Sofa so good

TRENDS

If a sofa is used in a formal living room, then straight, upright sofas look good. If the room is big, grander, ornate sofas could be used. For a more casual look, soft sofas with low arms and lots of cushions could do the trick, writes Sudha Jain.

Any living room decor is incomplete without sofa sets. They are the most important and necessary decor elements in every house. Before buying a sofa, we must ascertain where it is going to be placed and for what purpose. How many people we want seated at one time and whether they will also be used by our children or pets; whether it will be a sofa cum bed for want of space? These are questions that we need to ask and look for answers.

The colour, texture and the size of the sofa depends a lot on these factors. Before buying a sofa set, we must be sure it serves the purpose we have in mind. Also we must not forget to measure the area where we want our sofa placed. We must visualise how much space a sofa set will occupy in our living space. One of the most important things to remember is whether the sofas will have easy access through the main doors. More often than not, we buy our new sofas only to realise that they do not fit through the main doors and then the problem starts.

The purpose a sofa is used for, also determines how it should look. If it is used in a formal living room, then straight, upright sofas look good. If the room is big, then, grander, very formal looking ornate sofas could be used. For a more casual look, soft sofas with low arms and lots of cushions thrown in, give a cosy feel to the room. In smaller spaces, it is advisable to go for neat, straight, narrow sofas so as to give the illusion of space. In larger living areas, we can play around with our designs, one large sofa, two smaller ones and a couple of arm chairs or a bench for effect. An ottoman could also be an option.

For sofas, fabrics that are durable and can be easily maintained work better as we don’t tend to change them that often. Fabrics like linen, cotton, velvet, chenille, leather and faux leather are some of the fabrics used for sofas. Leather can last a lifetime. They are a tad expensive but well worth the investment. For smaller living rooms, plain or self-textured fabrics look good as the room looks cleaner. Bold prints may make the room look cluttered. A larger living room gives much scope for imagination too as we can have prints, stripes, plain or a mix of stripes and prints as the sofa fabric.

Colour scheme

The colour of the sofa also plays a key role in determining the overall look and feel of the space. If we want our sofa to be unobtrusive in our living room, we should use a colour scheme that blends with the walls. But this does not mean that the fabric chosen has to be the exact colour of the walls. It can either belong to the same colour family or complement the colour tone of the walls. If we want to make sofas the focal point of the room, colour used for the fabrics may be a contrast to that of the walls. Bright colours are in vogue now. Whites, off whites, rich chocolate browns, deep blues, and even reds are the colours of the season. Having a large piece in one colour and the smaller sofas in contrasting colour or prints from the same colour (complementing the larger piece) does add drama to the living space.

Whites are evergreen and classy and make any space look bigger but they are difficult to maintain.

A small stain on them and the dirt becomes glaringly apparent. Whites are best avoided by families with younger children or pets.

Metallic and shiny fabrics like silver, gold and bronze are quite a rage now. Yet it is best to keep in mind for the time-frame for which you are going to keep the sofa. If you plan to change the sofa fabric often, you can experiment with patterns and colours but for long-term planning, it is best to have soothing, everlasting colours that you will not get bored of. Clean straight lined sofas with straight or slightly flared arms are in vogue now.

A single-colour sofa with lots of colourful and patterned cushions gives the room its colour. A more traditional and formal style sofa with high rolled arms blends very well with very formal and large living rooms. Simple sofas with a straight finish and steel legs are also very popular.

The right kind of sofa can make your living room special and unique. Take your time in considering what suits your need and space best and then go for it!