Upholstered Furniture Buying Guide

It's all about the fabric!

Have you ever gone to a fabric store? Mind boggling isn't it? It is very similar to shopping for fabric covered furniture, but different in a few ways. First you are not looking at this for clothing, but think of it as the clothes your furniture wears. Patterns, thickness, texture, wear factor, stain resistance and many other things come into play when selecting upholstered furniture for your home or office.

What to look for when shopping

Style and fabric are important factors, but overall you want COMFORT! Unless of course this is the set in your formal living room and you are going to put those lame plastic covers like granny did. Ok please don't do that! Use your furniture, it's not just for looks. Make sure you are matching your existing decor and colors. If you find a fabric you really like, remember you can always match some decor with decorative pillows.

Frame types

Again you get what you pay for. Cheaper sets will have a soft wood frame like pine. The deck, or seat platform can be either a "no sag" or sinuous wire zigzag type, or the nicer more expensive "eight way hand tied" platform provides the ultimate in comfort and quality.

Name Brand Sofa's?

Quality is more important than the name. Soft rugged fabrics and quality frames will go a long way. See a name brand commercial? Well you are paying for that commercial buddy! Similar to those bright lights in Las Vegas, pay the piper right? If you insist on a name brand, pick La-Z-Boy furniture.

Buy an expensive one or a cheapie?

There are 2 ways to look at this. If you have heavy use on your sofa sets and have kids, go for a cheapie that is comfortable. It's going to get beat to hell anyways right? If you get a nice set and have heavy use, you will always have to be careful with it. Get a sofa with darker colors to hide stains and consider easier to clean fabrics like microfiber.

BUT, there is nothing like a high end sofa with nice wood carvings and super plush cushions. Just tell the kids to stay off it or be respectful and you will be ok. Good luck with that!!! Have some stain remover handy at ALL times, especially if you have a pet that likes marking up your terrotiry. Keep a large paddle under the sofa, what the heck perhaps a taser too.

Sofa Sectionals

There is no better way to get the most seating in your area than a sofa sectional. Be careful though, sectionals can take up a ton of room, so measure carefully before purchasing. A good source for a list of furniture resources is Furniture Today. Don't forget the ottomans! Now it seems they are replacing coffee tables to a degree. You have to put your feet up on something while watching Lifetime TV with your wife right? (you know ho you are) Might as well have a soft spot rather than a hard coffee table to put your tired smelly feet on.