Sofa trends, fabrics and colours

When people start shopping for new sofas, the most obvious criteria to be met are comfort, durability, style, size and colour. A sofa is an expensive purchase and something not many households tend to change on a yearly basis.

Comfort is of course massively important. You would never by a sofa without sitting on it first. But style often has a lot to do with comfort. Bulkier, chunky sofas have more comfortable cushions but may not look right with your living room design if you have a minimalistic, streamlined style. Of course, often the more expensive sofas are the more comfortable - the most comfortable being those with down fillings. Foam is a cheaper filling and can still be very comfortable, but cheaper sofas may wear and sag over time.

This brings us to durability. Buying a cheaper sofa may be a false economy as it won't last as long and will need to be replaced. You'll need to take into account your lifestyle - do you have children or pets? Do you entertain much or have a large family? This will influence the fabric and style you choose. A social sofa should fit three people and an L-shaped sofa can fit even more. You can also buy armchairs, pouffes and loveseats for extra seating.

Some fabrics will wear more easily than others; for instance, leather sofas are consistently popular and if treated with love can last for years. You can buy cleaners designed specifically for caring for leather but for standard spills and drips warm water and washing up liquid will clean sufficiently.

The colour you choose will depend on what colour scheme you already have in your living room. A neutral-coloured fabric will allow you to be a bit more daring with your walls but if you want to keep your rooms a light colour consider making a statement with a bright or patterned sofa.

Photo credit: Justyna Furmanczyk

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