Sofa Research
If you follow me over on Instagram, then you’ve heard me talking about purchasing a sofa and all the research I’ve been doing for the past 2 years. So this is a short synopsis of all the reviews I’ve read, sofas I have sat on, and professionals I have talked to. (not to mention all the friends and clients I have asked endless, annoying questions to!)
Buying a sofa is a big investment for most of us, and I tried my best to make a good one! I’m sharing the info I have gathered to pass along what others have shared with me through personal experience. I hope it’s helpful to you!
The largest portion of my research went into the fabric. I wanted something that looked good and timeless, not like it belonged in a basement, but that was also easy to clean (hello, Kids!) and didn’t attract dog hair…or, at the very least, didn’t hold on to said dog hair when I finally get around to vacuuming the couch.
I ordered THOUSANDS (read: 20, maybe 30 ;) fabric samples to test and feel. Here is a flow chart of how I narrowed down the endless options out there:
Now that I knew I was looking for a 100% polyester fabric, I wanted to choose one that met all three of my top priorities: Kids/pet/pill resistant.
I was now looking for a no knit/weave 100% polyester fabric with a 100K rub count in a mid to dark color with some variation in it to hide the dog hair….phew!
If you are looking at Interior Define, like I was, the fabric that met all these requirements is there Performance Heavy Knit.
Now on to cushion fill: this is largely dependent on budget, but also on the level of maintenance (fluffing) you are willing to do:
This is the hard part of ordering a sofa online: not being able to sit in each fill type to be able to determine what’s worth the maintenance and what’s not.
From all the sofas I sat on, I can tell you I was perfectly happy right in the middle with a blend of down feather comfort but with a supportive (and shape maintaining) foam core.
I sincerely hope this helped narrow down the overwhelming options out there and gave you some clarity on fabric and fill material for your next couch!
