Buying a new sofa is a significant, although rarely life changing, event. A good sofa will cost you anywhere between one and three months worth of groceries and should last you five to fifteen years, depending on how many kids & dogs you have. That puts it significantly below a refrigerator and slightly above a washing machine with a lifespan slightly less than either. It is worth thinking about, but not worth losing sleep over.
Design: Unless you’ve got a big picture window, a fireplace, or a replica of the sculpture of David, the sofa is usually the biggest object in the living room and hence a visual focus. That means you want to pick something either compatible with the rest of your décor or something that you can build the rest of the room around. I’m not one who likes everything in the room to match (I think a room is more inviting if there are disparate elements in it) but I like to tie the pieces of the room together somehow. That can be through color, by matching the style of the arms, the color of the legs or the basic shape of the sofa. Or you may just find a sofa that’s really, really comfortable. Lots of folks concentrate on color but I also think that’s the easiest element to play with. You can always paint walls, add throw pillows or a rug, or accent pieces to bring out colors or shift focus.
If the room is empty, I recommend laying down newspapers in the room the size of the sofa, it’ll give you a chance to see what the room looks like with a new, big, object in it. If you’re really detail oriented, you might want to use an online room planner.
Comfort: There’s some old research that says Americans watch up to 4 hours of TV a day. Assuming you’re sitting on the sofa while you’re doing it, you want to be sure that it is comfortable. Does the back provide enough support? Is there the right distance between hip & knee (the seat)? I generally prefer a firmer cushion believing that, like me, everything gets softer with time. If you’re trying out a sofa, you should sit on it just like you would at home & probably sit for a little while to see if it stays comfortable.
Style: A rolled arm is a more traditional look and sofas with a modified (smaller) rolled arm are still quite common. I’m seeing more wedge or straight arms on sofas these days. That’s probably a call-back to the popular retro style but it also saves a bit of space in the room. A big rolled arm will take up an extra foot of space for the sofa.
Fabric: Although there are still the fabrics made from natural materials (linen, cotton and wool), most fabrics are now man-made (synthetic) products because these are cheaper, less likely to stain and easier to clean. The most popular of these is microfiber (or ultrasuede), a fiber less than 1 denier per filament (i.e. 1 gram per 9 meters). Cotton, on the other hand, might run between 50 & 2000 deniers. This suede-like feel makes them feel soft and cozy, although some folks don’t like the way you can leave a pattern in the fabric. I’m seeing greater variety in fabrics now with the same microfibers being rewoven so they don’t have the suede look & feel. These fabrics are nearly stain proof. As an example, my niece has 3 children under 6 and a dog and white microfiber sofa…and it is still white. Even the most resistant stains, like ink, can be removed with rubbing alcohol. Many fabrics will be tagged with how they are to be cleaned, i.e. water or with a solvent. As always, it is a good idea to test in an hidden area before you use a new product on your new sofa.
Outgassing: With the recent discussions of “sick building syndrome” and even some studies indicating increased incidence of leukemia and lymphoma from prolonged exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), it is worth a moment to talk about outgassing (or offgassing) from new furniture. Although there’s some man-made products in your new furniture (and probably a new-furniture smell), it releases far less VOCs than particle board (formaldehyde) or carpeting. If you are particularly chemical sensitive, but still want a new sofa, you can try airing the sofa out (putting it in the garage?) for a week before moving it into the house. Of course, never buy something that makes you sick.
The cushions: Most cushions are just a big block of foam covered by the upholstery fabric. Foam is measured in density (i.e. pounds of material in a 1x1x1 foot block). Frankly, I never see anything other than 1.8 density foam, although I’m sure there are others about. I’ve seen one piece of furniture using the new “memory” foam. Occasionally, although rarely, the cushions will actually have innersprings just like a mattress. Not surprisingly, this raises the cost and increases the durability.
The back: The back might be separate pillows, attached pillows or solidly part of the sofa. If there’s a pillow back, especially if it is attached, I like for there to be zippers underneath so they can be restuffed if they begin to sag. Lots of folks sit with their arm across the back of the sofa and this’ll compress the pillow back with time. The pillow back gives a more relaxed, comfy…and less formal…look.
The frame: Only in the very cheapest of sofas, have I seen a frame made out of presswood. Many frames use plywood but an equal number use solid wood. Because of the expense, very few sofas will use a hardwood (like oak) for the frame. This is just another cost savings measure. If the sofa squeaks when you sit down, don’t buy it. It means the joints in the frame are loose and rubbing together.
Seat support: There are 4 types. Flexsteel is unique in having a curved piece of steel provide the support. The cheapest sofas will use webbing like patio furniture. The most common use a sinuous wire, a heavy gauge steel shaped into a series of curves that’s fastened at the front and rear of the sofa frame. My opinion is that in time the steel loses tensile strength and can sag and that because there’s only 2 connections, if one lets go, you lose the whole support. Sometimes the wires will be cross connected to give them more resilience. Best is the old 8-way hand tied springs where the support is springs, just like in your mattress, with cords across the top to hold them down to the same height. However, this is very rare in medium priced sofas. Again, this is really only important so that you know what you’re getting.
Sides: I like to tap the outsides of the arms of the sofa. The really cheap manufacturers just pull the fabric down and staple it, nothing behind the fabric. Next up, some guys will use cardboard. I prefer it when they use quarter-inch plywood because it adds to the strength of the frame.
The wrap-up: Think of buying a sofa like getting a haircut. You want a good one. You want to look good. But even a terrible one doesn’t last forever and it is better than not having one at all. And nobody ever stopped being friends with someone (or cut them out of their will) because of a bad sofa or bad haircut.
As always, these are just my opinions based on 9 years experience in moving 15,000 pieces of furniture. I may change my mind next week.
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