YEARS AGO, WHILE living in Houston, Texas, my husband and I were attempting to furnish our empty new apartment with an almost non-existent budget.
I turned to the buy-and-sell sites and found a second-hand sleeper sofa which suited our needs. Thinking proactively, I checked the dimensions of our living room against the dimensions of our potential new purchase. It was a fit – although I neglected to measure the two doors the sofa would need to go through to get to the living room.
Needless to say, we had to take the front door off the hinges to get our new couch into the apartment, and we relived that highly unpleasant experience when we moved out several years later. Lesson learned.
Purchasing a new sofa is no small task. In terms of both size and cost, it’s one of the more significant investments you’ll make for your home – so it’s important to get everything right from the outset.
I’ve had my fair share of sofa disasters over the years, and what I have learned from my own short-sightedness (and stupidity, I will freely admit), will hopefully benefit you in the sofa-buying process. Below are some common mistakes, and my tips for avoiding them…
Mistake #1: Measuring the sofa and nothing else
Break out your measuring tape and measure once, twice, even three times to ensure the sofa will fit in your intended room. Then triple check your measurements with regard to the route you’ll use to get the sofa into your home. If you’re purchasing a sofa from a company that will be delivering it to you, you should let them know if your home has any tight corners they’ll need to navigate.
Mistake #2: Forgetting how the sofa relates to the rest of the room
Just because your new two or three seater fits in the room doesn’t mean it’s the ideal size. Too big for the room and you’ll be stubbing your toes on the corners as you manoeuvre around it. As well as just measuring the dimensions, use masking tape to mark out the space your new piece will take up in the room. Remember that you’ll need at least a couple of feet between the sofa and other pieces of furniture to allow you to walk around, especially if the sofa is next to any drawers or low shelves. As well as the size of the base, be wary of over-stuffed styles that can make a couch feel bigger than it is.
Mistake #3: Sticking to an all-neutral colour palette
No, you don’t want to have to replace your sofa every few years because it has gone out of style, but that doesn’t mean you have to erase your personality from your furniture entirely. Chances are, if you go for a bland colour palette now, you’ll grow bored in a few years. Don’t be afraid to be bold with a vibrant colour or print here, and remember that you can play up or down the colour palette with throws, cushions and other soft furnishings. A bright blue velvet couch could last you a decade if you’re willing to get creative with the rest of the room decor.
Mistake #4: Going too matchy-matchy
The furniture you choose has the ability to transform your living room. From an interior design perspective, a matching sofa and armchair set won’t lend much to a room’s style – and can end up dating the room quicker than you’d like. Instead, consider purchasing slightly different shapes and styles, but in similar colours or fabrics.
Mistake #5: Not considering how you’ll be using the couch
Will this sofa have to accommodate multiple family members at once on movie night? Is there a chance it might be used as a bed when you have guests over? Does it need to be wide enough for you to tuck your legs under you when you’re curled up with a book? Before you purchase, think carefully about your personal preferences, and those of other people in the house.
In another episode of furniture drama, more than a decade ago I re-covered a hideous old couch for our rental apartment. The result looked lovely, but the style was never going to work for us. Why? My husband’s only sofa requirement was that he could lay across it – and the wooden slats that separated the cushions made that utterly impossible.
Mistake #6: Forgetting how destructive kids (and pets) can be
No matter how pretty that white linen sofa is, if you have pets or kids, you might want to reconsider. As I’m writing this, my children have completely dismantled our couch and are sliding down the cushions onto the floor. My next living room purchase will have significantly fewer pieces! Luckily, though, the fabric was treated with stain-protector, which I would highly recommend for those with messy humans or pets at home.
Mistake #7: Thinking high price equals high quality
I’m leaving the most important point for last. Brand new sofas can be really expensive, but a high price tag isn’t always an indicator of quality or durability. Buying a couch in a flimsy or hard to clean fabric could very well put you back in the market for furniture again much sooner than you’d like, so do your research. In the mid-budget range, I find that most IKEA sofas hold up well over time for a reasonable price point. If you have a particular premium brand or fabric type in mind but don’t have a big budget, keep an eye on Adverts, Done Deal or Facebook Marketplace for second-hand options.
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