Choosing the right sofa or sectional needs thorough consideration
Asofa, or a sectional, is a major purchase. It’s one of the most visible pieces of furniture in a living room or family room, and it often is the one that is used the most. When it’s time to buy a new one, what should you consider? And how do you decide between a sectional or a sofa?
First, measure the space you have. It can even be a good idea to outline the area with painters tape.
“Come up with a functional layout,” said Jaime Blomquist, an interior designer in Fort Lauderdale. “Take the size of the room into account. You need to be able to get around the sofa, so walk through the egress pattern.
“Don’t forget you need a coffee table, and take into account other components.”
“How will the piece be used?” said interior designer Sandi Samole, owner of S&B Interiors in Miami. “Will it be for conversation, for watching TV, or both? In a living room, you might want something where you sit up a little straighter. With a motion sofa, head- and footrests come up, so they’re good in family rooms where you want conversation but also will be watching TV.”
If one person who will be using the sofa regularly is very tall and the other short, seating at different depths can provide more comfort, Samole added.
If having a sofa custombuilt so one side is deeper than the other is not in the budget, pillows for the shorter individual can help.
“Will the sofa or sectional float so you’ll see the back of it, or will it be against the wall?” said interior designer Eloise Kubli, owner of Collective Construction and Design in Plantation.
“A sofa or sectional is a big statement in the room. How much impact will the back have? Do you want it to be motorized?”
SOFA VERSUS SECTIONAL
“Decide whether you want a sofa and loveseat or a sectional,” Blomquist said. “Think about how many people will be using the seating area. If it’s just for TV, you might be more inclined for a sectional. If it’s a more formal conversation area, you might want people to have their own spaces and choose a sofa, loveseat and chairs.”
“A sectional is always going to give a more distinctive and streamlined look,” Kubli said. “A sofa and loveseat break up the line of the room, and a sectional will not. You can get them curved, at a 45degree or a 90-degree angle. People love the corners of a sectional, and a lot of people want a chaise at one end. But for a more traditional look, you might want a sofa and loveseat.”
“People on a loveseat have to turn their heads to see the TV,” Samole said. “With a sectional, the space [between a sofa and a loveseat] becomes a useable seat. But you can’t reverse a sectional, while you can move a loveseat to either side of the sofa. When you move, you better hope the sectional will fit in your new house.”
“A sofa can have a back that’s both open and closed,” Kubli said. “Friends and family sitting there can look both ways. In a lot of Florida homes, that’s an advantage.”
QUALITY
Quality is important, especially if you’re planning to keep the piece for many years. “Look for hardwood frames — no particleboard or cardboard,” said Kalle Nummela of Design NS, a furniture manufacturer with facilities in Boca Raton and Dallas.
For cushions: “Look for high-density foam,” Nummela said. “You want something that will provide long-lasting comfort.”
Kubli prefers downfilled cushions. “Down fill is luxurious,” she said.
But down can compress and flatten. “You’ll have to refill it eventually,” Kubli said.
UPHOLSTERY
Before choosing upholstery, think about your lifestyle. Do you need something very durable that will stand up to kids and pets? Or do you want a formal look in a space that might not be used every day?
“Leathers are trending, and they’re easy to keep clean,” Samole said. “You can just wipe them off.
You can’t do that with an upholstered piece. Use fabric pillows to soften it or lay throws on the sofa to make it nice and cozy.”
“Leather gives a more contemporary look, and it’s durable,” Kubli said. (Unless you have a cat. Cats love to sharpen their claws on leather.) Stains on leather can sometimes be touched up, but it usually needs to be done by an expert, Kubli added.
Avoid leather upholstery made from split hides, Nummela said. Look for full grain leather, which is the toughest kind. It is made from the whole hide of the animal, and the natural grain is intact.
Split leather is taken from the underside of the hide. It is not as strong and may have a different appearance. "It loses some of the natural characteristics," Nummela added.
If the piece will be in a family room where people
will be coming in from the pool in wet swimsuits or will be wearing shorts, leather can be a good choice, Samole said. In a living room, where people are likely to be fully clothed, fabric upholstery may be a good idea.
“Upholstery fabric can be durable,” Samole said. “Chenille has a lot of double rubs.”
What is a double rub? To test a fabric, the manufacturer rubs it back and forth with a heavy roller. The number of times it was rubbed without showing wear is the number of double rubs. The information should be on the label, Samole said. While you’re looking at it, read about suggested care and whether the fabric is stain-resistant.
Think about living with the piece for a long time. “Sofas and sectionals are big investments, so you want them to be neutral,” Blomquist said. “Use a solid fabric. You don’t see big floral sofas anymore. You can change out the pillows for color, and you can put nail head detailing on the back or the arms of a sectional.”
If the seating group is a sofa and chairs, the chairs should be the pieces that are truly eye-catching, Blomquist said. “The sofa is meant to be complementary to the chairs, and the chairs should have interesting backs and legs. They become the jewels of the room.”