Knowing These 9 Secrets Will Make Your Sofa Look Amazing

The 10 best sofas | what you will need to
know before buying
What makes a couch "the best?" Much has already been written about
it. You will hear phrases being thrown around like
eight-way hand-tied springs
kiln-dried hardwood frames

Made in the united states
And then there are the chair cushions.
Down
Down and Feather1
Synthetic | Poly-dacron
Foam Core Down
Spring Down
Natural | Soy-based
Arms?
skirt/no skirt?
And then there's style. Maybe it's the style that makes it the best
sofa.
Finally, there's price.
Occasionally, someone asks me:
Well, the latter is definitely massed-produced. However, the
difference between the 10k and 2k usually has a lot to do with the
name more than what's inside it. This is true for a lot of things we
buy. right?
All

Dozen sofas in their entire lifetime, and some only one or two.

Living room and it's also the largest, naturally. Therefore, careful
Consideration should be paid, but please don't drive yourself crazy.

Quality, they're all pretty great.

you.
What room is it for? Is it for watching TV and lounging? Will people
be eating on it?
That no one ever goes into, but you want it to look nice because you
pass by it all the time?
Or maybe it's the main living space that includes a TV and more
formal entertaining.
What dimensions do you require?
between about 60″ and 90″. The most common size is a three-seat
However, and this is a really
important point.
And relaxing, there'll never be more than two people on it, so it is
Vitally important to get a sofa that's the right length.
Depth. Sofas generally come in depths from
The latter is like a stretch limo. You need a BIG room for
one of those babies.
How deep?
However, I have had clients who want what I call a bed

This is why God invented throw pillows. ;]
How tall should the back be? A

pieces with a back of 43." My Favourite height for a traditional sofa is
34-35."
How high should the seat be? The average seat height is 18″-20."
Although there are styles that might have a seat as low as 15″ or as
high as 21." It's a bit difficult to get an exact measurement because
None of them are straight lines.
Arm height. Well, that's a function of design, but for an average sofa,
that's usually from about 23″-25." But a Chesterfield style
[the back and arms are the same height] could be as large as 36."
There's another really important element to Discuss when
Choosing the best sofa.
It is the part that the chair cushion sits and includes the front of
The couch that the legs attach to. That needs to be fine and firm.
Sofas with flabby decking will not be comfortable.
Skirt? No Skirt? That is dependent upon the style and preference. One of
My pet peeves is when someone calls a couch with a skirt,
"traditional." There is nothing at all conventional about a sofa with a
skirt.
If we are talking "traditional" we need to go back to the time
of Louis XVI in France and that's circa 1780 or below in England to
the furniture maker Thomas Chippendale. These are "traditional"
sofas
This is what a traditional sofa looks like. I don't find a skirt! This
beauty is a Chippendale into a transitional Hepplewhite sofa. And
that would be circa 1800. As a matter of fact, before that, there
Weren't any sofas in any way! People sat in chairs like this.
No sofas usually, just the chairs. Several Years ago, I went on a field
trip with my son Cale to John Jay Homestead in Katonah. This was
The home of John Jay the first supreme court justice. Mr. Jay lived
in this home in the late 1700s. Today, It's a faithfully preserved
specimen of that era. There are two parlors in the house. Each is set
Up with two small tables and around each one are 3 chairs. That
is all. And this was a wealthy dude!
Okay. Calm down. They're coming. The history lesson is for anyone
Who's interested. Everyone else can scroll down to the great stuff.
But first.
What are my criteria for the best sofas?
classic styling
beautiful proportions
comfort
quality
Good value
As for seat cushions-- 99% of the moment, we use spring down seating.
It is both soft and supportive and retains the shape of the cushion
better than any other.
I specify almost all of my upholstered furniture
from three companies.
They have the best sofas
CR Laine (as of January 2017, we can no longer recommend this
Company because of some business practices which have hurt many
of my colleagues. Consequently, the link has been removed.)
The latter is one of those trade secrets that I'm not supposed to tell
anyone about because they don't show at High Point and they don't
Have a website and they never will, I've been told fairly recently.
We'll see... It might be alright now... but...
Wait? You're telling us your sources?
Sure? Why not? It's not a secret. I mean, when you walk into your
local Overpriced-R-us retail furniture store, don't they usually have
the manufacturer info on the label?
These are all terrific companies with medium high-end prices and
Fantastic quality.
Number 1 is well, the number one sofa which you can read about in
the link.
This one is by Lee Industries, although the one we did from CR
Laine last year is extremely similar.
The Russel Sofa
This is known as a Bridgewater Sofa or an English roll arm sofa
This is a sleek track arm sofa from Lee Industries
TCS Designs makes my favourite settee. It's quite compact and yet
just as comfortable as a full-sized sofa, so I've used it many times,
when space is tight.
This is a Tuxedo Arm sofa from Lee Industries which we did below
for the Bronxville sun room with a skirt
The Lawson arm sofa is most likely the most common basic style. In
the 80's the arms were really BIG sometimes. This version from Lee
is updated yet still cl1assic. The so-called "traditional sofa" is
usually a version of this arm with a 7″ skirt.
A newer frame from CR Laine, the Huntley evokes a kind of
Hollywood of the 1930s-type glamor to me.
This sofa from Lee is not only very beautiful, but feels totally
Luxurious and enveloping to sit .
A timeless leather Chesterfield. This became popular in men's club
houses in the early part of the 20th century. It's distinctive large
round arm is the same height as the back. It is usually tufted.
This is a custom-made Chesterfield I had made for a customer in
Scarsdale, NY 2 years ago.
The wedge couch is a newer style. This version from Lee is a winner.
There are other versions of this style which are also great, but I
Included the wedge, because I think that it's kinda cool and would
Be perfect for watching TV.
CR Laine's Chichester sofa is a new take on the classic Chesterfield
sofa.
And here it is in the Bronxville living room
Did you see any of your favourite sofa styles? Did you discover a new
one? Which one is your favorite? Are there any glaring omissions?