The sofa is the central piece in every living room. It should give you the comfort and relaxation you seek after a long day. If you’re about to buy a new model, you should take the time to do your research and consider aspects such as price, comfort, materials, sturdiness and similar. After all, this is a piece of furniture that you will use every day so it needs to be of premium quality and worthy of your investment.
Room Shape and Size
First things first – before going online and browsing urban sofas, you should measure the room in which you intend to place the bed and see how much available space you have. Make sure to leave enough room for comfortably walking around the sofa without stubbing your toe. Another important thing to consider is the width and height of the doorways through which the sofa will need to pass through while transporting it.
Style
When looking to buy urban sofas, go for models that work well with the decor of your room. If your interior design leans towards modern and contemporary, go for a simple and minimal designer sofa that will blend in the space. Vintage and traditional sofas with high-backs are ideal for more traditional homes.
You can go with a tufted sofa, which never goes out of style. You can also get a midcentury modern model, a chesterfield for vintage decorated rooms or one of those French Provincial sofas. These models are timeless classics and are always a good choice. If you have kids though, these won’t be the best option because the tuft easily gathers crumbs and dirt.
If you have a big family or have your friends over frequently, you might want to consider buying two sofas that can be placed in an L-shape so everyone can have where to sit. This, of course, should be done only if there is enough space in the room.
Construction and Material
When shopping, look for designer sofas with a durable wooden frame that will stand the test of time. Be careful not to get a model made with cheap pine or green wood, they can bend over time. The legs should be either part of the frame or solidly added. Metal frames may be a good option when the seat of the sofa has a large span, but they can make the sofa quite heavy and difficult to move around the room. Ask your sellers about their delivery options.
If there are pets in your home (or small children) make sure you get a durable fabric that dries fast. You can go with leather, chenille or strong synthetic microfibre. If you value comfort and tend to watch movies (or are buying the sofa to place it in your home theatre), you can also consider reclining models.
Comfort
Your new sofa should provide you with enough comfort so you can easily relax and enjoy your coffee, favourite TV show, or even nap. Be aware that a sofa that has superb support now may start to sag over time. Make sure you find out what it’s filled with before buying. When it comes to quality, craftsmanship is the real indicator of whether you are investing in a sofa that will be worth your money.
Cushion Filling
The comfort of a sofa is tightly connected with its fillings and cushioning. Some of the coziest and most expensive fillings for back and seat cushions are feather and down. Cushions that are 100% down need lots of fluffing and tapping to keep their aesthetic appeal. Down-only fillings are mostly used as back cushions.
Seat cushions should be firm and recover their shape after sitting and putting pressure on them (unless they are filled with down or feather). Foam cushions are the most expensive option but they can get quickly ruined if they are made of low-density foam. A great option for seats and backrests are cushions of high-density, resilient foam covered with either down or even polyester (which is a cheaper option). Typically, there are three types of cushion combinations used in the backs of sofas.
- Fixed-back – popular in midcentury couch designs;
- Cushion-back – the most common style, which often has a T-shaped back cushion that arches to fit around the arms;
- Scatter-back – a loose arrangement of cushions that cover a padded back frame.
