The Christmas, New Year’s, and Lunar New Year mega festive season is just round the corner. If you’re clearing your annual leave and spring cleaning your house, you might be in for some redecorating and furniture updates too. The centerpiece of every home, the sofa, may be a good starting point.
Whether you’re a relatively new BTO homeowner with a scratched up sofa (by your cat) or a seasoned homeowner looking for a new sofa set to entertain and impress, here is Home & Decor’s ultimate guide to all things sofa:
“How to buy a sofa” ranks high on the Google search engine. Despite the sofa being a key piece of furniture in the home, many homeowners are still unsure on what to look out for when buying a sofa.
We looked to Francesco Stucchi, export manager of sofa-makers Chateau d’Ax for expert tips on how to choose the right sofa:
A comfortable couch tends to require a combination of various aspects:
- Shape
- Curvature
- Material
Some common mistakes that we make when buying a sofa include the backrest height. When the backrest is too low, you end up having to tense your shoulders, neck, and head. Always look for a sofa with high backrest that supports the back well and relaxes the shoulders.
The next mistake we tend to make is with the material of the cushion. Poor quality materials tend to bleed colour, tear, wrinkle, absorb sweat and water, and leave stains. Look out for premium quality leather and fabrics that will provide a long-lasting comfort and can be easily maintained and regularly cleaned.
Design, comfort, material, finishing and price are by far the most important considerations when shopping for sofas.
”Taste and design is incredibly personal; I enjoy the combination of the aspects mentioned previously. Both comfort and design are two factors Chateau d’Ax prides itself on, and what I agree with.
While one is often attracted to a furniture piece due to its aesthetics, quality and comfort should never be compromised on. Therefore, comfort and design are two valuable characteristics that are important to me, when it comes to sofas,” says Francesco.
Here, your sofa buying checklist – in order of importance:
1. Sofa design
Aesthetics always has an important value in the choice. The sofa, in most of the cases, takes a prominent position in the home and must therefore meet the taste and the favour of the user.
2. Comfort
Aesthetics, however, must always be functional. You’ll be using your sofa every day for the foreseeable future, so think about your day-to-day use before purchasing.
The sofa is the place where you relax, rest after a long day of work or read a good book. You will also be spending hours with family and friends here. A sofa must therefore meet the specific taste of the user.
3. Material
Invest in something beautiful, lasting and that respects the environment in which we live. I believe these are the important aspects for a right choice.
4. Finishing
The finishing of a sofa, the colour of the cover, the material of the cover (leather rather than fabric), represent an important point in the choice of a sofa. They are the expression of a lifestyle and must be in line with one’s taste.
5. Price
The price of a sofa is an important ingredient. To make the right decision, it must always be considered in combination with the pointers indicated above.
Remember, what we spend on a sofa is an important investment for our own well-being and to live our home with quality and style.
6. Solid frame
Evaluate both the skin and bone of the sofa – its upholstery and its frame. The frame should be sturdy and durable, while the upholstery should match your commitment to its maintenance.
One easy way to test the robustness of a solid-framed sofa is to lift one of its front legs around 15cm off the ground. If the other front leg doesn’t rise off the floor at the same height, is it a sign that the frame is weak – choose another sofa.
7. Environment
Another detail to consider, is the respect of the environment, such as how a company reduces its carbon footprint in order to be more environmentally-friendly. To know this, research about furniture brands should be done.
This is so you will be able to select a reliable and consistent sofa that will not only look appealing, but allow for lasting, physical ease as well.
“I believe that this is purely a matter of preference. For a more upscale, luxurious look, the obvious choice would be leather.
Leather has a classic appearance, long-lasting capability and is inclined to be higher in value. There are plenty of fabric options these days, however, that have gorgeous finishing to suit various interiors.
Personally, I love leather as it exudes elegance and grandeur,” says Francesco
Yes, sofa beds can give you more value for money since they’re more multi-functional.
We demand more from our sofa these days. It can serve as an additional bed (sofa bed), storage (storage base) or even an alternative working space outfitted with a charging surface and so on.
A high density foam with soft yet firm padding ensures a greater resistance. This is vital to the durability of the sofa.
In addition, always follow-up the shopping experience with research on the material of the sofa used, and what cushion type lies beneath the seat surface, in order to determine the choice of sofa.
