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How To Pick The Perfect Sofa

How to choose the perfect sofa, now there's a dilemma?

Although we realise it is not quite as monumental as finding your perfect house, the right school for your children or your dream car, it is an important decision and purchase all the same and it needs to be right for you. 

Excited at the prospect of refurnishing my own living room recently, I decided this was the perfect time to go crazy and find that wow sofa.

Did I want to go for an elegant buttoned back in a silky velvet, a slouchy bohemian low level sofa in a patchwork of patterns and colours or a sculptural curved work of art like the Sofa and Chair Mouna 1950's inspired piece above? After drooling for hours on end at a myriad of sofas, the conclusion I came to was yes the fabric had to be gorgeous but above all I wanted comfort. 

If you are looking for a good allrounder and want the ultimate in comfort, I would always recommend a cushioned back and cushioned seat sofa. Personally I love feather wrap cushions as they keep their structure, the centre is foam but they are wrapped in feathers which creates a much softer look and feel. Obviously complete feather seat and back cushions are much softer but most client's agree they really can't be bothered to spend their lives plumping them up, way too much hard work! 

A good tip also, is sofas with slightly higher backs give more support and are more comfy to rest against, but they still manage to retain an elegant smart appearance like the Hockney Sofa above.

Buttoned back sofas look gorgeous and create a very glamorous effect, bear in mind they are much firmer to lean against though, as are fixed back sofas, so if you are looking for a sofa to snuggle into this is definitely not for you. I would usually recommend this type of sofa for formal living rooms or areas in the house where the aim of the game is not for a serious chill out.

The main question that most customers want to know is how much do you have to spend to get a good quality sofa?

There are many manufacturers supplying sofas at the moment varying hugely in price, but you can pick up a quality sofa for around the £3500 - £6000 mark (depending on the cost of the fabric that you choose and the manufacturer). Of course there are sofas that cost a lot more which are exquisitely made and well worth the money if you can afford it and there are also sofas that cost a lot less. With regards to less, as in all things in life you get what you pay for and as the saying goes "buy cheap buy twice". Yes you can pick up a sofa for around the £1000 and it will be ok (great for people on a tighter budget), but obviously it is not going to be the same quality and comfort as a more high end model and will not last as long. Less expensive models tend to be mass produced and will use materials such as chip board, inexpensive, low quality foam and will be stapled and glued, whereas quality pieces will be hand made, will use solid beech frames and will be nailed and sewn. Always buy the best that you can afford and it will hopefully last the test of time. 

If you are canny about it choose a timeless classic style and with a quality piece it can last a life time, with a few re upholstering sessions along the way. So when you think of pounds versus bums on seats, you have to admit spending that type of money on a sofa is a bit of a bargain. 

It's all about the mural!

As bold wall coverings and figurative wallpapers go from strength to strength, we are seeing a new player in town on the interiors scene. Welcome to the dramatic and indulgent world of the mural! 

Years ago when I embarked upon my career in the interiors industry, the mere thought of a mural would send a shudder down my spine. How could client's request something so tacky? The typical wants of solar systems or cheap photographed tropical landscapes were ok for kid's rooms I supposed, or on the other end of the spectrum you would have beautifully crafted but terribly traditional designs of twee birds perching daintily on over ladened branches. This may have been stunning for a country retreat but was not quite right for your modern new build or trendy pad.

Today things have moved on. Amongst alternative mural designs of clever geometrics interlaced with animals and retro inspired offerings, there is an abundance of new wave, bird themed murals available, transforming the most bland room into something quite magical. 

I personally love this classic styled bird design with Flamingos. Flamingos are so hot right now and teaming this mural with mid century inspired furniture and accessories gives this classic mural a modern twist and creates a perfect up to date luxe look. Love!

I think it's time to rid myself of my pre conceptions and embrace the mural!