‘I want people to walk into a room, see a sofa, throw themselves on it with a couple of dogs and put their feet up,’ says the interior designer Cindy Leveson. She has her priorities quite right, of course. A sofa onto which you can ‘flop’ is a wonderful thing, and as far as we are concerned, the ability to do so is just as important a criterion as the aesthetics of the thing. Of course, like a plate of food, you first consume a sofa with your eyes, and thus its appearance – whether rustic and covered with linen, bold and upholstered in a zebra stripe fabric à la Rita Konig, or formal, with scrolled arms and a rigid back – is something to be considered.
But once its been seen, a sofa is something to be experienced: it is a place to read, to while away slow evenings (or long, lazy Saturdays) watching TV, a place to take a nap and for snorers, it may even be a surrogate bed from time to time. Its comfort, therefore, is paramount. If you are unsure what the perfect formula is for a comfortable sofa, fear not. We have canvassed the interior designers in the know to get to the bottom of this most pertinent decoration issue.
We shall start by returning to Cindy’s sage words, as her continued advice is needed here. ‘Foam cushions have no squidginess and therefore it is not to be used when stuffing sofas, armchairs and cushions if you don’t want them to look and feel like a brick. A feather and down mix is ideal,’ she says. ‘The more down you can afford, the more comfortable your sofa or chair will be. In an ideal world it would be 80 per cent down and 20 per cent feather, but if 60/40 suits your budget, go for that. All cushions should look like you have sat on them when you get up. The more down inside the more they will self-puff.’ The below sofa, a House & Garden favourite from NiX by Nicola Harding, has cushions filled with a combination of eco-friendly fibres and feathers (it also is distinctly lacking in a large back cushion, the importance of which will become clear as you read on).
With the main body of the sofa done, you must think about what should cover them. This is not the place for scratchy wool (take it from me as someone who grew up trying to avoid scratch marks from a sofa that had been covered in a some sort of antique, incredibly tough rug). Opt for something that either starts sumptuously soft, or will soften over time. The interior designer Mimi Shodeinde swears by a ‘soft, buttery nubuck. I love the rich, luxurious texture and feel that nubuck has, and it can really elevate any piece of furniture or space.’ Her favourites are from Holly Hunt and Whistler Leather.
Others, such as Lonika Chande, prefer nubuck’s more rustic cousin, linen, which famously softens over time. ‘I love “Volterra” by C&C Milano. It is light in weight and comes in a delicious mix of spicy shades,’ say Lonika. ‘I upholstered my sofa at home in “Volterra” in paprika seven years ago now, and I love it just as much now as I did then.’
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Smaller cushions are the essential finishing touch for a sofa, both decoratively and in terms of comfort. What you want to avoid is adding so many cushions that you have barely any space left to actually sit down. Interior designer Carlos Garcia, who admits to being rather partial to what he calls ‘an embarrassment of cushions’, avoids the issue by opting for sofas without a back cushion. ‘That way I can add lots of cushions while not compromising the depth,’ he says. If you can’t part with the back cushion of your sofa (or, don’t want quite as many smaller ones), heed the advice of interior designer Brandon Schubert, who suggests that three is the perfect number: ‘I’d do a pair (one on either arm), plus one in the centre and I’d ideally like the centre cushion to be a different shape from the two at the side,’ he explains. The colours and patterns that you choose are up to you, though we suggest having a read of our guide to styling a sofa before making any purchases. If you are still stuck, here are a few of our current favourites:
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It may seem like a lot to think about, but considering all of these factors will ultimately result in more comfort and happiness for you. And that is what a sofa is for, providing a place to rest, reset and put your feet up. So get it right the first time to avoid back pain and aggravation further down the line.
