What does a person associate with the word sofa? Home coziness, comfort, a pleasant evening with family or friends, watching your favorite comedy with a cup of hot tea in your hand in winter weather, or maybe a match of your favorite football team. One thing is indisputable: the sofa is the central place of attraction, a command post and a zone of complete relaxation for all household members, and, therefore, when the question arises of how to choose upholstered furniture for the living room, there are no trifles here, and all the nuances need to be taken into account.
To choose a sofa for the living room, it is important to be guided by financial capabilities and visual preferences.
sofa frame
It's time to talk about the design features of the sofa, and we'll start with the “basics of the basics” - the frame. This is the frame on which all remaining parts are attached, and therefore its undeniable advantage is strength.
- A frame made of chipboard and plywood, used in the cheap price segment, is short-lived and unsafe due to the content of harmful impurities in its composition that can be released into the atmosphere;
- The frame, made of wood and reinforced with metal inserts, will last for many years. When manufacturing in the furniture industry, they use both inexpensive species of pine or birch, as well as exclusive beech and ash;
- The frame, made of metal tubes coated with galvanic powder paint, called chrome plated, is very strong and durable to use.
Style
Let's move on to aesthetics. A modern, classic or Scandinavian sofa is an opportunity to create a unique universe in the living room. Choosing a style is a great way to determine the vibe of your space. But remember that the sofa should harmonize with or contrast with the style of your living room. For example, if your home has a modern vibe, a minimalist model with clean lines will fit perfectly into the interior. And these are the bestsellers from our catalog - sofas in a modern style.
- Sofa Barcelona 2-seater OGOGO
RUB 69,190
- Bestseller
For daily sleepCorner sofa Jardin 3
RUB 55,640
Choosing sofa upholstery
After we have decided on the frame, we will find out how to choose a sofa for the living room with the best filling, because the main function of the sofa is to “accommodate household members into its arms” and the seat should be moderately hard and comfortable.
A monochromatic color scheme is appropriate if the goal is to “dissolve” the sofa in the setting.
- Spring structures in the form of snakes, etc. bonners are deservedly considered the best, and the modern furniture industry produces them with orthopedic functions. This means that the load will be removed from the back while sitting, the correct shape of the spinal column will be maintained, and the spring blocks connected to each other in a special way will balance, correctly distributing the weight and, thereby, increasing their service life;
- Various types of chemical compositions - among which foam rubber and polyurethane have become the most popular, and less popular - holofiber, latex, padding polyester must be of very high quality, otherwise, the filler will sag after a year or two of use.
When choosing a color palette, you need to rely on your own preferences.
And the last, no less important point is the upholstery material and its color. This is the “face”, the “business card” of your sofa, which will tell you about your status and will come into contact with people and pets more often than other details. It should be durable and fairly easy to clean.
- Upholstery made of genuine leather - with proper care, is almost durable, looks very rich and costs a lot of money;
Expensive material that will give the atmosphere a touch of luxury.
- Upholstery made of “eco-leather” is a high-quality analogue of leather developed in production, quite durable and wear-resistant, but more susceptible to abrasion than natural leather;
It combines the advantages of leather upholstery (durability, appearance), but costs less, and the tactile sensations are much more pleasant.
- Fabric upholstery is the most popular sofa upholstery with today's variety of furniture textiles. The wear resistance class is very high, and the variety of textures will satisfy any customer needs.
It is recommended to choose a fabric that is resistant to dirt and stress: matting, velor, flock, jacquard, tapestry.
Note! Whatever color of the sofa you choose for your living room, try to ensure that it does not match the main color of the walls, because... with this approach, it will merge with them, and the main task of the sofa is to focus attention on itself, so contrast is preferable.
Transformation mechanism
According to the principle of operation, transformation mechanisms can be divided into three groups: folding, roll-out and unfolding (folding sofas).
Folding sofas
The “book” has two positions: for sitting and for sleeping. Below there is a spacious drawer for linen. The only drawback of the design is that the sofa standing against the wall needs to be moved slightly to unfold it.
“Click-klyak” is also a sofa-book, but has its own characteristics. Unlike the “book”, the sofa has three positions: unfolded, sitting and intermediate, which is called “relaxation”. Good for sleep and relaxation. Most models have a drawer for linen.
Roll-out sofas
The Eurobook folds out simply: the lower part rolls forward on rollers along the guides, and the back rests on the free space. The sofa is ideal for daily sleep: the sleeping area is large and level. The raised backrest reveals a spacious linen drawer. A special plus is that the sofa does not need to be moved away from the wall in order to unfold it.
“Tick-tock” is the same “Eurobook”, only the lower part does not roll out on rollers, but is slightly raised, pulled towards itself using a spring mechanism and placed on the floor. This design does not scratch the floor and does not leave marks on the coating.
