Buying A Sofa
This is one of the single most expensive items you are likely to buy for your home. The amount of choice on the market is somewhat mind-boggling. So where do you start when choosing a new sofa? Some people just buy on impulse – they see a sofa and fall in love. For others it can take years to find the right sofa, and if there are two (or more) of you making the decision it can be even more of a challenge! So it helps to cover the key topics below to help you choose the right sofa.
Space and Access
How big is the room? Remember to include the depth of the sofa when choosing as this can vary widely and a deeper sofa will take up a lot more space in your room. For example Stouby’s Eva sofa is 84cm deep whereas Knoll’s Barber & Osgerby range is 102cm deep. Also remember to measure all access points to get the sofa into the room, including your own hallways and doorways and any communal areas such as lifts or stairs within the building. We offer an Access Check service* so if you would prefer us to check, just let us know. If access is an issue, consider a modular sofa design such as the Mags sofa from Hay or the Alphabet sofa from Fritz Hansen. Modular sofas are made up of individual sections which are bolted together at the point of delivery, which is a great help when access is tight. Please ask for more details If you are not sure whether your chosen sofa will fit in the room. We recommend using newspaper to make a template to represent the size of the sofa, to help you visualise how much space it will take up.
Mags Sofa, Hay.
Barber & Osgerby Sofa, Knoll.
Alphabet Sofa, Fritz Hansen.
Size and Shape
There is a huge range of sofa styles available. At Couch Potato Company we specialise in modern and Mid-century designs. Do you want low and large to give a modern, expansive feel? Most of the sofas by Piero Lissoni tick this box. Alternatively, if you want a sofa style that will last a very long time and not “date”, you can’t go wrong by investing in a classic Mid-century piece such as the Florence Knoll sofa (1954). A timeless piece which still look modern today despite both being designed nearly 70 years ago.
Another factor to consider is what angles the sofa will be viewed from. Some sofas need to be placed in the middle of a room for the best space planning, but not all sofas look great from behind. Sofas that look great from the back include the Polder sofa from Vitra and the Favn sofa from Fritz Hansen.
Favn Sofa, Fritz Hansen.
Polder Sofa, Vitra.
Lune Corner Sofa, Fritz Hansen.
Avio Sofa, Knoll.
Design and comfort
How do you want to use the sofa? Do you want to mainly sit upright and need a high back for support? If so, consider the Vitra’s Suita range with a relatively high back and optional headrest section, or Fritz Hansen’s Favn. Or do you want to hunker down or even lie down? If you want to lie down it’s important to measure the length of sofa you need and to choose a sofa with lower arms for comfort, such as Knoll’s Boeri. Knoll’s collaboration with Lissoni has taken sofa lounging to a whole new level with the Matic. Matic could be described as a lounging platform with its deep seat and curved, low backrest.
There is a huge range of sofa styles available. At Couch Potato Company we specialise in modern and Mid-century. Do you want low and large to give a modern, expansive feel? Most of the sofas by Piero Lissoni tick this box. Alternatively, if you want a sofa style that will last a very long time and not “date”, you can’t go wrong by investing in a classic Mid-century piece such as the Florence Knoll sofa (1954). A timeless piece which still look modern today despite both being designed almost 70 years ago.
You may also wish to consider the filling in the sofa, which affects its comfort level. Many modern sofas are filled with foam, which is supportive and gives a tailored look to the sofa. Some manufacturers such as Stouby give the option of a top layer of polydown to give a softer seat. Knoll’s Barber & Osgerby sofas have different density foams for different parts of the sofa and even memory foam for the top layer of the seat. This makes it a super comfortable option. Foam needs less maintenance than older feather-filled sofa cushions which need to be plumped up regularly.
Suita Sofa, Vitra.
Matic Sofa, Knoll.
Florence Knoll Sofa, Knoll.
Upholstery and colour
Do you want the sofa to be the key focus in the room? In which case you may wish to choose a bright-coloured fabric. If you really want to play with colour and texture, take a look at the Polder which uses different fabrics in tones of one colour. And if you really want something unique, the Alphabet is ideal as you can choose different fabrics and colours for the different elements to make a truly personalised sofa. Or just go for one bold colour - most of our sofas come in a wide range of fabrics in an even wider range of colours. Alternatively, if you are concerned about getting bored of a bright colour, think about choosing a neutral colour such as a tan or brown leather or grey or cream fabric and injecting colour with cushions, throws and other accessories in the room such as paintings and photos. See separate sections on choosing a fabric and choosing a leather for more in depth information.
Polder Sofa, Vitra.
Polder Sofa, Vitra.
Alphabet Sofa, Fritz Hansen.
