The sofa is not a simple piece of furniture. It is a piece organically connected to the largest room of the house, the living room and it plays an important role in our life. We all sit on the couch and watch movies with our kids or watch football with our friends.
We relax on the couch, we eat and sometimes we take a nap. Choosing the right sofa for our daily quality of life is as important as choosing the right mattress for our sleep. After all, we must not forget that a sofa is a piece of furniture that will accompany us for many years.
5 selection tips
Here are 5 tips you must have in mind when you’re looking for the couch of your dreams!
Comfort
It’s a fact that you spend many more hours on the couch than in the dining room. So your first concern should be how comfortable the sofa is in relation to your body. The average sofa has a depth of about 50-60 cm and a height between 45 and 55 cm.
Fabrics and colors
The answer here depends on the type of your family. If there is one, two, three or more young children in the house and, perhaps, a dog or cat, it is a good idea to choose a sofa with a cotton or linen cloth that is easy to clean.
When it comes to sofa colors, if you are not an interior designer, we would recommend you to avoid very bright colors that may not suit your space. Prefer safe shades such as beige, gray and earthy colors that suit any environment. In addition, if the sofa is placed in a part of the house where the sun will see it, the bright colors are likely to fade.
Quality of construction
The sofa will be with you for many years. A frayed piece of furniture with protruding springs will damage both your aesthetics and the health of your back and torso. The main secret to the quality and durability of the sofa is the frame. Beech wood with its hardness and durability is an excellent choice.
Customize your space
There is nothing worse than buying a sofa that turns out to be too big for your living room. It is very important to measure both the width of the old sofa, its height, but also its depth or the dimensions of the space where the new sofa is going to be placed.
Many rooms have library shelves that are difficult to remove or radiators (which are NOT removed). Make sure they do not stand in the way of your couch. Finally, the sofa must somehow reach your home. Make sure it can pass through all the points without scratching the walls.
Design
Floral designs or stripes on a sofa may look old-fashioned to you as you remember them for many years on the couch of a distant aunt. Remember that today ‘s trendy may be tomorrow’ s retro.
Especially for the sofa that will “live” with you for 10, 15 or more years, our advice is to choose a design that is timeless. If you feel the need to refresh your home, there are decorative sofa cushions in many different colors that can make a difference.
Leather VS Fabric sofa.
Comparative test!
One of the biggest dilemmas when buying a sofa is between the leather or the fabric. Each option has its pros and cons. That’s why we gathered them all and we present them to you in the comparative test that follows.
Comfort
The fabric is generally softer and more body friendly than leather. Just like with leather car seats, a leather sofa can be hot in summer and “stick” unpleasantly to the skin.
Winner: Fabric
Wear
Ah these scratches! One of the biggest problems of the leather sofa is the scratches from the children or our favorite pets. In addition, fabric sofas are now often equipped with removable upholstery that makes them easier to clean.
Winner: Fabric
Hypoallergenicity
If every spring you have a big problem with allergies, both natural and those caused by mites, you may need to think about it before buying a sofa. Mites feed on the tiny flakes of skin that we and our pets shed every day.Very common on fabric sofas, much less common on leather ones.
Winner: Leather
Aesthetics
A leather sofa gives a special aesthetic to any space, which a fabric sofa can hardly reach, no matter how good its materials are. If you want a modern, aesthetically advanced design, then your choice will be a leather sofa.
Winner: Leather
Care
The leather sofa is usually easy to clean with a cloth. The leather is durable and can last for decades with minimum care. On the other hand, the fabric needs a vacuum cleaner or the removable wallpaper to be washed in a washing machine much more often.
Winner: Leather
Economy
There are fabric sofas that can cost a significant portion of your budget. However, there is one rule you can keep in mind: a sofa with exactly the same dimensions and exactly the same frame will always be more expensive in its leather version.
Winner: Fabric
Variety
A leather sofa can be offered in a variety of colors. However, the options, the variety and the prospects of fabric sofas are literally limitless. It is much more probable and easier to find something in the style you want by choosing between fabric sofas.
Winner: Fabric
Conclusion
The winner is the fabric sofa! But does this mean that it will be your final choice? Of course not. Each criterion has a different weight depending on your needs, desires and family or financial situation.
How to take care of your sofa
Your new sofa is already in your living room and your space really looks more beautiful and renewed. Congratulations! What you need to do now, starting from day one, is take care of your couch, as if it were another member of your family. That way, you will enjoy it for many decades. See more in our tips that follow.
Dust
Dust is the enemy of your couch (and your health). As it adheres to its fibers, it can wear out faster than usual. Vacuuming your sofa (caution: with the soft brush accessory) should be part of your weekly cleaning routine.
Sun light
We all love the sun, a source of life (but also vitamin D). But when it comes to our favorite sofa, things change! The direct and intense sunlight will fade slightly or even more intensely the color of your sofa. In fact, if the sun hits only part of your sofa, you may see two colors.
Way of use
If you have a “favorite corner” where you curl up on the couch, think again. Sitting in a single spot on the couch will make this area softer than the rest of the couch and will accumulate more dust and dirt. Try to share the use of the sofa evenly.
Also, avoid sitting permanently on the front of the seat cushions, as they may become deformed. Immerse yourself in your couch, do not be afraid of it!
Turn the back cushions over
If your sofa cushions are removable, try turning them over at intervals (every 15 days). This will allow them to retain their shape for longer and prevent particular wear in a single spot.
Protect the sofa arms
Sitting on the couch in the arms is sometimes convenient, while other times it looks very cool. But the truth is that you should not do it. Your sofa arms are not made to sit on them and if you have this bad habit you will soon break them. Also, prevent children from sitting on your arm.
Remove the sofa if necessary
If you are having a party, or have invited friends home, the one who is likely to suffer is your couch. Scratches, stains or, in some cases, cigarette burns are the possible side effects. Move your sofas away from social gatherings or, alternatively, cover them.
Sofa bed. Convenient and practical.
You may be hosting a friend who stayed home from the night before. Or a relative who came for a few days. It can concern bachelors or families. It can have different shapes or colors. In any case, the sofa bed is a practical solution for every home.
The first patent for what we now call a sofa bed was made in the United States in 1899. So this piece of furniture has been in our lives for more than a century and in some cases is necessary. See below its main features.
Compact construction
The biggest advantage of the sofa-bed is its compact construction that performs a dual function. This makes it the ideal furniture for studios or small apartments, while in addition to saving space, it is the ideal solution to accommodate an extra person or couple.
Storeroom
Sofa beds have extra storage space for sheets, blankets and pillows. But a lot of space is almost always left over for what does not fit in your closets. In fact, if the sofa bed is angular, then the storage space is even larger.
Stamina
A sofa bed is made to withstand a load of 200 kg or more.
Comfort
Most modern models have orthopedic properties and the ability to adapt to the shape of the human body.
Practicality
The sofa bed is covered with waterproof fabric and is extremely practical and resistant to extreme temperatures.
Portability
A sofa bed should be easy to move. Thus, it always weighs less than an ordinary sofa, which allows its portability in any space needed.
