Sofa shopping can be a real challenge, especially when so many sofas look alike in showrooms- it’s difficult to know what style of sofa is best for you. Most shoppers tend to look at the fabric color, rather than the sofa style, when sofa shopping. The sofa frame, however, is very important. The best sofa will fit the size and function of the room, and be comfortably scaled for the person who’ll be sitting there.
Sofa Sizes:
A long sofa, also called an Estate size, is more than 88” long. It can offer plenty of room to lie down, but if it has very wide rounded arms, the extra length will be in the arms and not the seat – be sure to consider this when looking at a long sofa.
A Studio or Apartment size sofa is usually between six and seven feet, much longer than a loveseat. A Studio Sofa seats two or three adults just a like a large sofa, but closer together. I’ll often use a pair of Studio Sofas rather than a sofa and loveseat. They can be used across from each other, or in an L-shaped configuration, and are much easier to work into a new home if you move.
Most guests will avoid loveseats (unless they are a romantic couple) and a Studio sofa is big enough for strangers to share. Choosing a square Modern or an English curved arm helps trim the profile of the sofa; an 80” Studio Sofa provides for full-length seating in tight spaces, such as this bay window.
Choosing wood feet on a sofa rather than a skirt makes the room look larger by showing more of the floor beneath.
Sectionals:
Sectional pieces can be configured to create a long 4 seat sofa, or a sofa with a chaise at the end, for even more seating than the typical an L-shape arrangement.
Scatter-Back styles are for crawling into, rather than sitting upon. A chaise end allows two people to stretch out.
Don’t be shy about completely filling a smaller room with a sectional, if it’s going to be a lounge or media room. Fewer pieces in the room provide an uncluttered feeling.
tight back sofas vs. loose cushions:
If you like to sit up and read, or entertain more formally, choose tight-back furniture. Dressed-up guests don’t want to be flopping back into a sloppy pile of pillows, and if you really need back support, soft down-filled sofa cushions are wrong for you – even though the English Country House feeling is so inviting!
A tight back sofa is one with springs in the back, rather than loose cushions. Most common are Camelback style sofas, although nowadays there are many other classic tight-back styles being reproduced. Here’s a cozy slipcovered floral sofa with a tight back we made for a client’s library:
Channeling Elsie de Wolfe, the flared arms of our Elsie sofa add a touch of Old Hollywood:
The other advantage of a tight back is that they always look great – no back cushions disarrayed by kids or smashed down by pets. Our most popular tight-back style is our London sofa, which looks great any number of ways, and has a nice high back for resting one’s head. The 88″ length and low arms are perfect for stretching out.
In a simple natural canvas slipcover:
In a turquoise outdoor canvas for a lake house:
Here’s the shorter version, at 76″ long:
Button tufting is a big trend right now, and it’s beautiful.
Available – Special Order
I recommend tufting on the back only, since smooth seat cushions are easier to clean. This velvet tufted sofa was perfect for an active family with young children:
Make sure the furniture fits you.
Sit in the furniture and check the height of the seat – it should not lift your feet off the floor, nor should your knees be at your chest. The front-to-back depth of the seat matters too – with your feet on the floor, can you naturally lean into the back cushion firmly? If not, is it comfortable with a throw pillow behind you? Families that have members of widely different heights should order a chair that fits them each well, and a sofa that fits most people comfortably for visitors to use. If you are very tall or short, it is wise to get a chair that fits you perfectly, rather than subject your guests to a sofa that fits no one but you! Most people are comfortable sitting upright in a seat that is 21” deep, but that can feel skimpy to someone who wants to curl up on the sofa, in which case 23” deep is better. If your room is small, look for sofa and chair frames that are 36” front to back – they usually have a very comfortable 21” seat depth, and will save a lot of space in the room. Many pieces nowadays are 40” front to back, but still seat people in the 21” to 23” range; they take up extra space with padding but don’t add more seating.
If you like to lie down on a sofa, get a three cushion style to even out weight distribution, and a low curved arm like the English arm on our London sofa is perfect to rest your head. If you usually sit up and use the armrests, a higher rounded arm may be better for you. Armless sofas are coming back in style, but they can be uncomfortable for anything but cocktail parties.
Be sure to ask about the filling in the cushions – expect a choice of dense foam, down and feather wrapping, and innerspring cores if firm support is needed. In our shop, we make sure to have examples of different cushion fillings for shoppers to try out.
Sofa shopping is like buying a new mattress – come prepared to choose the best frame, arm style and cushions for your needs, and you’ll be happy for years to come.
