Sofas are an essential addition to a make a house or flat into a home. Whether it’s a functional box for resting on, or a fancy centre piece for your impressive front room, they come in a variety of styles and finishes. Which is why it’s essential to know exactly what you’re getting and be sure it’s suitable for your needs. In our sofa buying guide we take a look at some of the types of sofa, and things you should consider…..
Fitting Your Sofa
When choosing your sofa, probably the first thing you will consider is the size and shape of the furniture, and where you hope to place it. Give some thought to how it will fit, particularly in relation to your other furniture, such as a coffee table, TV, and so on. Check the dimensions of the sofa in inches or centimetres (whichever your prefer), then get your measuring tape out to see if it will fit into the space you have envisioned for it. It’s also important to consider any stairs, corridors and doorways leading to your chosen room, to ensure you can actually get through these restricted spaces to the place you wish to place it.
Also, consider the number of occupants in your home, and how often / many visitors you have. If you’re a social butterfly with a big family, bigger sofas obviously make more sense, space allowing…..
Sofa Shapes / Types
Two Seater
A two seater sofa is a fairly standard sofa, ideal for a small to medium sized front room, and couples of small families. These have typically have two cushions for seating and two for the back, or two long cushions for each.
Three Seater
For medium to large families, a three seater is the staple of many a front room. Providing greater space for stretching out, they typically come with two to three seating cushions and a longer back cushion.
Corner
For larger homes, and long living rooms, a corner sofa can be the perfect fit to tuck into convenient corner. These tend to be larger in size, so ensure that you measure the space required for it, and are able to actually get it into the room. Corner sofas have two lengths of seating, arranged at right angle, and can sometimes have one length longer than the other, forming an L-shape.
Sofa Bed
On the other hand, where space is at a premium, sofa beds, as the name suggests, are sofas, which can be reconfigured to form a bed. Student flats, studios, and 1 bed flats are a great home for these, and they can be an ideal addition if you have regularly have friends over to visit, but no additional bedroom space. It’s also worth checking how easy it is to convert these from a sofa to a bed and back.
Chaise
These sofas resemble two and three seater sofas in all aspects, but have the addition of one long additional section to support the legs. Great if you want to stretch out in front of the fire or the TV.
Sofa Fabrics
Modern sofas come in a variety of fabrics, which is important to note for things like cleaning / maintaining your sofa, and allergies and skin sensitivities. Leather, for example can easily wipe to clean, durable and is great for pet owners, as their hair cannot gather easily in the fabric. However, some people can find that these are cold to the touch, which may be noticeable during the winter in particular.
As for fabric, some people are sensitive to synthetic fabrics, in which case cotton or wool fabrics may be preferable.
Fillings
The three main fillings used in sofas are foam, fibre, and feathers. Each have their strengths and weaknesses. Feather fillings, for example, can be luxurious, but require regular plumbing to keep their shape.
Most of our sofas have a hollow fibre filling back, and foam filling seats, a configuration which is durable and comfortable.
Colour
When picking out your sofa, it’s worth paying some attention to the colour of the sofa, and your existing decor, including wallpaper and existing furniture. If you’re unsure, some colours can be neutral and work with any number of other colours. For example we have ranges of charcoal and in grey, and these can fit in with a wide variety of primary colours.
And Finally
With a wide of sofas on the market to suit all budgets and homes, it’s important to choose one that fits your budget and your living room. Check out our pay weekly furniture rental department for a selection of sofas to suit you….