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What makes a good sofa?
Mark Bain from the Sofa Studio
Posted Sat, 28 Mar 2009
The Sofa Studio creates exquisitely designed furniture in accordance with time-old, traditional techniques, yet which encapsulate the essence of elegant contemporary design. Sofa Studio designer Mark Bain shares the essentials of sofa buying with us...
Obviously style and look is important when choosing a sofa but the technical stuff which is usually 'hidden' is what will dictate how long your sofa will last and how comfortable it will be. If the intention is to replace the sofa in a few years time, then the quality of its construction is not a major consideration.
But if you want to buy a comfy sofa that's going to last, follow these tips:
1. Frame:
If you are investing in expensive fabric then it follows that the frame should be of good quality to give a longer lifespan.
Ask the manufacturer or shop, what guarantee they offer on the frame of the sofa.
A good sofa frame should be made of kiln-dried wood; this is usually high grade pine. Using kiln-dried wood ensures that the frame doesn't warp.
2. Suspension:
The suspension found in the seat of the frame dictates the comfort and how long you will be able to sit on the sofa before you feel it sagging and you're falling through the seat!
There are three different types of suspension:
Hard edge with webbing: A hard edge sofa is a sofa made with a wooden front rail (the edge behind the back of your legs) with webbing running front to back. This will soon wear the seat cushion and the hard edge will be uncomfortable under your legs.
Hard edge with zigzag springs: Slightly better than webbing but will still sag over time and the hard edge will become uncomfortable.
Coil springs: This is the best type of suspension, coil springs last longer and like a bed, the coil springs are linked and move in unison with your weight giving you full support throughout the seat whilst maintaining a firm but comfortable front edge.
3. Ergonomics:
When you sit on a sofa if you feel you are slipping out of, or falling through the seat then the rake is not right. Rake is the angle of the back relating to the angle of the seat. Get this angle wrong and you will never have a comfortable sit. You must feel that you are sitting 'into' your sofa not 'on top' of it.
4. Cushions:
How the cushions are made and what goes into them is important for comfort and longevity.
Seat cushions can be made of feather, which whilst this is quite luxurious, requires plumping up.
Fibre is a man-made product which bounces back after being sat on; however, even this will require plumping, but much less often than feather cushions.
If the cushions are filled with fibre or feather then check if they have internal borders. This will prevent the filling from moving about in the casing.
Feather and fibre cushions give a more relaxed and 'lived in' look. Foam seat cushions will give a formal crisp and clean line. Many contemporary sofas use foam seat cushions.
Even within foam, there are levels of quality, so ask for high resilient foam as this will give a longer life to the cushions.
Always remember with cushions, they are firm when they are brand new and like a bed mattress, will soften up to 25 percent with use.
5. Fabric:
Most upholstery fabrics from reputable fabric houses will have been subjected to a 'rub test'. This is a process whereby a machine rubs the fabric until it's threadbare and counts the number of rubs. It's not an exact science but does give one an indication of how well the fabric will wear. In this country 12 000 to 20 000 rubs is the average for domestic use whilst 25 000 plus is acceptable for contract.
Removable covers are practical as they can be cleaned especially if a machine washable fabric is chosen. If machine washing, it's important to make sure that the fabric is pre-shrunk before the cover is made up.
Check that the edges of the fabric making up the pieces of the covers for the sofa and cushions are overlocked before they are sewn together as this will prevent fraying during washing.
Always follow the fabric manufacturers cleaning instructions.
6. Design:
Consider furniture with simple clean styling lines. It's appearance should please you for years to come.
The 21st century has brought back a degree of 'modernism' to good furniture design but the design has got to work for the human body and be aesthetically pleasing.
7. Proportion:
Try to visualise the furniture in your living space. An item of furniture which is well lit on a plinth in a large showroom may look grossly out of place in your home.
Get all the options of sizes and then mark the space out in the living room so that you can appreciate the actual three-dimensional space that the furniture will occupy. As a rough guide a comfortable chair would occupy a square metre of space, a two-seater would occupy 1.5 square metres and an average three-seater sofa would occupy two square metres.
8. Large discounts:
Be sceptical of large discounts which may mean that the original asking price was simply too high. Don't expect fine design, sound build quality and skilled pre- and post-sales service to be accompanied by the lowest price.
9. The proof is in the sitting:
Spend as much time as possible sitting on the sofa. Don't be pressurised into making a quick decision. Make sure you are comfortable in it. Sit as you would at home, even if it means lounging or lying down.
For more information visit www.sofa-studio.co.za
