Picking the perfect sofa can be an anxiety-inducing task. Sofas are the heart of your living space. Every evening you lounge on them, and every time someone enters your house, it’s the first place you invite them to sit. They are the workhorses of the living room: we literally live on them. So, they need to suit both your needs and your style, while anchoring your home in comfort. That’s why at Amish Elegance we offer dozens of styles with customizable features to help you get it just right. Here are some key things to consider that can help you make the right sofa choice.

Function First

First and foremost, consider the size of your space and how you will use the sofa. Is this a formal sitting room or a family den? Do you need a small loveseat for an office or sleeper sofa for a spare room? When you consider how many people will be using the sofa and how often, it helps to narrow your choices. Try to think of the top problem you want this sofa to solve and go from there.

  • Family seating: recliner or traditional sofa
  • Bedroom/office seating or to augment another sofa: loveseat
  • Dual functionality in a spare room: sleeper sofa

You might not fall neatly into those categories, but chances are your needs lean toward one of them.

Understand Your Room

Next you need to take a look at the room itself. Consider where are the windows positioned and how the dimensions may affect the sofa arrangement. How do people enter and exit the room? Are there any other pieces of furniture or architectural elements you need to work around like bookcases, fireplaces, and TVs? You’ll typically want to place a sofa directly across from a TV or fireplace and leave at least three feet to walk around it if it isn’t against a wall.

When you understand what in the room influences where the sofa needs to be placed, you can begin to hone in on how big it should be and what you want it to look like.

Measure Twice

Determining how big your sofa needs to be is the next big hurdle. If you know how many people you need to accommodate on the sofa on a regular occasion and where it should go, you can easily determine the size of sofa you need. Sofas come in all shapes and sizes, but typical three seaters are 80 to 90 inches. If you’re hoping to nap on your sofa, make sure it’s at least 6 inches longer than the tallest member of your family.

And don’t forget to measure height and width. Height can be particularly important when you’re factoring in windows, and width helps determine whether other furniture can be placed around it. You should also take measurements of your hallways and doorways too, so you’re certain you have a path to get the sofa into your house.

Balance Wood and Fabric

The next big consideration is what type of fabric will work best for your sofa. If you have pets or small children, a performance fabric, UltraLeather, or leather will suit your needs best. The Amish Elegance design team will carefully explain the options and offer recommendations that may be best for your needs. Upholstered furniture that is made by Amish craftsmen is framed with solid hardwoods (usually oak or maple).  This makes a significant difference in the length of life for the piece.  Imported furniture that often contains plywood or soft woods such as pine and poplar and even cardboard has a greater potential for breaking down after a short period of time.

Know Your Style

Do you gravitate towards contemporary or more traditional furniture? Do you have multiple mid-mod pieces in your home, or do you prefer a rustic style? Understanding the style of your other furniture and what kind of lines you prefer will help narrow down what you’re looking for.

Amish Elegance design team will skillfully guide you through options that will pair well with existing pieces or assist with a completely new look and feel for the space.

Choose Quality

A sofa is one of the largest, most essential purchases of your home, and most people will keep their sofa for 10 years or more. If there was ever a place to splurge on quality, it’s on this piece. Make sure you choose a sofa with a well-made frame from hardwood timber rather than wood composite. Also, look at the frame’s joints to judge the quality of the piece. The springs should be of heavy gauge steel that offers long lasting support; 8-way hand tied springs and reinforced sinew springs are the highest standard used by Amish craftsmen.  The comfort comes from the high-density foam used for the seat, back and arm cushions.  Down-filled cushions are offer a soft seat but do not hold their shape, thus requiring regular fluffing, repositioning, and flipping of cushions.

High Quality Fine Furniture from Amish Elegance

At Amish Elegance, we have dozens of sofa options including sleeper sofas, recliners, loveseats, and standard three-seater sofas. We believe that quality furniture comes from solid, durable wood, expert craftsmanship, and simple, elegant design. We provide customers with customizable wood and fabric options as well as a showroom where they can see and feel the quality of our creations.

If you’ve been looking for that perfect sofa, and want something beautiful and built to last, Amish Elegance has enough options to suit any style. Visit our website for a broad overview of what we have to offer or come visit our showroom at 613 N. Campbell Station Road. We’re ready to welcome you to a whole new furniture shopping experience!