We Ask Design Experts How to Choose a Sofa — And Get It Right the First Time Around
From interior designers to a furniture consultant and a specialist upholsterer, the professionals weigh in on what to consider when buying a sofa that’ll sweep you off your feet — quite literally
A beautiful sofa is the jewel in the crown of your living room — a focal point that draws the eye and a social hub around which everyone gathers, whether to kick back and relax or host drinks and nibbles.
Because of its importance in the home, both aesthetically and practically, it’s a real investment (especially as it’s something you don't want to replace every year), so it’s essential to choose a sofa style that’s right the first time. And, sorry to say, it's not just as simple as knowing where to buy a sofa.
We ask the experts how to pick the right sofa — with key considerations including everything from the size to its shape and fabric — to help you do just that. Here's what they shared.
How to Choose the Right Sofa Size
“You need enough space to move comfortably around the sofa and between it and your other pieces of furniture,” explains Claire Sá.
There’s a sofa for every space and taste, from compact, armless styles for tight or awkward rooms, to five-seater and modular designs for large or open-plan layouts — not to mention different combinations to help you create somewhere that’s as comfortable as it is convivial.
It sounds obvious, but the best place to start really is the size your lifestyle requires, and the room can accommodate. “I often think people go too small with sofas when a generous one can actually make a room feel much more comfortable and well-balanced," says Claire Sá, co-founder of De Rosee Sa, the architecture and design studio. "Consider the depth of a sofa and how the space will be used — too deep, and it can be extremely uncomfortable in a more formal environment, for example — then measure its footprint to visualize the proportions. I recommend leaving at least 45cm between the ottoman and coffee table, with breathing room around side tables. A well-sized sofa should feel integrated into the space rather than squeezed in.”
Claire Sá is a co-director at De Rosee Sa, an architecture and design studio based in London and Lisbon with a focus on luxury residential, hospitality, and development projects. Their work is deeply rooted in shaping how people live, nurturing human connection, and creating beauty and meaning through thoughtful spatial planning, refined materiality, and a considered, context-led design approach.
How to Choose the Right Sofa Shape
Curved sofas may be trendy, but they can waste space you may not have.
Shape follows size, advises Claire, who also designs her own sofas as part of her practice. “A straight design is incredibly versatile and can even be placed at the end of a bed or in a narrow hallway if smaller in size, while a corner or modular style works well when you want a relaxed arrangement," she says. "Likewise, a low-profile sofa can be equally sociable, while a shallower one will feel more formal.”
The designer warns against curved sofas as, despite their contemporary look, they can make other furniture placement quite tricky.
My advice, as an interiors journalist? From fixed to modular, traditional to trendy, choose a design that’s true to your style and suits your needs, rather than chase fleeting here-today, gone-tomorrow trends. In my living room, I’ve gone for a country-house design with a timeless form and enduring colorway that’ll look as good down the line as it does today — in fact, the more battered, the better.
How to Choose the Right Sofa Fabric
Performance fabrics are generally considered the lowest-maintenance sofa fabric.
“When choosing a fabric for your sofa, after determining the size and shape, the first thing to think about is durability,” explains Micaela Sharp, the specialist upholsterer behind her eponymous company. “If the sofa is going to be used frequently by the entire family, then a fabric with a high Martindale score — a test that scratches the fabric until the first thread breaks — is a good option. A score of 20,000 is low and suitable for headboards or chairs in less-used rooms, while over 200,000 is high and perfect for the main sofa in a high-traffic living space.”
Different materials such as wool, linen, cotton, and blended fabrics should also be considered, Michaela suggests, with natural fibers best in terms of performance and being able to wash and steam when required.
The upholsterer does point out that the majority of modern sofa fabrics are blended, however, which ensures the fibers are more hardwearing. “If you’ve got kids or pets and are concerned about spills and scuffs, you could also opt for a stain-resistant finish on the fabric,” she adds. “This ensures liquids do not seep in and that you can wipe them away with a cloth, but it does mean that the covers aren’t washable. This finish also uses a lot of chemicals, so the more sustainable option is to go for natural fibers that can be washed and a patterned fabric to conceal any marks.”
Micaela Sharp is an expert upholsterer and founder of her namesake company, which also offers interior design services. First learning carpentry and sewing from her family, Micaela went on to study upholstery before starting her business; she is also the bestselling author of Modern Upholstery and has appeared on Netflix’s Interior Design Masters.
If you're concerned about sustainability, there are many factors to consider when looking for a sofa that uses eco-friendly fabrics. Delyth Fetherston-Dilke, a sustainable furniture consultant who advises interior clients such as Lorfords Contemporary on low-toxicity sofa builds, says: “Our indoor atmosphere is more toxic than outdoors in part due to certain chemical treatments on things like sofas and floors becoming airborne due to volatile chemicals, wear, or abrasion.”