Measure your living room and make sure the sofa fits nicely. Also measure your doorway (height, width and diagonal fit) and lift and see if you can get the sofa through or if it can be transported in parts before buying.
Also, do not make the mistake of placing your sofa right next to your windows in the living room.
“Direct sunlight from the window diminishes the lifespan of a sofa. This isn’t something that happens immediately, but constant exposure can damage your leather.
In fact, when leather is exposed to UV light over a prolonged length of time, its structure begins to change and the result can be a colour change and some eventual spots on the surface,” explains Francesco.
Now that you’re all acquainted with how to choose a good quality sofa, let’s move on to where you should be buying your sofa from.
For a wallet-friendly, decently-priced, yet high quality and impressive sofa, look to some of these furniture stores that are pretty popular amongst Singaporeans:
King Living
One of the most popular Australian furniture company, King Living was founded in 1977 by Gwen King and her son, David King. The family-owned company started selling modular furniture that you could move around to fit your space and lean back and relax in.
Today, lounging in a sofa is pretty common. Back, then that was a revolutionary concept.
King Living carries 24 sofa ranges, such as the Jasper, Delta, Retro, Concerto, Zaza, Felix, Kato, King Boulevard, Plaza, and Neo. Each sofa range has a distinct design, shape, and style. Within each series, you’ll find different sizes, fabrics, and complementary accessories such as side tables, wireless phone charging pods, and lamps.
Homegrown Castlery is pretty recognised in Singapore for their sofas. There are over 21 series of sofas in the likes of:
- Adams
- Ethan
- Pebble
- Todd
- Jonathan
- Remi
- Elias
- Sierra
- Hamilton
- Owen
- Madison
- Nathan
In each series are variants such as 2-seaters, 3-seaters, leather, fabric, angled, sectionals, chaise, and ottomans. Prices range from $199 for a stool to $2,400 for a larger set of 4-seater sofa.
Founded in 2013 by Deborah Wee and Danny Tan, the Singaporean online furniture retailer is familiar to most locals.
Some of HipVan’s most widely-searched furniture pieces include their bed frames, TV console, coffee table, shoe cabinets, and sideboards. Well, that’s pretty much almost everything in a home.
Why? That’s because HipVan’s furniture pieces are known to be affordable.
There are a total of 234 sofa sets available on HipVan, and prices range from $899 to $3,999 for a loveseat to a 3-seater leather sofa.
Founded by Jefery Kurniadidjaja and Nathan Yong in 2009, the multi-label boutique furniture store, Grafunkt, has been a favourite haunt for design enthusiasts in Singapore.
Their sofas range up to $11,270 and hail from global brands in the likes of the Spanish furniture brand Sancal, Japanese Hoshina, and the Danish brand,Muuto.
Founded in Singapore in 2013 by Erricson Wong and Agnetha Chan, Made & Make is a multi-label furniture store located along 6 Genting Road. Made & Make is a popular spot amongst local interior designers, for the pieces they carry are of good quality and design.
Notable brands from Made & Make include the Chinese HC28, Danish Wendelbo, and the Italian Tacchini.
Prices for sofas range from $4,000 up to $18,000 at Made & Make.
While there is a trend that eschews the sofa in favour of smaller furniture, the sofa will never be completely phased out in our living room; it will just evolve to suit our shifting needs.
So, how do choose your first sofa?
You’d be surprised, but many first-time homeowners make mistakes when buying their first sofa. Me included!
I bought a modern, brutalist looking luxury sofa for my HDB BTO – years before I even collected my BTO keys. Then, I realised afterwards that I made a bunch of rookie mistakes: the fabric is too hot, the dark, pure black colour faded in the constant sunlight, the rectangular edges were too uncomfortable for long hours of TV time, and the covers weren’t removable or washable.
Yes, there are “easy” and “difficult” sofas.
Here are seven sofas that are easy to maintain, style, and will generally suit most homes – making them best for first-time homeowners.
The Delta sofa is one of Australian furniture brand, King Living’s best-known signature designs. It’s a modular sofa first released in 1998, and users could move, mix, match the modules of each sofa to suit their space or the moods.
Over the years, the Delta II and Delta III were released with newer functions such as storage and remote controller pockets, side tables, wireless phone charging, LED reading lamps etc.
Delta III Flexible Modular Sofa from $2,490 by King Living.
