How to Buy a Sofa

Finding the right sofa is crucial to your living room's décor - and to the room's relaxation factor. Here are some tips that will help you rise to the challenge.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring Tapes
• Sofas

Instructions

1. Determine potential size restrictions for your sofa. For example, if it will be moved up a flight of stairs or placed in a small room, determine the maximum measurements - depth and height as well as length.

2. Consider the color carefully because a sofa will last many years, during which various colors will become hot and then passé. A neutral sofa can be updated simply by swapping out the pillows.

3. Have an idea about upholstery before you shop. A tough leather may be ideal for a rough-and-tumble household with pets and toddlers; Navajo-white cotton could be fine for careful adults who don't snack while sitting on the sofa.

4. Be aware that patterned, two-tone, tweedy and other multicolor fabrics will camouflage soil and stains more effectively than will solids.

5. Try out the sofa in the store. You and other family members should sit on it for several minutes, trying out both an outside cushion and a center cushion to be sure they're comfortable.

6. Check the fabric for comfort. If it's scratchy or itchy, pass it by.

7. Examine whether the fabric's pattern is aligned where edges meet. If it's a stripe, plaid or big print, the pattern on the back of the sofa should align with the pattern on the cushion and then on down to the front of the seating base.

8. Look at the workmanship of the cushion cording. Does it snake around or is it straight?

9. Remove the sofa cushions and see what's under them. You shouldn't see any wood - just smooth, upholstered surfaces.

10. Ask the salesperson about interior construction. The frame should be wood with corner blocks and glue; don't buy a sofa with nailed, stapled or unbraced joints, as these will loosen and wobble.

Tips & Warnings

• If the legs screw in (a mark of quality), this can be a help when moving the sofa. You'll be able to remove the legs to help the sofa turn a stairwell corner.