Updated: June 11, 2024 I HOME DECORATING
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Have you ever picked out something from a store and then later regretted buying it? Or it looked totally nice in the store but when you brought it home it doesn’t even match your interior?
These are the things we want to avoid when buying something especially if it’s a high-cost item. For example, the cost of a sofa ranges from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on the style, durability, size, and brand. Thus, it would really help to have some good information before going to the store to save time in buying and ensure that you’ve made the right choice.
Here are the things you’ll pick up from this blog post:
- Popular types of sofa
- 12 great and practical tips before buying a sofa
Learn About the Popular Types of Sofa
There are many types of sofa, and while some of them look much alike, it’s better to know their differences so that you’ll make the right choice in the end.
Here are their definitions:
Lawson
This sofa is popular in many homes. It’s a three-seater with a loose back. The arms can be either straight or rolled. It has a plain design yet is very appealing because it can blend well with any style or type of design. The Lawson sofa was named after Thomas William Lawson, an American businessman, Massachusetts financier, and author.
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Daybed
A daybed is a sofa that can be used as or “converted” to a bed anytime for relaxing, sleeping, or reading. It can be used both indoors and outdoors.
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Sectional Sofa
A sectional sofa has different sections combined together to achieve the desired look, in which the arrangement and shape can vary according to the user.
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Mid-century Modern
This is a rectangular, simple, and commonly tufted sofa characterized by tapered peg legs. It’s non-elaborative and gives a beautiful modern look that fits any living room.
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English Roll Arm
You can see an English Roll Arm typically as a two-seater sofa. It’s characterized by pleated and rounded low arms with a curve shape. The arms also intersect with and are tucked into the slightly tilted back. It’s small enough to be fitted into a small space.
Chesterfield
This classic sofa features a back that is as high as the arms. The arms of this sofa are rolled, and the back is stuffed or upholstered. The Chesterfield sofa was named after Lord Philip Stanhope, fourth Earl of Chesterfield.
It’s great for a formal or more classic design for the living room.
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Tuxedo
This sofa has a back part of equal height to the arms but the arms are not curled like those of the Chesterfield. Rather, the Tuxedo sofa is more of a straight-box type, with the upholstery being mostly fabric. It got its name from Tuxedo Park in New York.
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Chaise Longue
A chaise longue is a couch-like chair-shaped furniture for reclining that has support for the back and a seat of considerable length that can accommodate the legs.
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Camelback
A camelback is basically a unique chair with several curved shapes and a “camel hump” in the middle top part of the back. Its back design varies from intricate carved wood to simple curved upholstery.
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Cabriole
This is a piece of furniture, usually a sofa, characterized by its legs being curved in such a way as to resemble the hind legs of animals such as cats or dogs. Also, the back is higher than the arms.
12 Practical Tips Before Buying Your New Sofa
1. Measure the size of your living room.
You need to measure the size of your living room first versus the furniture you want to put there. The sofa will take up a big space in your living room, so you need to allocate space for it along with the other furniture. It should also match the size of your other furniture like the coffee table.
2. Match the sofa with the interior of your room.
Your living room or house interior design should also be a major consideration when buying a sofa. For example, is your home modern, minimalist, or classic? Some sofas have a traditional look while some are modern, so you need to think in advance or compare the different styles of the sofa.
3. Consider the number of people living in your home.
This is a very practical tip because you need to make room for all the people who will sit on the sofa, both kids and adults. In the end, more than style, your sofa must be all about accommodating your family and making them comfortable.
4. Take into account what activities you do in the living room.
Is your living room more like a playground for the kids, a hang-out place for the members of your family, your workplace, or a space where you frequently doze off after watching a Netflix series marathon?
The time spent and activities you do in the living room should determine the level of comfort and durability of the sofa you choose. For example, if your household frequently hangs out in the living room, the sofa should be durable, not easily stained, and very comfortable. If you take naps on the sofa, it should accommodate your whole body or be converted into a sofa bed especially if you invite friends over.
5. Check the quality of the sofa.
In the store, it’s highly recommended to check the following and get a good feel for the sofa, similar to how you conduct a “test drive” for your car.
The quality of sofa is determined by these common different factors.
a. Sofa frame – The strongest frames are constructed out of hardwood, preferably thick and kiln-dried (to remove as much moisture as possible); laminated hardwood is an option. They should be made of a few solid pieces with joints that interlock or are doweled or glued together.
b. Sofa suspension and kinds of springs – Get a sofa with sturdy, strong, and well-installed springs such as 8-way hand-tied springs or coils. The springs are attached or tied in 8 different directions, thereby more intricate and durable according to Club Furniture.
c. Firmness – Do you hear squeaking sounds when you do a “sit test” on the sofa? A squeaking sound may mean that the quality is not good and the sofa isn’t stable enough.
d. High resilience (HR) foam – The foam should be 2.0 HR (density) and above to be considered high resilience; even if you sit on it for a long time, it will go back to its original shape, according to MedleyHome.
6. Consider the height of the sofa compared to your legs when sitting down.
Make sure to try out the sofas in the store to know if you and your family are comfortable when sitting on them. It makes a lot of difference to actually try different heights of sofas in the store just to be sure, so you don’t immediately choose the first one you think is right for you.
7. Choose the fabric of the sofa well.
It must be stain-resistant and highly durable especially if you have kids playing in the living room. A good recommendation is synthetic microfiber that can also protect the sofa from dirt, dust, and most liquids, according to Furniture Academy.
8. Measure and clear the pathway or space through which the sofa will be carried to your living room.
Before buying, make sure that the sofa can pass through your door, hallway, elevator, or stairs. This will be a major problem if you forget to consider how you will be able to get your sofa to the room.
9. Make your room furniture complement each other.
Your new couch should not be exempted from this. It’s easy to mix and match the furniture, but the room still needs to have an overall look that is aesthetically pleasing. Leather and wood furniture can easily match well with any type of couch.
10. Check your budget.
After considering all the factors above, you need to decide which sofa will give you the best value for your money (not necessarily cheap!). Go to different sofa stores and talk to the salespeople or check online stores to know the price range for the sofa that you want to buy. It’s good to have many options, so make sure to do careful research! It’s also useful to note if you can have it on installment or full payment. If it’s your first time to buy a sofa and/ or you cannot splurge so much on it, we suggest choosing the most comfortable sofa with the best quality as your top priority.
11. Ask friends for recommendation.
Before buying a sofa, make sure to also ask your friends about their experiences with different types of sofas (the good and the bad!). Different people have different lifestyles and habits at home, so try to get tips from your friends who have similar habits or lifestyles as you.
12. If you’re checking out a vintage sofa or second-hand sofa, make sure it’s still in good quality.
Lastly, some people like to buy vintage sofa or second-hand sofa. If you’re thinking of buying it, don’t forget to double-check if the sofa has damages and if it still has a strong base/ legs, back, and springs. If you want to reupholster the sofa, check if it will cost more. Communicate with the seller to make sure you have all the information before deciding to buy.
Hope this article has helped you buy a great sofa. What type of sofa did you buy? Let us know how it went here.
Published: October 24, 2021
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