The Alpino Sofa is one of the Spanish furniture brand, Sancal’s most recognised designs – after the Sancal Air sofa (looks like a floating sofa) and Sancal Pion tables.
The 39-year-old brand’s Alpino sofa was designed by a mountain bike enthusiast named Rafa Garcia. Comfort and coziness formed the heart of his design – comfortable heighted backrests, arm rests with floppy cushions, fluffy poufs and ottomans – all clad in fabrics.
Sancal Alpino Sofa, price by request, from Grafunkt.
Wendelbo is a Scandinavian furniture brand founded in Aarhus, Denmark in 1955. Today, the company remains based in Denmark, and is known for their Kite, Surface, Blade, Peak, Edge sofas, Folium chair, and Coin side table.
The Lilin sofa is a softly curved sofa that gives you a sense of cosy and refuge. While it sits upright in a slightly formal manner, its soft angles encourages a sense of relaxation.
Wendelbo Lilin Remix Sofa, price upon request from Wendelbo by Made & Make.
Founded by Singaporean Declan Ee in 2013, Castlery is a household name for most Singaporean homeowners. The homegrown furniture is a pretty holistic brand and is generally known for their sofas and home furniture across the board.
The Isaac Reversible sofa is a mid-century modern sofa with foam and spring cushions and clad in an ivory beige fabric.
The chaise lounge is standalone, which means you can move it from left to right, or remove it entirely to free up more space.
Castlery Isaac Reversible Sectional Sofa, $1,399 at Castlery.
Founded in 1999 by Jan Andersen, and Poul Madsen, Normann Copenhagen is a Danish furniture brand renown for their occasional furniture such as the Bit stool, clock, stool, bell pendants, and washing up bowl.
This Normann Copenhagen Ace series was designed by fellow Danish designer named Hans Haornemann for urbanites and city living. Furniture pieces from this series can be flat packed, and are more petite sized than full-fledged furniture pieces.
Normann Copenhagen Ace Sofa, $3,109 at Xtra.
Another Scandinavian brand, Bolia was founded in 2000 in Aarhus, Denmark. Today, it’s helmed by CEO Lars Lyse Hansen of the famed Brunsborg family.
Some of Bolia’s most recognisable designs include the modular fabric sofa Bolia Cosima, and Scandi design sofa Bolia Lomi.
Bolia also opened their first flagship store in Singapore this month on Nov 15, 2022 along 215 Henderson Road.
Their Cloud sofa ranges from 1, 2, 2.5, to 3 seaters, and comes with small and large ottomans. Prices range from €629 to €2,099.
Bolia Cloud Sofa, $2,300 at Danish Design Co.
A stitch in time saves nine so, first, prevent stains and spills from ruining your upholstery by using fabric protection and cleaning products found in DIY stores.
Some brands even have their own proprietary range of products. Apply them to areas with high bodily contact such as the armrests, backrest and seats.
Other than taking precautions when you’re having a meal or snacking while sitting on the sofa (for example, using a plate), regular maintenance is key to keeping your upholstery in good shape.
Regularly remove dust from upholstered furniture with a vacuum cleaner using the soft brush nozzle, as fine dust particles can stick to fabric and result in wear, says a representative from Danish furnishings company Boconcept.
Boconcept also recommends cleaning pieces of furniture that come into direct contact with skin, at least twice a year to keep the fabric from degrading due to natural body perspiration.
Another way to protect the sofa’s armrests is to cover them. Some brands such as Boconcept offer a specially designed tray that fits over the armrest, providing a more stable base for drinks. Alternatively, lay a throw over the armrest or back, which acts as a protective layer and decoration, too.
So, while you’re out and about shopping, always read the care label or ask the sales associate how to care and clean for the sofa.
We usually want to prolong the life of items we like, such as clothes that we bother to mend. The same goes for furniture.
If you still love the shape and design of your sofa, then go ahead and reupholster it! You’ll still have a piece you love, but it’ll be updated for that new look you’re planning for the space.
If it’s not something you love, then buying a new sofa is often worth the additional cost, says Chloe Elkerton, the founder and director of E&A Interiors.
“New fabric can work wonders on a piece that has a great shape. However, you need to think about the amount of fabric you require and also the condition of the seat and back cushions – do these need to be refilled, and do the legs or base need to be re-varnished?”
Work out all the costs before asking yourself if it is a piece you will really love, and will be able to use for a long time.
Text: Home & Decor