Shopping Guides 10 Sofa Buying Questions

Date Published:

15/08/2008

You and your sofa will be buddies for a long time, getting cosy and chilling out, but what’s going on under that neat buttoned-up cover? Here are ten questions to ask yourself before you make that crucial sofa choice.

By Caroline Rodrigues

1) What’s my style?

There’s a tempting array of sofas out there, but will you go for contemporary or stand your ground for traditional style?

Spot a contemporary sofa by its low back and small arms. It’s often low to the ground, on exposed metal or wooden legs. Though it won’t offer your back much support, it’s a seriously cool option.

A traditional sofa, on the other hand, resplendent with scroll arms, a buttoned back, decorative turned legs and polished brass castors, will give your living room a boost of style and elegance. It offers plenty of support and oozes comfort.

If you’re wavering between contemporary and trad, opt for an informal look with curved arms and scatter cushions, or go for a compact, boxy design.

Perfect for your penthouse, this modular sofa lets you play around with shapes, and you can choose from 14 colour and fabric combinations. Patchwork sofa, from £4,900, Ligne Roset.

2) Will it suit my room?

In a big room, you can afford to let a large sofa dominate, so choose one with a grand design, allow plenty of space around it instead of pushing it up against the wall, and don’t crowd it with other furniture.

If you love to play house, modular sofas are the perfect option. Made up of individual units that can be pushed together in various configurations, these sofas offer flexibility; you can mix and match pieces, create small groupings, form an L shape, or make a seriously long sofa to stretch out on.

In a small room, although you may not have a choice about positioning a sofa, choosing a compact design with neat arms can free up space. Opting for two small sofas can take up less room and look more stylish than the traditional three-piece suite or, for a tiny space, look out for modular units without arms.