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Choosing A Sofa

Choosing a sofa requires a certain amount of consideration – after all, it is an expensive item of furniture and you will be living with it for a long time.

Size Matters
Before you head out to the furniture store to choose your sofa, the first thing to do is get out a tape measure.  Measure everything.  Measure the room. Measure how big your current sofa is then you will know what size of sofa fits in your room.  Measure the width of your doorways. 

You may be lucky enough to have patio doors that open wide, but remember to measure the width of the back gate!  If you live in a flat or apartment measure the doors of the lift or the width of the stairs. You do not want to find that you have bought a sofa that requires you to have a window removed to get it into your living room!

Choose the Style Of Your Sofa
The next step in choosing your sofa is deciding what type of sofa that you want –a standalone piece, a 3 piece suite, two sofas or maybe a corner unit.  Whatever you decide, check that they will all fit into your room.

Do you prefer a high back so that you can rest your head on the back of the sofa?  Do you want a style where you can see the legs (and vacuum underneath them more easily)  or do you want a style of sofa that goes down to the floor?  Will a cosy, squashy sofa suit the style of the room, or would a sharp contemporary styled sofa work better in your living room?

Fabric Or Leather
The next stage in choosing a sofa is deciding what sort of material you want your sofa to be made out of. 

Leather can look very modern and stylish yet is easy to wipe clean if you have children or pets. If anyone in your household is prone to allergies, leather also has the advantage that it does not hold dust or animal dander.  However it will require special cleaning and feeding to ensure that it lasts a long time, and is more easily damaged by animal claws.

Fabric is cosy and more suited to a homely decorating style.  It is warm to the touch, and can often be removed for cleaning.  Some retailers offer sets of covers which can be changed depending on the season.  It is also more tolerant of cat and dog claws. However it will stain more easily, so mind the coffee!  It is usually more affordable than leather as well.

Colour and Style
You are now nearly ready to choose your sofa!  Finally  you need to decide on the colour.  You will often see brightly coloured sofas with big discounts in your local furniture showroom.  Unless you always have your sofa laden with throws and cushions you will soon tire of one in a bright, trendy colour.  

You really are better off choosing a sofa in a neutral shade with a subtle design.  Brown, mid and deep blue, dark burgundy red, beige and black are all popular shades because they are easy to live with and match well with other colours.  If you want to be up-to-date with the latest fashions in your living room, choose cushions and throws in trendy colours to put on your sofa.

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