How To Find The Perfect Sofa For A Family Living Room
For many families, the sofa is the true heart of the home. It’s the place where you share stories, watch movies on rainy Sundays, catch up over coffee and fall asleep after a long day. It’s the space where you feel the most relaxed, whether watching TV with your feet up or spending time with the kids after school, so it’s important to find one that really works for you.
From choosing the right style, colour and fabric to selecting your ideal shape and size, the choices can be endless and can have a big impact on how your sofa is used and viewed in your home.
So where do you start?
The Right Shaped Sofa for Your Family
Whether you’re a big family or a small one, we all know that the sofa is where we all come together to relax, and finding the right size and shaped sofa can be the difference between cramped family squabbles and relaxed open communication.
Before starting your search, make sure to take detailed measurements of your living room – factoring in any doors, windows, stairs and furniture items which might take up extra space. Working out exactly how much room you have available for your sofa can help you to narrow down your search and ensure that your chosen piece will work well with the flow of the room.
Ideally, your sofa should fit neatly into your living space, without blocking any walkways, entrances or exits. Regardless of its shape or configuration, it shouldn’t overwhelm or crowd the room, with equidistant spacing between the sofa and other furniture objects, such as coffee tables and lounge chairs. It can sit flush against a wall, or with a gap behind it, but as long as there's space to comfortably walk around it, you know it’s in a good spot.
The size of your family will also contribute to the size of your perfect sofa too, as each person should have enough room to rest their arms on either side of them for maximum comfort. For those families who love a cosy movie session or a mid-afternoon snooze, finding a sofa with enough space to stretch out comfortably is equally important, to avoid chilly feet from hanging over the edge.
Choosing A Modular, Corner or 3-Seater Sofa
From modular sofas to corner sofas to the standard 2-to-3-seater sofas, there’s a lot of choice out there when it comes to finding that perfect piece.
There are many benefits to choosing a modular sofa, for example, particularly for those who are working with an unconventional or slightly awkwardly shaped living room. Having the ability to customise the configuration of your sofa can make it easier to find the right fit around walls and corners, without being restricted by a set shape or style. Pieces such as the EDDA Modular Sofa or the CLEO Sofa from SITS are great examples of how a modular sofa can be used to work around your home and your family, without sacrificing comfort or style.
But for many, the corner sofa is a great choice for their family living room, as its natural size and shape allow everyone to sit comfortably, with a clear view of both each other and the rest of the room. For those with a particularly open or large space to fill, a corner sofa such as the JENNY Sofa is a great way to make use of your room and be used to help section off certain areas or zones.
Finally, for those with a smaller or more narrow room, a 3-seater sofa like the NUBES Sofa from Twils can be a neat and compact way to bring comfort and relaxation into your living room, without losing essential area space. When paired with comfy lounge chairs, accent chairs or bean bags, a 3-seater sofa can even be used as a more formal seating choice for adults, while the kids relax elsewhere.
Finding the Perfect Fabric
When it comes to choosing the right fabric for your family sofa, we all know the value of durable and easy-to-clean fabrics over delicate or fragile materials. With sticky fingers, muddy paws, spills and stains to contend with, your sofa needs to be able to put up some resistance to daily family life.
Fabrics such as wool, bouclé and polyester are naturally popular choices for family living rooms, as they not only offer durability against everyday wear and tear, but they’re also hard-wearing against long term usage, allowing your sofa to stay looking great throughout the years.
For easy-to-clean fabrics, leather is a great option and can be saved from spills with just a single wipe – perfect for homes with pets and small children. Velvet can also be a good choice for those looking to avoid a lengthy cleaning and maintenance process, whilst still keeping your house looking luxurious and elegant.
Finally, if you’re searching for sofa fabrics that really bring that cosy, family feel, opting for soft and inviting materials such as cotton and chenille can be a great way to create a snuggly sanctuary in your space.
Sofas, much like families, come in all different shapes and sizes, and it can be hard to find the right piece to meet the needs of your home. Whether you’re looking for something cosy and compact or something oversized and easy to maintain, Milola’s range of beautiful sofas can help to point you in the right direction.
Pop into our showroom to explore our collection in person, or speak to one of our Sales team to find out more.
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