When we walk into a furniture shop metro centre, some choices come really easy for us. But choosing a sofa has not been. We knew that this time around we wanted a sofa that was going to last us a very long time. One that was the perfect size, a beautiful yet durable material, and that fit our style perfectly. Some people will pick a sofa that matches their interior entirely, whereas others will want a sofa that picks out different style aspects of other pieces, for instance, homeowners may have indoor rattan furniture and want the skeleton of their sofa to match that style so it flows throughout the room, but for us, we had other ideas in mind. We kept our minds open when it came to purchasing it brand new, or vintage, but in the end, we went with brand new. We are just weeks away from getting our custom sofa from Monarch Sofas, and here are some of the things that helped us with the decision process for it.
First– decide on the look you like. Are you wanting it to be super Modern? Classic? Mid Century Modern? Vintage? One way that I love to do this is by snapping a photo of the room the sofa is going in. Then when on a site that has sofas you love, save some of the photos and photoshop the sofas in to the rooms photo. Obviously its not an exact, but it definitely helps you get the general feel. An interior decorator’s assistance is highly recommended if you are about to redesign the layout of your space and purchase the most appropriate piece of furniture/sofa. It ensures elemental harmony along with the development of a style that corresponds to your preferences. If you’re looking for an elegant sofa for yourself, Modern Resale Furniture could be a good option. You can go to their store to get a sneak peek at the vintage furniture they have in stock.
Second- decide on the size. We knew this time around we wanted the sofa to seat more people than average. Doing that is a little tricky when not wanting to buy a big overstuffed sofa. One tip that I loved doing this time around is using painters tape to map out the sofa. Sure you can always just use a tape measurer and see the size, but I love being able to keep that visual up for a day to really make sure its right for the room. Always keep in mind, the higher the ceiling, typically the higher the back you want. But if you only have 8ft. ceilings, you usually want to keep it to a lower back.
Third– decide on the material. Are you a single person who has no pets? Then a beautiful crisp white sofa may be perfect for you {or you could try Emily Hendersons new tip on using Sunbrella outdoor fabric to have a white kid-friendly sofa!}. White sofas can be absolutely stunning especially in a light and open living room. This is why they are enticing to a lot of people as white leather is irresistible. However, it is important that you note how to take care of white leather.
Do you have cats that love to claw at furniture? Velvet might be your best bet. Are you planning on it getting some serious wear and tear? Microfiber practically can’t get beat up! Are you looking for a material that only wears better with time and scratches? Leather might be the one for you. We ended up going with a beautiful Camel colored leather for our new sofa, and I cannot wait. If you are getting the sofa from a store that doesn’t have all the options on the floor, always check the samples book– and then ask if there are any other pieces done in that in the store so you can see it in person.
If you are having a sofa custom made then you have a million more details and options to choose. You can choose to have either synthetic or natural down, nailhead trim or piping, mid century style legs or chunky classic ones, etc. I will say, while it was a little nerve-wracking getting so many options for this piece, we loved getting to work with Monarch on making this piece exactly how we want it. I mean, just look at all the options we had for choosing out our legs!
And now we wait! The sofa is finished so now we just need to either go get it or have it shipped here. Either way- I am so dang excited for it. Thanks Monarch for being so great to work with!
Disclosure: We partnered with Monarch on our new sofa.