Most sofas are built with foam made from petrochemicals, explains Delyth, with the foam treated with chemical flame retardants to adhere to strict UK flammability requirements that don’t apply in the rest of Europe or the US. And now, fabrics have ever-more ‘performance’ specs — flame-resistant, stain-resistant, anti-microbial, anti-crease — each bringing another chemical treatment.
“To avoid unnecessary exposure to toxins in your home, avoid fabrics that offer these characteristics; look for a sofa built from natural fibers with a wool or natural cover together with a wool interliner," she says. "Better still, work with an upholsterer to rebuild an existing piece in a natural fabric you adore with a natural filling.”
A sustainable furniture consultant, Delyth Fetherston-Dilke advises interior clients on low-toxicity, natural-fibre approaches to sofa builds and sits on the Board of the Association of Master Upholsterers (AMUSF) and on the British Standards committee for furniture fire safety.
How to Choose a Quality Sofa
It's worth paying attention to the details you can't see when choosing a sofa, too.
We’ve talked about the bits you can see on your sofa, but what about the bits you can’t, such as the frame? Interior design expert Alex Dauley thinks it’s the most important part. “We can all be seduced by beautiful upholstery and a lovely shape, but if you’re investing in something that you’re going to sit on every day for years to come, you need to understand what’s beneath it,” she says. “Look for strength, good construction, and stability. Traditionally, a well-made hardwood frame has always been a marker of quality, but engineered steel frames offer incredible consistency and longevity without the natural movement you get with timber.”
King Living, the Australian furniture company that Alex is a fan of and has used in many client projects, features these frames and comes with a 25-year warranty, an indication of how seriously the business takes its internal construction.
Alex also suggests that suspension — something we don’t think about until a sofa begins to sag — has a huge impact on comfort and how long it lasts. There are two kinds: springs and wadding. “The latter can work perfectly well when it’s high quality and properly tensioned, while the former can give a more structured and responsive feel," she says. "I’m less interested in saying one system is universally better than another and more interested in how the whole sofa has been engineered to work together. Ultimately, you want support that feels comfortable when you first sit down but will perform exactly the same way after years of everyday use.”
Alex Dauley is an interiors expert, consultant, and public voice in design. She works across spatial projects, brand collaborations and speaking engagements, shaping spaces and stories that reflect how we live now – thoughtfully and intentionally.
When it comes to the quality of cushion fillings, it’s all about how you like to live, Alex tells me. “Feather gives you that wonderfully soft, relaxed, sink-in feeling, but it needs plumping and looking after. Foam provides more structure and shape retention, while fiber gives softness without as much maintenance. Personally, I prefer a combination rather than one material doing all the work, with different layers and densities giving you initial softness with enough support.”
Upholsterer Michaela agrees. “I like half-way house with foam wrapped in feather. It gives you the structure of the former with the fluffiness of the latter — and without the daily zhuzhing. Naturally, over time, all cushions will get softer, so do bear this in mind!”
In terms of the level of comfort different sofa heights and depths afford, she urges you to be honest with yourself about how you usually sit or lie on a sofa. “A low back will offer less support but might look better in the space. If you're a lounger, like me, a higher back and deeper seat depth offers the most space to relax. If you prefer sitting upright, the height of the arm will be important for your comfort. These measurements will be relative to the depth of the cushions around them as well, so it's best to test the sofa in a showroom when you can.”
How to Choose the Right Sofa Color
Choosing a colored sofa makes a big statement in any room.
Finally, what about color? “Neutral sofas always feel timeless and can be layered with lots of other shades and textures in cushions and throws,” explains Chess Darby, the co-founder of Darby Holmes, the integrated build and design company. Better still, she reveals, they give you the flexibility for changing things up down the line in soft furnishings and fun accessories, although they do tend to show stains and marks more easily — "especially if you’ve got pets and children."
Chess advises that a colorful sofa can be like the bow on top of a present, tying the room together while leaving plenty of opportunity for layering patterns and textures on top. “They’re more forgiving when it comes to concealing kids’ mucky fingers,” she adds, “and if you have a neutral room, you can use the sofa as a hero accent.”
And how about patterns? “They do a lot of the heavy-lifting in a room, just like adding a jazzy jacket to a plain outfit,” Chess says. “They’re also great for pulling in lots of the colors elsewhere in your scheme and are the most forgiving in hiding a multitude of sins. Why do you think the London Underground has patterned seats on the Tube?”
With a longstanding creative passion for interiors, Chess Darby’s path into the industry began with the homes she and her husband, Ross, designed, built, and renovated for themselves. Today, they bring that experience, knowledge, and shared passion for traditional design, reimagined for modern living, to their clients’ homes across Surrey and London as part of Darby Holmes.
But if you'd prefer we just cut to the chase and share a specific sofa you should buy, Livingetc's editor took the time to head in-store to sit on every John Lewis sofa he could find, and he rounded up the ones he'd actually recommend buying, which should help.
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