When Traci Taylor headed off for college years ago, her mother — a designer in Arizona — gave her the Marge Carson sofa that had been the first big purchase she was able to make for the family home. Taylor recalled that it was about 8 feet, beige with a tight weave, and had a skirt.
“She’d had it for so long and, having bought many sofas, she knew that it was going to last,” said Taylor, now designer and owner of Arise Interiors in San Diego’s Morena neighborhood. “I ended up meeting my husband, we got an apartment and adopted little dogs who chewed on the skirt.
“Finally, we ended up in San Diego with this thing and it looked like hell, but it sat well and no legs would ever break. It just needed to get reupholstered, and at the time I couldn’t afford it. So, my mother took it back and reupholstered it in this fabulous turquoise fabric. It’s in her living room now.”
At over 40 years of age, that’s a sturdy sofa.
Ramon Muñoz of Lisa Davis Upholstery flips through swatches of leather in his San Diego workshop. A client’s lifestyle and aesthetics determine what fabric to use in a custom project.
(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Buying a sofa can be a confusing process. We want looks and comfort — but most of us also want longevity, given that a sofa can run into thousands of dollars. However, most of us don’t know what goes into the making of a couch, especially the frame and suspension system.
Ramon Muñoz, owner of Lisa Davis Upholstery in Bay Ho and a hands-on upholsterer of several decades, both reupholsters furniture and creates new custom pieces for designers’ clients. He explained that the best sofa frames are constructed of dense hardwood, like poplar, oak or cherry. He uses either coils or heavy-gauge steel zigzag springs, depending on the feel the client wants when seated. These are attached to the frame.
For a piece he was working on during a recent visit, Muñoz used zigzag springs that he adjusted for the firmness the client wanted and attached them on either end with clips nailed to the frame. Then he tied each spring perpendicularly to the next in rows, using a strong twine to ensure that they’d move together in the same direction.
The base of a sofa being upholstered is opened for reconstruction.
(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Some manufacturers use drop-in or pocket-coil spring suspensions. But drop-in coils are prone to squeaking while the pocket coils don’t distribute weight evenly, leaving seat indentations after a while. Polypropylene webbing — think seat belts — is another common option. They’re strong, affordable and lightweight but don’t offer the bounce of springs or the durability when you’re considering the vast length of a sofa compared with a chair.
As for legs, make sure they are connected to the frame with screws or dowels — not just glued on. And, of course, arms should not have any give or be wobbly.
Heavy-gauge steel zigzag springs attached to the sofa frame can be adjusted for firmness. Twine or springs perpendicular to rows assure movement in the same direction.
(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
It’s hard to be exact about how long a sofa should last; it depends on the quality of both the construction and the materials, as well as how you use it (empty living room or boisterous family room). But generally, it should last between seven and 15 years. And if the construction is still good, you could choose to get your piece reupholstered and restuff the cushions.
If a new one is in your future, there are several factors to consider:
How it will be used: What lifestyle will the sofa enhance? Is this going to be a formal piece that adults will sit on to have a conversation or will it be sprawled on to watch movies or take a nap? Will art be made by small kids on it? Will pets lie on it and do they shed or scratch? Will it be a substitute dining table, risking spills?
A luxurious sofa, primed for lounging in comfort on deep seating, is the centerpiece of this living space in La Jolla by Mark Stocker Design. Specially selected fabric and plush pillows add color and elegance.
(Jim Brady)
All of these factors will help determine choices on issues such as overall size and shape, cushions, how deep or shallow the seat should be, and the type of fabric selected.
“Consider factors like durability, stain resistance, and ease of cleaning based on your requirements,” advised designer Mark Stocker of Mark Stocker Design, in East Village.
Size versus space: A common guideline for determining the length of a couch is that it should be approximately two-thirds the size of the wall it will be against. No one wants a sofa to cramp the room. But Stocker said that it isn’t a hard and fast rule.
“Proportions can vary depending on the overall layout and design of the room, as well as the specific preferences of the client,” Stocker said. “Take into account the other furniture and elements in the room. The sofa should fit harmoniously with the overall layout and not overpower or clash with other pieces. Consider the placement of other seating options, tables and storage units when determining the size and shape of the sofa.”
Taylor noted that you also have to keep in mind the size of the person sitting on it. Even if a smaller scale piece is better suited to the room size, she’s not going to suggest that if the client is very tall. It needs to be comfortable.
A modern sofa pairing in a La Jolla living space designed by Mark Stocker Design features a sleek, curvilinear silhouette. The furnishings make a statement in vibrant hues but keep a low profile against windows that frame views of turquoise waters and endless horizons, for an immersive coastal experience.
