6 Reasons to Consider Before Buying a Sofa

For most people, furniture is the most considered purchase they make, after a house and a car. The fact that the furniture market has expanded dramatically in recent years, means that you have a lot more choice than ever before – and a lot of these options conceal poor quality beneath looks that are skin-deep. This makes the task of evaluating and choosing good furniture, even harder.  Worry not. With the help of this guide, you should confidently be able to choose a quality sofa.

Know your size: Before short-listing the kind of sofa you want to buy, make sure you’ve measured the size of the room you need it for, as well as access doorways, stairways and elevators leading to that room. The last thing one wants to discover is that the beautiful sofa selected after hours of thought, can’t make it to one’s living room because it just won’t fit through the door! Once you have all the relevant dimensions, store personnel should be able to advise you on the feasibility of transporting the sofa to its desired location in your home.

Typically, the space you’re considering for a sofa should offer a minimum clearance of 30 cm on each side, and 150 cm at the back, especially if the sofa has a reclining backrest. Once a size range is clear, the next most crucial thing to consider is configuration. How many people would you ideally like to accommodate? Will the space be used for more formal seating, or will it see more of casual gatherings? The answers to these will suggest whether the best suited configuration. An L-seater that allows people to sit closer together, for instance, can be slightly more casual and intimate, than a standard 3-2-1 configuration.

While on the subject of space, another aspect to keep in mind is that rooms with low-ceilings (less than 8 feet) are better served by low sofas, which help give the impression that the ceiling is taller than it is. Likewise, if a ceiling is at a height of 12-13 feet, a high-back sofa would suit that space better. For compact spaces, consider a sofa with low arms or no arms - it’ll make the room look larger.

Space saving: People seldom have this in mind as a prerequisite when choosing a sofa, but space saving features can be exceptionally hand in a pinch. For instance, a swanky studio apartment would do well to have a stylish sofa bed. Some designs also feature built-in storage, such as armrests that can stack DVDs, or ottomans that conceal quite a lot of storage.

Frame: Whatever the size and type of sofa you’re considering, it’s the quality of the frame that will determine its durability and build quality. To make sure the frames are durable, sit on a sofa and move around on it to test its sturdiness. Any squeaks or creaks might be an indication of a poorly constructed frame.

Good quality frames are typically made of kiln-dried solid wood, or in some cases, metal. While it’s usually not possible to actually inspect a sofa frame since it’s concealed within, most reputed manufacturers do list the material and construction details in the specifications sheet. Brands like NicolettiHome, Koinor, Becker and Fama, for instance, specify warranties on the frames, in addition to the overall sofa.

Upholstery: More than any other element, the upholstery you choose - whether fabric or leather - will affect the appearance and comfort of your sofa, as well as its price. Both leather and fabric have their own set of advantages. Leather is easy to clean, breathable, durable, and more resistant to spills and dust. Fabrics, on the other hand, offer more variety in terms of textures, are washable to an extent, and allow a great degree of personalization through custom prints. Although it does cost more than fabric, good quality leather will always endure and age far more beautifully, and can prove to be exceptional value in the long run.

Determining the quality of leather is quite a detailed subject that merits a guide of its own. It’s also an ability that can only be cultivated with experience, so generally, you’re safer sticking to a proven, reputed brand. If the price of a sofa seems too good to be true, it’s usually because the quality of leather is poor. Ultimately, the decor of your home may play a large part in determining the type of upholstery.

Colour: Colour selection defines the essence of your decor. Neutral sofa colours like black, brown, beige, navy blue and cream commonly suit most wall colours, but if you want a bold look, bright colours can make a visual impact in your room. Also, it’s good to keep in mind usage scenarios - if a sofa is in a high traffic space, or likely to be around young children, light and pastel shades are better avoided.  

Testing: For the final verdict on your sofa, “test-drive” it for yourself. Lounge, recline, lie down - a store should allow you to test-sit a sofa. In fact, at Simply Sofas, we encourage customers to spend as much time on a sofa as they possibly can. Check whether it’s comfortable, matches your decor, and suits your lifestyle. Choose deep or shallow seats depending on your height. A taller person will need deeper seats so that the backrest provides enough support, while shallow seat depths are more comfortable for shorter people. A good test is, if you find it hard to rise from a seated position, try a shallower seat. And finally, when you’re done testing, take your time to think and decide what suits your decor best. Remember, a good sofa is will become part of the family, giving your home years of enduring comfort..

Check our sofa collection here: http://simplysofas.in/ sofas or simply drop into our showroom and get acquainted with the sofa you’re planning to buy.