Shopping for Sofas – The New York Times

Picking a sofa can be a challenging proposition. From cocktail events to catnaps, it has to fulfill a extensive wide range of demands. And it’s likely the largest detail in the room, so it’s not inconspicuous.

A sofa is “among the most important and most important items of home furniture in the living home or relatives space,” said Estee Stanley, a Los Angeles-primarily based inside designer whose superstar purchasers contain Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey and Justin Timberlake.

Simply because it is so major, and so regularly applied, a couch is not the area to experiment with fashionable designs, Ms. Stanley said: “Stick with what you adore, and know that you will still like it in 5 to 10 many years.”

For diverse individuals, that indicates unique matters.

“A single dude could possibly want to have the deepest, comfiest sofa,” Ms. Stanley explained, “so all his pals can huddle jointly and check out football.”

But what if you have small children? “A family members of 4 may well want it to be common,” she mentioned, “but not so treasured that they have to be concerned when their child smears rooster salad on it.”

How prolonged should really a sofa be? Somewhere amongst seven and nine feet is generally best for seating three or 4 people today, Ms. Stanley explained, though she occasionally goes for a longer period with curved sofas.
Should really it be on legs or not? It is dependent on the home, Ms. Stanley reported, but “I like legs, so it doesn’t glance as substantially like one particular massive piece.”
Which upholstery is greatest if you have little ones? Ms. Stanley from time to time employs outdoor-grade material from providers like Perennials and Sunbrella on indoor sofas. “My customers cannot even explain to the distinction,” she said. And when spills come about, “they can just wipe it down.”