Since the sofa is such an integral part of any living space, it’s vital that it meets every aspect of your expectations – and then some!

In this article, I have collected seven elements that should be taken into account when buying your dream living room seat. 

Sofa Types

We have a few basic combinations to choose from. We can opt for a corner, a couch, two sofas, a couch and two armchairs, a corner and an armchair, etc. There is a lot of it. It all depends on what space we have and what suits us best. In large living rooms, it may be a good idea to use a sofa consisting of modules that can be freely composed according to your preferences. An interesting solution is also placing two sofas opposite each other or instead of one of the sofas – two armchairs (not necessarily a complete set) or an armchair and pouffes. 

Size

Depending on the size, we can choose wide corners or tiny double sofas. It all depends on how big our living room is, and also on the number of people who will be using the sofa at one time. In my opinion, the larger the seat, the better, more comfortable and “social”. 

The Two C’s: Convenience & Comfort

The sofa must first and foremost be comfortable. During the day, and especially on winter evenings, we spend a lot of time on it. You should pay attention to its depth, the height of the seat and backrest, as well as its softness. The sofa should not be too deep, because then it will only be suitable for lying down (optimal depth is about 60-70 cm). Neither too soft when we want to receive guests on it (drinking coffee on a soft, collapsing sofa can be almost a miracle). The backrest cannot be too low, because it will be uncomfortable to lean against it (min.50cm). Some sofas come with large cushions that perfectly replace the high backrests. They will also work well when the armrest is located on one side only. Of course, all of the above elements are contractual, and which sofa you choose depends only on you and your needs. 

Who’s Corner are you in?

 Depending on the layout of the room, one corner will be more suitable for the left corner and the other corner for the right one (i.e. with the more protruding left and right parts, respectively). I do not know if in all of them, but I can certainly write that in most corners this choice is possible. You will probably ask: “How do I know which side to choose?” Well, it has been assumed that if the corner is to be placed in the corner of the room, the more protruding part should be adjacent to the wall. Otherwise, it will clutter the passage and visually look worse (I am preparing a separate entry about the arrangement of the sofa in the living room, so you will learn more about it soon). 

Style & Form

The style and form of the sofa should match the style of the living room. We can choose a simple Scandinavian corner sofa or a quilted sofa with glamor style legs. When choosing, it is also worth considering other furniture that will stand in the living room. 

Material

There are two types of materials – fabric and leather. The former are more affordable, the latter a little less. Many people have bad experiences with leather-like upholstery, but the producers assure that the quality of the artificial leather is very high now. It does not change the fact that the fabric is more pleasant to touch, warmer in winter and does not stick to the skin on hot days. There are several classes of fabrics. The highest one is a stain and scratch resistant one that is perfect for small children and animals. 

Colour

Colour is a very important point that we cannot forget. The sofa should have a universal colour (universal is not necessarily grey, it is rather one that we will not get bored of and will fit most of the arrangements we come up with). Of course, the grey sofa goes with everything, while the yellow sofa already obliges you to something and it is difficult to match it with all the colours of the rainbow. Although it can be compared to the aesthetic values, which is also an individual matter. In small interiors, contrasting colours should not be used (white wall – black sofa), because it optically reduces the room.