When it comes to choosing the perfect sofa for your living room, there are so many things to take into consideration. You cannot just go into a furniture store and pick the first thing that catches your eyes. Trust me, you will regret that decision later. I know; I’ve done it. So to spare you that pain, I have created a list of things for you to consider when choosing the best sofa for your space!
1) What is your personal style?
There are four main interior design styles: modern, minimalist, glam, and farmhouse. Most people’s personal style consist of a combination. For example, you could be 80% glam, 18% minimalist, and 2% modern. You should know this before you begin shopping. It will help you choose what is best for your style. There are a ton of interior style quizzes on the web. Take a few of those to determine what you like if you do not already know.
2) Does the sofa match the furniture already present in your home?
If you are on the hunt for a new sofa, I am guessing that you want it to compliment the furniture you already have in your home. There’s nothing worse than getting to the store and finding something you like but then question if it will match what you already have. My best advice for this is to take pictures of your other pieces. Lots of pictures! Close-ups. Wide angels. Whatever will allow you to see the other pieces in their entirety. While you don’t necessarily have to match material, most people want to stay within their color family.
The style of furniture is also extremely significant. If your home is super glam with sleek, acrylic items, you do not want to add a sofa that would normally be found in farmhouse decor. It will throw everything out of balance and look odd.
3) What type of family do you have?
This is one of the most important things to think about before you even look at a sofa. Do you have children? Do you have pets? How big is your family? All these things matter. If you have children, think about their mannerisms. You probably don’t want a sofa that you cannot clean easily. Meaning that luxurious velvet sofa that looks amazing in the display at the store will not be the best things for you. Also, pets have hair. Pets are known for shedding said hair. You will most likely not want a couch where the hair fibers tangle in the sofa fiber. You also might not want a sofa that snags easily with children or pets.
Also, think about the size of the sofa. It needs to be big enough to hold your entire family. If it’s you, a spouse, and one child, then a regular three-cushion sofa might be perfect for you. If you need more room, a sofa section that you can rearrange will do the trick.
4) What is your budget?
I probably should have mentioned this first, but have a budget in mind before you go shopping. That way you can eliminate furniture stores that are outside of your budget. While most furniture stores do offer payment plans, some of them do not. So knowing what stores fit your budget is important in case you do have to pay up front. There will be no surprises in price when you find a sofa because the store is already in your budget.
5) Will it fit inside your living room?
Measure, measure, and then remeasure! I cannot emphasize this enough. A sofa too small will make your living room look empty, and a sofa too big will make your space feel cramped. Neither is good.
While there are other things that could go into choosing a sofa, I find these to be the most helpful. I hope they help you with all your sofa shopping adventures!
Luisa Critten is a business-owner. She loves crafting and fashion. She has an adorable dog named Riri.
