don’t purchase sofas in fabrics or colours that are considered trendy.