How to Pick a Sofa

When trying to find the right sofa the sheer amount of choice available can seem overwhelming, especially if your going the custom route. But by breaking the process down into small steps and with a little perseverance you can end up with a sofa that will tie your room together and last you for years to come.
 

Its important to remember that there are only a few sofa styles out there, the majority of the differences are minor variations of arm, leg and fabric style. The great thing about going custom is that you can incorporate a variety of elements to make the best sofa for you.

1. First things first, what's your style? Do you like French Country, Mid-Century Modern or Transitional. Take a look at interior design and home and garden magazine. Cut out pictures and stock up on fabric swatches. Don't get overwhelmed here, decide on a general style such as clean lines or traditional roll arms and the details can be narrowed down later.
2. Measurements! What size is the room where the sofa will be placed? Is it a square room or does it have any awkward angles? Lay down newspaper and measure the footprint of what you want to be in the room. Remember that a sofa that looks large or small on a showroom floor may over or underwhelm your own space.
3. Measurements again! If your Yeti tall or a major shortie then this is super important. How high do you want the arms, what sort of seat height and depth are you comfortable with? Don't worry about style here, find a sofa that feels good to you and those measurements can be incorporated into the sofa style that you want.
4. Take advantage of the salespeople. Here at The SofaWorks all the staff has extensive design experience and are very familiar with color theory, proportion spacing and furniture construction methods. We can suggest options that you may never have considered but would solve any number of issues you may have with your space or with previous sofa purchases.
5. Cushion fill...this is important. Everyone likes a different feel and firmness of cushion but there are some things everyone needs to keep in mind like durability. Durability can be a subjective issue because down wrap cushions are durable but have a slouchy look which is popular with Parisian Apartment, English Library and Shabby Chic styles. However slouchy is definitely not for everyone. Getting a cushion with a high resiliency foam core is optimal no matter what fill you are looking for and they come in a variety of firmness levels and will keep their shape for years to come. Do you have children or allergies but still want a softer feel, synthetic down may be for you. Whatever your preference sit and lay on as many cushions as possible until you find what you love. Also keep in mind that fabric, tufting and seam style will affect the feel of the cushion you choose.
6. Legs or skirt? Its your choice. Wood legs can be stained in a variety of colors or lacquered white or black for a stylish look. Metal legs give a very modern look but are much more expensive. There are many different styles of skirts and if you are more traditional they can be a great alternative to legs. The style of leg or skirt you choose will affect the style of sofa so work to keep the look consistent or take a chance and go for a more eclectic look.
7. It all comes down to quality. Most people keep a sofa for ten to fifteen years and is the piece of furniture most used so most experts suggest trying to buy the best sofa your budget allows. Kiln dried wood, well made springs and high quality cushions are the top three things to look for and ask your salesperson about. Also ask about warranties, there should be lifetime warranties of the big three! Also, check the leg construction, the seams and feel the frame to make sure its not hollow and that the flat surfaces are padded and not lumpy. These are all elements of a quality piece of furniture. If your purchasing a leather sofa, ask about the quality of the leather and make sure they don't substitute vinyl or bonded leather on the sides and back to save money unless that's acceptable to you. Be wary of too low prices on leather, large hides are expensive and if the price is extremely low then there may be a reason why. Cushions and sofa should all be heavy, if a sofa is extremely lightweight then the manufacturer has cut some corners.

Some additional information: The SofaWorks: we have great prices and build a high-quality product but we keep our overhead down by not producing expensive catalogs and by owning our own manufacturing facility among other cost-effective solutions so that we can provide the best possible product for the best possible price. Keep in mind that a lot of high end furniture stores charge such high prices because of the cost of overhead and determine if have a name brand is worth a $20,000 price tag. For some people its totally worth it and for others the brand is significantly less important than the style and craftsmanship, know which you are.

How long does it take to get my furniture? A standard time frame for a custom piece of furniture is about 8 weeks, The SofaWorks generally is able to produce and ship your piece within 5-8 weeks. Some business can take 12 weeks or longer and even the big box stores can take 4-8 weeks for a stock piece of furniture made on an assembly. Make sure to ask how long it will take and if it will fit in with your time frame. Handmade custom furniture is a labor intensive process but if you have the time then its so worth it to get just what you want. Remember because the furniture is custom and hand made there are no guarantees about time-frame, fabric can be delayed or the craftspeople can pull a piece from shipping if they think the quality isn't up to par but the final result is better than you can imagine.
 
There are so many options out there, if you can imagine it then someone out there can make it for you. Here at The SofaWorks we specialize in fabric and leather upholstery and we are happy to help you design the perfect sofa for you.

Thanks,

Amanda “B” @ The SofaWorks