Finding the right sofa with sofa.com

Sofas are close to our hearts as well as our behinds! Not only do they need to be comfortable, practical and affordable, but they also need to reflect our individual taste and our home style.

A room can be transformed simply by the sofa you choose to put in it which is why buying the right one can be such a daunting decision. The last thing anyone wants is to find that their newly ordered sofa is the wrong size, style or colour when placed in the room of choice (especially if it has been made to order!).

When faced with the task of choosing a sofa for our holiday home down in Cornwall, I have got to admit, I felt a little anxious at making the right decision! I questioned myself – how do I strike the right balance between style over function? There are lots of sofa designs that I love in isolation, but I had to consider the main purpose and use for this one – it was going to be used in a rented holiday home by the sea. So, I have collaborated with sofa.com to share my sofa decision-making with you all.

In terms of design, I knew I wanted a sofa that would bring in some warmth to the room as the existing space felt quite bland and cold. We inherited an old IKEA sofa which is neutral in colour, rather unshapely and in fact, a little small for the room. I wanted a practical fabric and colour for the sofa that would be easy to clean and a contemporary shape which would work with the room flow. I also needed a straight-backed sofa to allow for a walkway behind to the stairs and the porch. Lastly, I wanted the design to work with a recently purchased item of furniture and to also connect with the house and its surroundings i.e. the seaside.

Old sofa, old room:

To begin my search I ordered lots of fabric swatches from sofa.com – they offer such a wide range of options, you have lots to choose from! As with any colour decision-making that you do for your home, it is so important to look at the colour in the room that it is going to be in. Every room, every space, has a different amount of natural light so it is crucial that you see how a colour will look in its chosen environment.

Naturally, when thinking of coastal decor you think blues, greys and whites but these colours can generally be quite cold. As I mentioned, I wanted to bring in some warmth to the room whilst also connect with my surroundings of being by the sea. Sofa.com do a lovely sea green colour called Evergreen which I think achieves a coastal feel but emits warmth. To complement this colour and to add some variance to the room design, I decided to bring in a different colour on a footstool. Below are the colours swatches for Evergreen (left) and Oxford Blue (right).

Function and structure – two key aspects of design that I had to consider. It’s absolutely vital to check measurements to ensure your new sofa will fit in your space (and through the doors)! I needed to find a sofa bigger than our existing one but in a shape that would not interrupt the room flow and walk space. One of the things I love about sofa.com is the option to select non-standard sizes such as their ‘Two and a Half seat sofa’ size. Our holiday home is an old cottage so irregular sizes come as standard!

The best thing I find when looking at sofa designs (or any room design for that matter) is to create some visuals. Use the tools on sofa.com to select the design, colour and size of your sofa online. Then, using photoshop, pull in image screenshots of your selections along with images of items from your home so that you can get an idea of how they will all sit together in the room. If you are not Photoshop savvy, just print your visuals, cut them out and place them on the table together. You will see below my sofa and footstool selections (the Costello design) alongside my new Karla armchair from Swoon Editions. Notice how I have tried to follow through with the wood frame design which is a nod to seaside living.

With my selections made, I placed my order and within 5 weeks I received my new Two and a Half seat Costello sofa and matching footstool – in time for our Christmas guests!

Mum, Scarlett and I were at the house to take delivery and I’ve got to say, I was really impressed with the level of service from the delivery team. They were efficient, polite and considerate to their surroundings. At first, we struggled to get the sofa in through the porch door and it was even suggested, by a member of the delivery team, that they would dismantle one of the arms so they could get it in! Thankfully that wasn’t necessary and we were able to get it in via an alternative access point. Nothing was too much trouble. Once in, the delivery team completed the assembly of the items.

With the furniture in position, Mum and I brought in the Christmas tree and started to decorate the house for Christmas. We decided to place the footstool in the dining room as a short-term measure whilst the Christmas tree was in the living room. I like the option of moving the footstool around and almost treating it as an additional form of seating (especially for the children!).

Overall, I am really pleased with the finished look. The Evergreen colour adds warmth, interest and life to the room whilst the wooden plinth frame gives a nautical/driftwood feel. I used my existing cushions on the new sofa – two blue ones similar to the Oxford Blue footstool fabric and two ivory and teal striped cushions, both from Homesense. I hope you like the finished look…?

New sofa, new room:

Thanks for reading! x