GUIDE: CHOOSING A SOFA

1. WHAT SHOULD THE SOFA BE USED FOR?

Start thinking about how the sofa in your home will be used. Are you looking for a comfortable and spacious sofa to be able to lie down and rest and watch TV? Or is the most important thing that you sit well when you have friends over or when you sit and work? If there are children or animals in the home, perhaps a sofa with reversible and washable fabric is preferable.

2. SOFA MODEL

The sofa model you choose needs to match your needs, lifestyle and taste. There are a variety of models such as 2-seater, 3-seater, 4-seater, corner sofa, divan sofa and U-shaped sofa. Which one suits you mainly depends on how many people you want to accommodate and how big the room is.

A good rule of thumb is that the sofa should be allowed to take up space in a room but not take over, it must not be cramped in the other areas of the room. Feel free to measure the dimensions of the sofa in the room so that you get a feeling for how big the sofa really is. Also, don't forget to make sure that you can bring the sofa into the home through stairwells and entrance doors.

If you have difficulty choosing which model you want, the straight 3-seater sofa is probably the most common type of sofa and a safe bet. A 3-seater sofa fits in most homes and that model is usually easy to place and move around when you get tired of your furniture. A straight sofa can also work well as a room divider and if you need more seating, you can choose to buy two sofas that you place in an L shape or opposite each other with a coffee table in the middle.

A modular sofa is also a good choice if you are not sure which model suits you or if you have plans to move, then you can increase or decrease modules as needed.

3. STYLE AND FUNCTION

To get the feeling you want the sofa to convey, you need to think about whether it should be modern, classic or retro? Do you want wide or narrow armrests? Loose or fixed back cushions? What seat depth should the sofa have? If you want to sit upright and be able to easily get up from the sofa, you should choose a sofa that is not so deep. What colour? Should the sofa stand out in the interior or be more neutral? Do you want a certain leg height so you can easily use the vacuum cleaner under the sofa?

4. QUALITY AND MATERIALS

Although many sofas look more or less the same, they can vary quite a bit in price and quality. The outer material and padding determine the quality of the sofa. Is it just cold foam or also feather filling in the cushions? Is it FSC-certified wood in the sofa that takes people and the environment into account? Is it a durable fabric? For a sofa in a home environment you should have at least 15,000 Martindale and for a public environment 30,000 and above. Are the pillows reversible? All of this affects the sofa's price, but of course also the quality, which makes a sofa more durable over time.

5. SHOULD I BUY A SOFA ONLINE?

When you buy a sofa online, it is important to carefully read product texts that describe the sofa's material, dimensions, colour and comfort. You can often order a fabric sample to get a feeling for the fabric. If you still feel a little unsure, you can often contact customer service to get guidance or information about where you can try out the sofa.

When you have thought through all these questions, you will hopefully know which sofa fits your home.