With the days growing shorter the temperature dropping and the leaves falling from the trees, the urge to get cosy and hibernate starts to grow.
Autumn can be a lovely time of year. Whether you’re planning on getting out into the great outdoors, preparing for Halloween, starting your festive shopping early, want to relax at home with a good book or binge-stream a new series, autumn has something for everybody.
As the weather starts to become more inclement, it’s time to turn your home into the perfect sanctuary. Your sofa is at the heart of a home. Autumn is a great time to think about updating your sofa ensuring that you have the perfect cosy place to retreat to on a cold, blustery autumn day.
Many people find choosing a new sofa difficult. As well as the sizing to consider there are also style, frames, and other practical aspects to keep in mind.
Lucky for you, we are passionate about high-quality, stylish furniture and making it available for a wide range of home sizes and budgets and we are here we share a few of our thoughts about how you can find the perfect cosy sofa for your home.
What is a good sofa size?
Shopping for a sofa online does not have to be challenging if you start in the right place. The first step in choosing the right sofa for your home is to measure the available space so you know what size of sofa to order. There’s nothing worse than ordering furniture only to find it doesn’t fit or it over dominates the available space.
It can also be disappointing to find your ideal sofa online only to then measure your space and find the sofa of your dreams is too large. Before you browse our amazing selection of high-quality sofas, make sure you have accurate measurements at hand. One rule you can use to scale your sofa to the size of the room is use the two-thirds rule, which states that you should strive for a sofa that is roughly two-thirds the length of the wall.
Consider your personal preference too. Measure your current sofa and make a note of its dimensions. How does it fill your space, and would you prefer something smaller or larger, or is it just about right? It’s also particularly important to consider the depth of any potential sofa if you have a smaller space to fill.
Then there is the height of the sofa to consider, particularly if you intend to place it beneath shelves. You don’t want people sitting on the sofa running the risk of banging their heads every time they move! The same applies to doors and windows which you need to access.
Compare your room measurements to the size of any sofa you’re considering and think about how you move around your space. You will need to ensure that your chosen sofa won’t hinder movement around the space. Consider the width of your door frames as well as any other potential access difficulties.
Lastly, you will need to consider how you will get the sofa in the room, as sofas usually come completely assembled. Although delivery teams are skilled at negotiating doorways with sofas, if you have a narrow doorway to your home or a particular room, you want to choose a sofa that will fit through the door.
How long should a sofa last?
The frame of your sofa will make a huge difference in its sturdiness and longevity. Typically, wood and metal are used to make sofa frames. Cheaper softwood or composite wood frames may be more liable to warp and contract so solid hardwood frames are usually considered a better option.
Some of the most common hardwoods used in furniture construction include walnut, maple, birch, oak, and bamboo. Kiln-drying removes around 70-80% of the wood’s moisture content which helps to reduce the risk of bowing and warping.
Metal frames also provide strength and durability for your sofa with robust polished metal being a particularly good choice. Many sofa frames made of metal will be constructed from precision-engineered steel to guarantee their structural integrity for years to come.
If you want a sofa that’s going to last the distance, then a high-quality frame is all important.
Discover the different couch fabrics
Your choice of sofa fabric will have a huge impact on your room so it’s important to make a careful choice to ensure that it fits with your colour scheme. It’s also important to consider how easy fabrics might be to keep clean, particularly if you have a busy family home or have pets.
Leather, microfibres, canvas and velvet can all be tough, hard-wearing options that are also more forgiving of stains. It’s important to invest in a sofa that has a high-quality fabric that won’t colour fade over time.
Careful colour selection
Next up, it’s time to think about colours. Many people will use the opportunity given by buying a new sofa to begin a complete redecoration of their living room. Perhaps it’s time to give your whole room a makeover and your new sofa will form the centrepiece.
Alternatively, you might be looking for a sofa that slips easily into your current décor. You may want something neutral and understated, or it might be time to go big, bold, and colourful. If you’re unsure what will work and need advice, speak to our friendly team.
All about design
We all have our design preferences, with sofas available in simple, Scandinavian-influenced simplicity, lush florals, and luxurious finishes. Having a clear design idea in mind can help you narrow down your choices.
Barbican Right Facing Blue Velvet Chaise Sofa
And finally…
Look at the Oak Furniture House range
Now you’ve made some decisions about the kind of sofa you’d like and have taken those all-important measurements, you can begin browsing the amazing range of high-quality sofas available from Oak Furniture House.
With finance options available and online ordering, we can help you find the perfect sofa for cosy autumn and beyond.
