Whether it’s your first apartment, first home, or first space together, picking out the right sofa always seems to be a challenge. As experts in all things furniture, we’ve rounded up our best tips to help you pick the perfect place to park yourself and pets, without breaking the bank (or the door frame to get it into place).
Some key considerations for selecting the right sofa include:
Your lifestyle
Do you have pets? Do you eat on your sofa? How often do you entertain (and does that entertaining require a sofa?)? Single, married, kids, no kids, all of these will factor into your sofa selection. Think through how your sofa will be used 90% of the time. We find the most common mistake people make when buying a sofa is looking to fill the needs of 10-20% of their lifestyle. For example, buying a sofa bed that’s great for guests when you only host once or twice a year doesn’t suit your needs the other 11 months and two weeks a year. Another common mistake is not letting lifestyle guide your fabric choices. This is where a little research is needed, or speaking with an in-store expert, can help you pick the right fabric or leather for your couch choice.
Your space
Space is a big factor in buying the right sofa. The most critical first step is knowing the size of room you will be using your sofa in. However, you need to look at not only the room you hope to put your sofa, but also how it will get from outside your home into the room. How many doorways? How many turns and bends? Are there stairs? An elevator? Things to look for when it comes to sofas and small spaces are:
- legs that come off (allowing for more wiggle room)
- sectionals coming in multiple pieces that easily snap together
- condo or two-seater sofas
Your sofa style
This is a big one and often overlooked. There are so many styles and types of sofas available that people often don’t realize there is a perfect sofa for every space. You just need to know what you’re looking for or have some experts help you. (Fun fact: we are those experts, so pop into a showroom to chat and have a look through our online catalogue to see what’s available). Expert hot tip: Did you know the arm of the sofa (as in the shape) is a guide to the style of the sofa? It’s true. If a more modern look appeals to you, you’ll be looking for a track arm with its clean lines. Or perhaps you’re more traditional and will opt for something with a pleated arm.
Sofa types and styles include the obvious, two-seater, three-seater, and sectional sofas, but there are also sleeper sofas, modular sofas, reclining sofas, and sectionals combining a variety of those. Depending on your lifestyle, the room or space the sofa will live in, your budget and the sofa style will factor greatly into your final choice.
Your budget
Sofas (and all the various iterations: sofa bed, sectionals, loveseats, etc.) come in as many budgets as they do names. Within each budget range you will find quality ranging from very poor to very good, depending on the features you are looking for, the size of the piece, and where you source it. Budget is a big factor in customization too. Think of fabric, leather or linen and then think of not only budget but lifestyle. Will the dog live on this couch? What about sweaty kids after ball practice? Are you a sleek and sophisticated single who can handle white linen everything?
When it comes to quality, look for Canadian-made. Canadian-made furniture is more often manufactured with the goal of quality and craftsmanship over overseas goal of being made cheaply. Choosing Canadian-made often means you have higher quality ingredients (like Canadian lumber) and more options to customize exactly to your specifications. Buying Canadian supports our economy and our labour market, too.
Ultimately, picking the right sofa will be a fun exercise as it will make you think about how you live, how you want to live, and what feels best to you. Grab a friend or partner, visit a showroom and play a game of musical sofas. Try them all, chat with our experts, look at all the various fabric samples and discuss options. Sometimes ‘sitting on it’ can yield the best results.