3 Features of a High Quality Sofa & How to Find the Right One
I’ve never kept secrets about investing wisely when it comes to your home renovation. Save here, invest there… finding the right balance of materials and furnishings is the secret sauce of making the most of your renovation budget.
When it comes to pieces worth investing in, there is no doubt in my mind that the sofa tops the list. It truly is the most important investment piece you’ll make in your home. Why, you ask?
As the largest piece of furniture in a room, it’s by far the bossiest. It anchors the scale & layout of the space and sets the tone for just about everything else: style, color, texture, & even the quality of other furnishings.
Regardless of what & where you buy, a sofa is expensive and deserves careful attention and thoughtful planning. If you’re wondering how to select quality furniture, I’m sharing a few key elements to look for, along with how we can help find the perfect sofa for your needs, comfort, & investment level.
What Makes a High Quality Sofa?
1. Frame & Cushion Construction
As with so many things in life, there’s more to a sofa than meets the eye, especially when it comes to durability. Of course, this piece of furniture should be sturdy & comfortable. To determine that, we have to carefully understand how it’s made:
A sofa’s frame is its foundation, and most retail options (yes, even the higher-end brands) use particle board and other cheap materials that aren’t made to last. Instead, a frame constructed with sturdy, kiln-dried wood is superior quality & will stand the test of time.
A sofa’s suspension is built into its frame. To avoid a sofa that will sag over time, an eight-way hand-tied suspension is the best option.
Equally important is the way the cushions are constructed. Inexpensive seat & back cushions are usually made of foam, & mid-range options may include poly-wrapped foam or even springs. Our favorite for ultimate comfort? Hands down, a Spring Down cushion. Trust me, we’ve done a LOT of sit-tests.
2. Fabric Choice
There’s nothing worse than the kids’ markers, dirty paw prints, or even a spill from your own red wine on a brand new sofa. Fortunately, performance fabric makes those accidental (or intentional) messes totally worry-free.
There are many great options out there, but our favorite is Crypton. Just about anything you could think to throw at it will wash right off – a relief when it comes to your biggest furniture investment piece. If you have kids or pets, opting for performance fabric is a no-brainer.
3. Finish Details
Details matter, & when you’re investing in a quality piece, even those subtle elements should be perfect. Check to make sure that seams are straight and finished, hems are even, & patterns line up for a proper repeat. These may sound like minor details, but a sofa that has been hastily finished usually points to bigger issues in its construction and quality. Ensuring everything is in place is worthwhile.
How to Find the Perfect Sofa with Us
If you’re struggling to find a sofa — or other furnishings — that check your boxes for quality and style, you’re in the majority. It’s hard. There’s a reason why homeowners turn to us. Not only do we have access to exclusive sources where quality is a guarantee, but we also have that eye for style that is so tough to do on your own. If you’re interested in getting some professional design support, here’s how it works…
1. Detailed Design Process
A sofa for lounging will send us down a very different path from a sofa for conversing – every detail truly matters! That’s why the first step of our tried & true design process is a detailed interview with you. Our goal is to uncover every piece of information that will help us determine the right elements of your sofa, from styles, colors, and textures you like, to who will use it & what its main purpose will be.
2. Selecting the Right Vendor
Trust me when I say that you’re in the best possible hands when it comes to choosing your sofa. After so many years in this business, we’ve gained extensive knowledge about vendors & their lines of furniture.
Our Shop the Showroom Add-on allows you access to furnishings that are not open directly to consumers – high quality, customizable pieces from our trusted vendors. We love playing sofa matchmaker: we take your desired investment, dream fabric, frame size, and style, & then we select a vendor we know will be a good fit.
Hot Tip: Shopping our designer’s showroom also allows us the most flexibility to put together a custom configuration that will meet your exact needs. Every detail can be adjusted: corners, bumpers, chaise, whether you want a left or right arm facing… there are literally SO many options to ensure your sofa fits your space just right.
And while we don’t exclude retail options entirely, we will only specify from a couple that we have vetted & checked to make sure they meet our minimum standard. Showroom vendors will always be the surest bet when it comes to quality.
3. Maximizing Your Investment
We’ve already established that your sofa will be an investment – even a decent retail sofa will run about $5k. Showroom sofas will start there and can run upwards of $20k+ depending on size, configuration & quality.
That said, we’ve been around the block a few times when it comes to saving and investing on different elements of your furnishing project. There is such a thing as a 5-year sofa & a 10-year sofa, so we’ll use our expertise and industry knowledge to find the very best options for your investment range.
4. Enjoy for Years and Years!
Nothing quite compares to the feeling of sinking into a dreamy sofa to relax & finally exhale at the end of a long day. When selecting such an important investment piece for your home, it makes sense to want to do it right – finding a designer to help guide you is a great way to do just that. And when we’re the team helping you find the perfect match… well, we take that responsibility seriously!
Ready to bring your perfect sofa home & make your space look and feel fresh and comfortable? Reach out to us here, & let’s chat.
Xo,
Shawna