For sofas with Dolphin and Conrad mechanisms, an additional secret block is hidden under the main seat. This is what we pull out and raise to the level of the main seat to create a bed. The Conrad has both the seat and the lower block pulled forward, while the Dolphin has only a secret block. When unfolded, you get a spacious sleeping area. One of the disadvantages is that the straight versions of the sofas do not have drawers for linen.
Sofa beds
Simple, reliable and original - this is how the “Accordion” mechanism can be described. The sleeping area is level and comfortable, and a simple mechanism allows you to unfold the accordion sofa every day for a long time. In order to unfold the sofa, just slightly lift and pull the seat towards you. The sofa straightens out and turns into a comfortable bed.
The French cot has a tri-fold cot hidden under the seat. In order to remove and open it, you need to remove the pillows and the seat itself from the sofa, then slightly pull it towards you and unfold it. The design is simple, reliable, but not suitable for daily sleep. But for guests who suddenly stay overnight, this is an excellent option.
Inside the American folding bed there is a double folding structure with an orthopedic mattress. A thick mattress smooths out unevenness and joints, so you can sleep on such a sofa every day. The downside is that there is no place to store bed linen; pillows and seats must be removed at night.
The Italian folding bed, in our opinion, is the most interesting and original way of sofa transformation. When disassembling the sofa, you don’t take anything out or pull it out: you lower the back and just unfold it. The back and seat are under the bed, and on top there is a thick orthopedic mattress.
Examples of interesting living room interior ideas with a sofa
Whatever style your living room is decorated in, check out the fundamental sofa models created by the best furniture architects, and rightfully considered “classics of the genre.” Hundreds of designers every day in different parts of the world use these sofas to decorate homes and hotels, creating breathtaking interiors.
Textiles for the sofa enliven the atmosphere and introduce color accents into it.
- Slipper is a small sofa without armrests on high legs, sophisticated and airy.
- Chesterfield is equally rich in both leather and velvet upholstery. Rounded armrests of the same height as the backrest and signature, tone-on-tone buttons have made this model a perennial favorite among consumers for the last 100 years.
- Cabriole is a lightweight model similar to a French ice cream with ornate legs.
- Bridgewater - The sofa has low bolster-shaped arms and a high back, plus removable cushions throughout. A calm, democratic model for small living rooms.
- A sofa in mid-century modern style is a prominent representative of the so-called. “Scandinavian” style, having clear rectangular lines, softened by soft cushions on the seat and back and thin wooden legs.
Whatever model you choose, when purchasing a sofa for your living room, be guided by convenience, comfort and the ability to enjoy your purchase for many years. After all, the key to family well-being and good mood consists of small joys, and the sofa is undoubtedly one of these joys!
The interior of the living room is built around the sofa, and what it will be like depends only on the character of its owner.
Size and shape
Dimensions of sofas depending on type
When choosing the size of a sofa for the living room, you need to start from the number of people who will have to fit on it. The most common models are designed for three people and are about two meters long. For a company of 5-6 people, a corner sofa is suitable.
Dimensions of sofas depending on the number of seats
Corner sofas have the added bonus of easily converting into a large sleeping area. A semicircular sofa could be an interesting option. It allows you to comfortably sit with an impressive group in front of the TV screen.
The corner sofa has the largest dimensions due to its shape and is suitable only for a spacious room
When the room is small, a new piece of furniture can make it difficult to access cabinets or block doorways. In such cases, it is better to think through the placement in advance by drawing a plan of the room with all the furnishings.
Living room layout with corner sofa and separate armchair
Filler
Back, seat, armrests - each element of the sofa has a filling. As a rule, these are foam rubber and polyurethane foam. Latex and springs are also available.
Sofas with only foam inside are the cheapest, but least durable. A sofa with padding made from a single piece of foam will retain its shape for as long as possible. But in three or four years it too will sag.
Most manufacturers prefer polyurethane foam padding. It is almost the same in price as foam rubber, but lasts much longer.
Polyurethane foam can be block (sandwich) and cast. From the first, the seat, back and other elements of the sofa are simply glued together. When they talk about cast polyurethane foam, they mean that at the factory it was poured in liquid form into a mold and at the end they received a cast back or armrest of the sofa.
The most durable, environmentally friendly and expensive filler is latex. Thanks to its high elasticity, it follows the contours of the body and instantly restores its shape. At the same time, it does not electrify, is resistant to mold and does not cause allergies. Latex is usually used in expensive orthopedic furniture.
It is worth mentioning separately about spring blocks. Their presence in the sofa not only adds points to convenience, but also makes the sofa more durable and wear-resistant. Of course, provided that very high-quality individual spring blocks are used.
The best option is sofas with multi-layer filling and different density coefficients in different areas. The bottom layer is the densest, on top there is a thin soft material for maximum comfort.
