Before I get into the tips for selecting a sofa, I want to thank my mom for giving me permission to tell the story of my first sofa. If you want to hear it, you’ll need to listen to the podcast. If I tried to write it, it would do the story justice. My mom is one of the funniest people I know. She’s lots of fun too.
Also just to let you know I love leather sofas and had one a few years ago. I think they can be quite nice, but don’t recommend buying them online. I did and when it arrived it was orange. Lesson learned.
LISTEN BELOW
It’s only because I love you that I am showing you my first sofa! I am sharing a picture of it because in today’s podcast episode I promised to show a picture of it.
Today we are talking about sofas on the podcast, how to select them, a few tips, and a few hilarious stories. You can listen here. Seriously, I thought we were going to have to stop because Yvonne got so tickled. Of course this has a story about my mom in it. I asked her if I could tell the story and she said absolutely. If you haven’t listened to the podcast yet, I chat with Yvonne of Stone Gable and Kelly of My Soulful Home about a topic on Mon, Weds, and Fri then we record it so you can listen in.
So there are so many choices when it comes to sofas. I think the first thing to consider is the size you need. If you need an 84 inch sofa, there is no point falling in love with a 72 inch sofa. We like to take naps on the sofa, so we look for a sofa long enough for napping. Also consider the depth. Will it fit through your front door? One time I ordered a sofa, and I did not thin it was going to make it through the front door. It does happen. If the feet come off that can help, but sometimes they don’t.
You can get foam, down or down covered foam cushions. Our favorite is foam covered in down – cushy but not too lumpy.
As for fabric, my favorite hands down is linen. Leather is great for durability, but do be careful. The sofas made from bonded leather do not hold up well, and they are very different from traditional leather. There are many other fabric options. Slipcovers are always great because they are usually washable, but they can be quite expensive to have made.
The height of the sofa back can vary greatly. A shorter back is going to make the ceiling feel taller. This is great for a room with 8 ft ceilings. If you have 10 ft ceilings, you might consider a taller back, since it fills the space better. There are also camel back sofas. They have a hump in the center.
Definitely consider comfort when buying a sofa. You can order a sofa online, but if you do, I would definitely consider the reviews, since you won’t be able to see it or sit on it in person.
The sofas above are in the Prairie by Rachel Ashwell. Her BnB is around the corner from my farm! I love these wrinkled linen slipcovers she has! Very comfy. Below is another linen slipcovered sofa in my neighbor Cecile’s house.
Be sure to think long and hard about any patterns on a sofa. Patterns can really date a sofa. If you plan to keep it for a long time, you’ll do better going with a solid color. Neutrals are the most versatile and sometimes the best bet. But hey if you really want that velvet purple sofa, then go for it!
Some sofas have a kick pleat while others have none. I personally prefer the sofas that show their legs if they are pretty turned legs.
If you are in the market for a sofa, these are some I found that I thought were lovely in several different styles. Affiliate links.
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I had a white camel back sofa for 20 years, I loved how it looked but it was the most uncomfortable couch to sit on. I looked for 2 years to find a suitable replacement that would fit in the space we had. I had my heart set on a white slip covered sofa but could not find one that was the right size so I finally settled on a brown leather couch, chair and ottoman with rolled arms and nail heads. The size was perfect, it’s incredibly comfortable and goes well with anything. Sometimes it takes a long patient search to find that perfect one.
Glad you finally found ‘the one’ Terry! Sounds so lovely.
I so remember when sofas like your first one were in style. I actually love plaid sofas but the colors have to be right.:)
I bought a sofa last year and chose a light gray….just love it.Gray never goes out of style and such a neutral color.
We also have leather sofas in the media area of our living room…have had them 15 yrs and they are still beautiful…and long…and perfect for naps..:)
And they are cool to the touch BJ, so that’s perfect in our climate. Leather does hold up well over time also.
How timely, since I am in the market for a sofa. I have a feeling it is going to take a long time! Plus it is always a problem when you don’t live in a major market. Laughed when I saw your first sofa, because it looked a lot like my first sofa, only it had wooden arms! Not comfortable!
Such a fun podcast regarding selecting a sofa! I would love to see a picture of your now outdoor seating sofa…so clever of you “Nita”! Thank you!
Oh I bet you are talking about Kelly’s sofa. She says she will post a link so I need to look for it.
Great post!
What I would like to have in a sofa is always more than I can afford and not suitable for my pet-loving lifestyle. My heart tells me to go with a white slipcovered sofa but, as you mentioned, the slipcovers are quite pricey and with a big (77 pounds) dog who loves the outdoors and is a dirt magnet, I would be constantly taking them off and washing them. I can appreciate the convenience of leather but I am, at heart, a linen or linen-look fabric kind of person. I will be shopping soon for a new sofa and will be losing sleep and changing my mind 20 times before deciding on one. I do know I won’t be ordering online unless I’ve first seen it in person at a brick and mortar store. Such first world problems …..
Thanks for all the beautiful pictures and the picture of your “not so beautiful” first couch. It brought back memories. When my husband and I married in 1971, we bought a vinyl, dark green couch for next to nothing and I hated it but it was all we could afford. We kept it for several years until we got another upgrade which was also a second-hand couch.
I liked how you mentioned that you should consider the reviews if you are buying a sofa online. I think that would be a good idea since you don’t know how hard or soft it is just from a photograph. It would be nice to know what other people think of it if they already have it.
So true Deb. I wouldn’t want to buy one online without hearing from other owners.
It really helped when you said that choosing a solid-colored sofa will be able to last for a long period of time because it can match easily with other designs. I will definitely choose this kind of sofa because it can be an expensive buy, so we can’t change it when it doesn’t match our interior painting. We just need to replace the one that my parents gave me because it has been destroyed by my dog this afternoon.
Oh no, that’s awful Millie!