What to remember when choosing your sofa materials

Choosing a new sofa is an exciting time. The sofa, for many of us, is the place where we relax after a stressful day, spend time with family and friends and sometimes enjoy food and drinks. Outside of your bed, there might not be another piece of furniture you spend as much time using in your home. It is therefore essential to find the right sofa in not only regard to style, but also the right materials that it’s made from.

In this article, we are going to look at what you need to remember when choosing the materials for your sofa and how this can impact the way you use it. It’s really important to keep these things in mind as you don’t want to buy a sofa and then realise after a few weeks that it isn’t suitable for your lifestyle. Considering the majority of sofas are custom made to your specifications, returning them isn’t an option, so you need to get your decision when buying right.

Should you choose a fabric sofa?

Once you have decided on a size, the next big decision you face comes when considering the primary material of your sofa. Let’s start by looking at fabric. There are many advantages when it comes to a fabric sofa. The first is the colour. If you’re looking for a very specific colour, you have more chance of finding a fabric that’s close to it than you do with leather. The range of fabric colours available is extensive, and you also have greater control over the final colour. If you do find a leather colour you like, it’s important to remember that different batches of leather may have slight but noticeable colour differences. For this reason, you may not end up with the exact same colour as the leather sample you fell in love with.

Another critical point to remember with fabric is that from a comfort point of view may people find it more comfortable than leather. There are three keys reasons for this. Firstly, fabric is not subject to temperature change in the same way leather is. Any natural light that shines on your leather sofa can heat it up, and during summer months this isn’t always what you want. Secondly, leather can take time to soften and become more comfortable. Thirdly fabric sofas are not slippery in the same way leather is. We have all sat on a leather sofa in a pair of jeans and found ourselves having to readjust to a comfortable position due to slipping constantly.

From a maintenance point of view fabric, while more susceptible to stains, is easy to clean. This point is particularly important if you have a young family or if a sofa is your main eating area. With fabric sofas, you can often remove cushion covers and even larger overall covers and machine wash them to keep them clean. Keeping this in mind and asking before you buy if it’s possible to wash the fabric is really important.

Should you choose a leather sofa?

In some cases, leather may be the only choice. If you’re looking to buy a specific style of sofa, it may only come in leather. Classic Chesterfield sofas are a good example of this as they are traditionally only available in leather.

There are many reasons why you may want to choose leather over fabric. For some people, leather will be much more in line with their style, regardless of whether it is a modern or more traditional home. Furthermore, leather is a really interesting material when it comes to how it ages. Sofas are usually a piece of furniture which would be classed as a long-term investment, so keeping in mind how the material will look in a few years is important. Leather can age in really lovely patterns and also end up with a fantastic soft finish. If this is something you like, then leather is definitely worth considering!

From a durability point of view, leather also has some benefits. If you have pets that like to sit on the sofa with you, then leather can be a good option. Cats in particular love to scratch and pick at fabric, so by choosing leather, you can avoid this. Furthermore, pet hair can easily stick to fabric whereas with leather it is easy to wipe off, so you won’t be covered in dog hair each time you sit down. When it comes to cleaning leather sofas, you can often just run a slightly damp cloth over the leather to keep it looking good. Obviously, there are a variety of leather creams you can use to treat the leather if you wish.

What kind of cushions should you choose?

Cushions may not be something you think of when considering sofa materials, but they are vitally important. Softer and harder cushions both have their advantages, and it will come down to personal preference with which you find more comfortable. However, what is important to remember is discussing with your sales associate if there are different cushion options available. This is one of the main benefits of buying your sofa in-store rather than online.

Hopefully, the points highlighted above will help you make a decision on your sofa materials when the time comes to choosing your next sofa.