Choosing a couch means understanding which materials, designs, shapes and colours suit your preferences, lifestyle and décor. Stick with timeless shapes and tones, or go bold if your room can support it, but always test swatches and measure carefully before ordering.
Companion to your Netflix binges, Sunday naps and – if you're Gen Z – evening meals, our sofas are witness to more of our lives than we might initially expect. Which makes the decision all the more difficult when it’s time to shop around.
Over the years, I’ve helped countless clients navigate this decision, and I’ve seen firsthand how the right choice can transform a room. In this guide, I’m sharing how to choose a couch that doesn’t just look good in a showroom, but truly works for your interior and lifestyle.
It all begins with me walking you through the key things to consider, from style and shape to fabric and colour, so you can feel confident you're making the best investment for your home.
Contents:
Sofa. Couch. Settee. Whatever you call it – picking out the perfect one for your domestic needs isn’t as simple as clicking “add to basket” as soon as you see a model that tickles your fancy. This vital piece of furniture is a significant investment and likely part of the largest financial load we have to bear (moving house). So, we might as well make it worth every penny.
This means choosing a sofa that is equally functional as it is stylish, comfy as it is wipeable. Beyond the expense, though, there are plenty of other reasons for getting this purchase right:
If a precursory Google or social media scroll has you overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Decision fatigue is real, and it’s pretty common, too. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to break through that purchase panic.
Whether you’re redesigning an entire interior or just refreshing a small corner of your home, looking at your limitations can be supremely helpful. Maybe you have an awkward living room layout, a pesky L-shaped living space to squeeze it into, or low ceilings to contend with.
In each instance, there’s a sofa calling out your name and, crucially, lots of options to rule out. Here, it pays to be creative and, more often than not, means playing with scale, from sleek, low-profile space-savers to bulky pieces designed to be the centrepiece.
Shape and design should be top of mind when choosing your sofa. Not only do these elements impact logistics, ambience and functionality, but they can completely alter the way we perceive a space.
For instance, if you’re suffering from a long, narrow living room, you can opt for a small sofa paired with a couple of armchairs placed perpendicular to break up the length of the room. Likewise, an L-shaped piece slots in snugly into an L-shaped living room layout.
Even the smallest details, like buttons and pleated covers, contribute towards the character-building of your interior, particularly in those lacking the intrinsic architectural quirks of period properties.
To get your creative juices flowing, here are some of the most popular designs out there…
Perhaps one of the most iconic sofa types of them all, Chesterfields are known for their formal design, rolled back and arms, along with a distinctive section of deep buttoning.
Our Horatio sofa is a good example of an English rolled arm sofa, with its high back and low, set-back arms. Something about its deep seat and simple silhouette exudes a level of comfort like no other.
Mid-century modern style sofas typically offer clean lines and small splayed legs. Sometimes you’ll see barrel arms, and at other times you’ll see chunky square ones. Our Kensington model shows this retro design in action.
A sectional sofa refers to seating that looks like a regular sofa but with a long chaise attached in one modular unit.
A love seat is a hybrid between a sofa and an armchair, measuring up to an average of 122-183cm long, which is the equivalent of a 1.5 seater.
Your sofa should reflect your personal style as much as it serves your practical needs. Think about the overall mood of your space: do you lean towards modern farmhouse, sleek minimalism, or something more eclectic, befitting of a mid-century living room?
If your interior already follows a specific design theme, choose a sofa that complements it. For example:
The most important thing is consistency: if you blindly pick your favourite sofa and armchair design, without considering the overall theme, there’s a possibility they might clash.
From grand living room focal points to dividers in a zoned, open-plan lounge, the sofa is the embodiment of comfort. At Evelyn Lily Interiors, we understand this well, which is why I strive to ensure that each in our range is snug as can be, no matter the style.
This means providing a range of sumptuous sofa materials and upholstery from heritage fabrics like Harris Tweed to luxurious real leather. Besides these materials’ contribution to the overall look and feel of your sofa, care and maintenance should be up there in your evaluation.
I’ve covered the external materials, but about the internal ones? Although it’s not the most interesting part of the selection process, sofa fillings have a tangible impact on the level of comfort and support you’ll enjoy day-to-day.
Before you nod off, let’s take a look at the basics, with three of the most common options:
Sofa legs may seem inconsequential, but they have a real bearing on the visuals and practicality of your piece – partially because different designs introduce different levels of visual weight.
For instance, a sofa with splayed legs is going to look out of place in the middle of a formal, Georgian-inspired living room diner, whereas traditional cabriole legs are a match made in heaven. The same is true in reverse; big, blocky feet won’t pair well with a room full of slimline, tapered pieces.
Your sofa’s colour often sets the tone for the room, so consider your existing décor before choosing, or maybe even create a colour palette with an online tool. Yes, it’s good news – you don’t need to part with the wooden furniture you spent years curating.
Here are a few words of wisdom to help narrow it down:
If you’re unsure, request a handful of fabric swatches and test them at home in both natural and artificial light. Images can be deceiving, and the colours quite different in real life to how they appear online.
When choosing a sofa, it's important to consider the diverse needs of your guests: health issues, mobility, comfort, size and age included.
I recommend looking for models with built-in lumbar support or adjustable features to provide the optimal level of comfort and support. New parents or pet owners might also benefit from a sofa with taller arms to prevent little ones from slipping off.
After this, there’s fancy features like reclining mechanisms, in-built charging ports, or integrated massage functions to mull over. And, of course, checking if you can get a cheeky bit of storage in there too.
Don’t just take the manufacturer’s word for it – have a gander at the customer reviews! With these honest insights, you can realistically weigh up the pros and cons, and align the sofa to your needs. Don’t forget to filter by phrases to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Lastly, allow me to whizz through some of the pitfalls consumers fall into when they’re looking for their new sofa, so you know how to avoid them.
It’s an easy mistake to make, and it does happen from time to time. Guilty as charged.
As such, be wary of measuring your space’s dimensions accurately, considering limitations such as the size of your doors (for getting it in the room), any odd recesses, chimney breasts or other architectural features and, of course, its overall shape.
Many interior designers suggest a sofa two-thirds of the room’s width for balance, but equally weigh up the clearance you’ll need between the coffee table, TV stand and for traversing the room.
We all love a good bargain, but big purchases really shouldn’t be left to chance. Plus, in all likelihood, you’ll be using your sofa every day, so you’ll need to meet a certain threshold for manufacturing standards, durability and style – treat yourself to the quality you deserve.
We all assume product failures are going to happen to the next person, not us. But the peace of mind that comes with a long guarantee is invaluable, especially for higher-end pieces.
Finito! That’s a wrap on how to pick a couch that perfectly aligns with your requirements. As it turns out, the process isn’t so difficult.
Just remember: it’s all about weighing up the considerations systematically and, ultimately, finding a quality piece that melds into your daily routines whilst complementing the layout and décor of your living space. From showstoppers like ourHoratio Collection to a more humble piece slotted snugly into a disused corner, there's plenty to mull over.
Ready to take the plunge? It’s time to explore our sofa range to bring out the full potential, depth and artistry of your living room.
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