How to pick the perfect sofa
Buying a sofa feels a little like getting married — there is so much to consider before you pick the one you want to settle down with, isn’t there?
Which one has the arms, legs, seats you’re attracted to?
Which one will give you a safe place to land when you’re plum worn out by life?
Which one do you want to show off to all your friends?
Here are the four most important things to consider when looking for true love in a sofa:
ARMS OF LOVE
Your sofa can’t be just eye candy. It has to work for your daily life. So list what you’ll be doing when you settle in: Reading? Napping? Watching TV? Having face-to-face heart-to-hearts with friends? Pick an arm style that will help you achieve your checklist.
I have a Chesterfield sofa in my home because I like how the high (shelter) arms wrap around me, serving as a back and headrest while I read. I also love its classic lines, with the tufted back and nail head trim.
I asked Mark Gilmore, CR Laine’s vice president of sales, to weigh in on the how-to-pick-a-sofa discussion, because he’s a pro at helping people make great matches. If you like to nap on your sofa, Gilmore recommends a rolled arm or a sock arm, which have lots of soft padding, so they can act like a pillow.
Gilmore says a track arm is a great option if you want a more modern or contemporary aesthetic. He also says that with its thinner, sleeker styling, it takes up less room, so it may be a good pick if you have less space for a sofa.
GREAT LEGS
What kind of legs would you like on your sofa? Exposed or skirted? Turned or a block leg? It may seem like a small detail, but the leg you pick for your sofa will make a big difference in its overall appearance.
If you want more air under the sofa, Gilmore recommends an exposed leg that is longer and thinner. At market this year, CR Laine showcased an acrylic leg, a plucky choice that gave a fun contemporary finish. I’m a huge fan of turned legs mounted on castor wheels. They give a sofa a timeless, gracious feel.
If you like the look of a skirted sofa, and you have pets, I recommend a high-performing fabric you can easily clean: Lots of dogs (like mine!) love to sleep against the sofa and they can leave sofa skirts grungy. Polish from shoes can also stain sofa skirts.
BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE
To me, a sofa must be sink-into comfortable. Everybody has a different “Goldilocks” point — when the cushions aren’t too soft or too firm, but just right. Spend time sitting in prospective sofas to see which ones feel like bliss to you. Gilmore says his company’s top-selling cushion has the feel of down, soft and comfy, but it doesn’t actually contain feathers.
Sofas come in many different cushion configurations. One favorite is a bench seat with a tight back. The Knole sofa is a great example of a bench seat. I love this look, but it’s not for everybody. Over time, the bench seat fabric stretches a bit from use and appears wrinkled, more soft and relaxed.
Another popular pick is a two-over-two or three-over-three style, with matching seat and back cushions. The cushions can be loose or attached, depending upon your preference. If you have little kids, and you don’t want the cushions made into forts, I’d recommend attached back cushions.
Some seat cushions come in “T” shapes, meaning the outside cushions wrap around the front of the arm. This is the style you see in many traditional sofas, like those with English arms (one of my favorite arm styles). Others are square, meaning all the cushions are identical.
Gilmore says one pro of the square cushion is you can rotate the cushions around to keep the wear even.
FINISH WITH FABULOUS FABRIC
When you buy a quality sofa, you’ll have it for years. So, select upholstery fabric you love. Go with fabric neutral enough that you can change its look over and again by switching up your pillows.
Gilmore says outdoor fabrics have also become a popular option because they wear well and clean up easily, a great choice if you have kids or pets.
This column was adapted from Mary Carol Garrity’s blog at www.nellhills.com.
