Sofas

How to choose a sofa

Whether you call it a sofa, a couch or a lounge, choosing one comes down to four things: how many people sit on it most evenings, how much wall you have, how you like to sit, and what the fabric has to put up with. Get those right and the colour is the easy part.

Two, three or four seater

Seat counts are about width, not just people. A 2 seater sofa is usually 150 to 190 cm wide and suits apartments, studies and the second sofa in a pair. A 3 seater sofa at roughly 200 to 240 cm is the standard family sofa and the right size for most living rooms. A 4 seater sofa stretches past 250 cm and gives a long wall a single generous piece instead of a sofa and a gap. Two people stretched out need a three-seater at least; three people sitting upright fit a three-seater, but a four-seater is more comfortable for a family that watches television together.

Sofa sets and pairs

A sofa set, the three-seater with a two-seater or a pair of armchairs, is the easiest way to furnish a lounge room so that everything matches and everyone has a seat. In an open-plan room, two sofas facing each other across a coffee table make a conversation space and keep the room from feeling like a cinema. A three-seater with a chaise on one end gives one person a place to lie down without adding a third piece.

Curved sofas and sofas with a chaise

Curved sofas have become the signature shape of modern living rooms: soft, generous and built to float in the middle of an open-plan space rather than sit against a wall. They need more floor area than a straight sofa of the same seat count, so tape the footprint on the floor first. A sofa with a chaise gives you a lounging spot on one end; check which side the chaise sits on relative to the room, or choose one with a reversible chaise.

Fabric, leather or velvet

Fabric sofas offer the widest choice of colour and texture, from relaxed linen-look weaves and boucle to tightly woven family fabrics; a mid-tone, textured fabric hides everyday marks best, and stain-resistant fabrics wipe clean. Leather sofas wipe down in seconds, age into a patina rather than wearing out, and suit a room that gets hard use. Velvet sofas add colour and a formal feel, and modern velvets are tougher than they look. Feather-wrapped cushions give the deep, sink-in look; foam cushions hold a crisp shape and need less plumping. Either way, look for a solid timber frame and a sprung or webbed base.

Measure before you fall in love

Measure the wall, leave at least 90 cm for walkways, and check that the sofa fits through the front door, down the hallway and around any corner on the way. Measure the depth of the seat as well as the width of the sofa: a deep, low seat is for lounging, a shallower, higher seat is easier to get out of and better for reading.

Finishing the room

A coffee table about two-thirds the length of the sofa, side tables level with the arms, an armchair or two angled towards the sofa, and a rug big enough for the front legs to sit on will make a sofa look like it belongs.

See them in a Perth showroom

The Furniture Gallery is WA owned and family run, with showrooms across Perth and regional WA. Sit in the sofas, compare fabrics in daylight and talk layouts with an interior stylist. When you have chosen, add the sofa to your cart and enter your postcode for a delivery price; our white-glove delivery team will unpack it, assemble it and take the packaging away.