(Jim Brady)
Shape and function: Going for a midcentury modern look with low backs and tall legs? Just remember to balance the weight and scale of the room with, perhaps, a large piece of art above the couch, Taylor suggested. If you’re selecting a sectional, also keep the scale of the room in mind so you don’t overpower it. For practical reasons, consider the distance between the floor and the couch. Taylor said that those that hit lowest to the floor make it both more difficult to clean underneath and tend to get destroyed by the back of shoes hitting it. If the sofa has a skirt and you have dogs, that skirt can be very alluring as a chew toy.
Comfort and cushions: Comfort comes into play in a variety of ways, including the suspension system, size (depth, seat height, how many people can be seated), support and cushioning. Sit on a variety of different types of sofas to figure out what feels most comfortable for you and your household. When it comes to cushioning, you’ll find everything from down and synthetic down, which is comfortable and adjusts to your body, to high-density foam, which offers great support and retains shape; memory foam, which contours to body shape and rebounds after use; and latex, which is supportive, comfortable and durable. There are also down-wrapped foam cushions and poly-wrapped foam cushions. Don’t forget to consider the little things, like the need to fluff down pillows to reshape them after use.
Turquoise throw pillows accenting a sectional sofa align with wall art and floor treatment in an Olivenhain home design by Mark Stocker Design. Tufted cushions bring a classic tailored look to the light-filled nook ideal for conversation and reading.
(Jim Brady)
More on cushions: Aesthetics and flexibility also play a part in this decision. Sofas come with tight backs and cushion backs. Some cushions are simply pillows you can arrange against the back; others, like box cushions, which have four side panels, fit snugly. If you want a guest to be able to sleep on the sofa, it’s more comfortable if the back cushions can be removed.
Seat cushions can be fixed or loose. Bench seats are a single cushion — fixed or loose — that runs the entire length of the sofa. Box cushions are designed to fit side by side. J-, L-, and T-cushions reflect their shape. J- and L-cushions wrap around the left or right arm of the sofa arm. A T-cushion is a loose bench cushion that wraps around the sofa’s arms on both ends. There are also knife-edge cushions that attach the front and back panels with a single seam, and waterfall cushions, with fabric wrapping from the top around to the underside and closed off with side panels. And don’t forget that some pillows can be tufted using stitches or buttons.
Aesthetics and comfort are important, but Taylor also considers the practical issues. A fixed bench seat can’t be flipped over. J- and L-cushions can only be flipped on opposite sides. If you have an ottoman-style sectional with a cushion specific to one side, that can’t be flipped.
“It’s easier if each cushion is about the same size so that you can flip them over and switch them around,” Taylor said. “Same with buttons. All those things are challenges. They definitely add style, but it makes it so that you’ve got cleaning issues and things breaking off and getting lost.”
Fabrics: Here is where you need to consider lifestyle, along with aesthetics. Will this sofa be used in a formal setting or more casual? Do you have young kids, puppies or elderly dogs who may have accidents on the sofa? Is your cat a scratcher? Are you a spiller?
If wear and tear is an issue, avoid high-maintenance fabrics like silk or linen and opt for microfibers, textured fabric or leather.
“We have a conversation with clients about the fabric,” said Taylor. “It’s a conversation of ‘Do you have kids?’ ‘Do you have animals?’ because we don’t want to pick a weave that would catch nails or get eaten.”
In a La Jolla home with space designed by Mark Stocker Design, furniture showcases a balance between function and style. The plush sofa and chairs offer ample seating for relaxation. Tall, quilted pillows supported by attached bolsters on the sofa invite users to sink back in comfort.
(Jim Brady)
Taylor will often look at synthetic fabrics that have a coating that makes cleaning up easy. She’s wary of velvets because they tend to lay in specific directions and create a pattern that wasn’t planned.
One trick she suggested is to look for fabrics that have a lot of color in them with a very tight pattern.
“If it gets dirty, you can’t see it and it hides a lot,” she explained. “Also, if you’re going to spend a lot of money on a sofa, pick one with a color that has other tones and shades in it. You may redecorate your house or that room but not have to buy a new sofa if you can pull those other colors out of it.”
She also discourages selecting fabrics with a large pattern; it can be tricky to get the patterns to line up correctly and, again, it might make it hard to flip cushions.
“I really go for a classic tight weave with some colors in it that I can pull out if I’ve got fun rugs, paint colors or other pillows,” she said.
Golden is a San Diego freelance writer and blogger.