Sitting Advice

How to Choose the Right Sofa

The shape and design of your upholstery has a huge impact on the look and feel of your room. Clean lines create a contemporary space, while formal decorative scrolls give a traditional feel. A sofa can be softened and relaxed with lots of scatter cushions. Some styles are more versatile and can look fabulous in both traditional and modern rooms. It’s all down to personal taste. More often than not your budget will help you decide where to shop, but in choosing the sofa itself, here are some basic points to consider:

  • Settle on a style: If you aren't sure whether you want a traditional style, something modern, or something soft and plain, don't go shopping until you've looked through catalogues and magazines or checked the Internet.
  • Consider comfort: Short people may not like seats that are deep front to back. Tall people may have to slump to get comfortable in a low-backed sofa. The height of armrests and the angle of the seatback are the kind of details that matter to everyone.
  • Examine construction: We go through great lengths to make sure all of our furniture not only looks good today but will still look good in years to come. All of our suites and settees are hand finished to the highest standard.
  • Focus on fabric/leather: You may find some that we offer a number of choices for suites upholstered in fabric/leather, however when you’re deciding please keep these considerations in mind:
    • For a sofa that gets heavy use, consider one that has removable covers (it's easier and less expensive to clean).
    • Flammability labelling tells whether the furniture complies with voluntary standards to reduce the likelihood of ignition from a smouldering cigarette, the most common cause of upholstery fires.