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Letter to the editor

The right sofa: one of life's big decisions

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF, Times Staff Writer
Published August 12, 2007

I confess: I've never owned a sofa I really liked.

Granted, they've all looked swell and provided a reasonably comfortable place to sit in the myriad places where I've lived, but I've never quite found one that makes my heart sing.

They've all been too short, two narrow or just not quite comfortable enough for a good stretching out with a book - probably my favorite thing to do besides kayaking and biking.

It's only after I've sunk into an oh-so-comfy one somewhere else that I realize what I've been missing. Sectionals or sofas with an ottoman seem to be my personal preference when I turn into a couch potato.

A little history: There were daybeds in the 17th century, then "fainting couches" in the 19th century. But the sofa as we know it today didn't become ubiquitous until industrialization made it an indispensable furnishing in the average home.

The TV couch-potato syndrome didn't hurt things, either.

A trend in recent years swapped out big club chairs for the good old couch, but frankly, in my mind, these imposters were no substitute.

I decided to call the experts and see what they had to say about picking out the perfect sofa.

Decide on use

"Sofas tend to stay with us an average of seven years - longer than many people are married - so make sure you really, really like it," says Linda Cox, an interior decorator with Robb & Stucky Interiors in International Plaza.

Admit how you're planning to use the sofa and then select durability accordingly, Cox advises. "Do you have children or pets or other mitigating circumstances? Admit it, admit it. Are you planning to sleep on the sofa? Nothing will wear out a sofa faster than sleeping on it."

Choose your color

You can buy a sofa in the color du jour or in a shade that makes you smile, like eggplant. But you probably won't be very happy with that decision in a few years, says Kim Bohan, a New Tampa interior decorator whose Lexington Oaks-based business, Room Renew, also helps people organize their living spaces.

"If you've already got color on the walls, go neutral," Bohan advises, "and even if you don't have color on the walls, go neutral."

You can always add color with pillows and accessories, she says. In the long run you'll be happier with a sofa not screaming for attention.

Consider price, quality

Sofas can cost beaucoup bucks.

Bohan advises going middle of the road. "Cheap sofas wear out quickly and if it's too expensive, you'll feel funny about anyone eating or drinking on it."

Cox has this to say: "The sofa is the workhorse of the house. Buy the very best quality you can afford."

Pay attention to how it's constructed, Cox says. "Look for terms like 'eight-way hand-tied' and 'kiln dried.' " Soft down cushions usually indicate a finer quality. Ultrahard cushions often mean more foam, she points out.

The best frames are made of alder wood or poplar and have corner blocks, "so they stay stable when the kids do flying leaps," Cox says.

Go old school

Bohan and Cox agree that a tastefully styled, in-scale sofa should win out any day over a fad-inspired competitor. "Choose a classic Ralph Lauren sofa over something ultra- modern because it will never go out of style," Bohan says. "Also, if you live in a small house, stick with a medium-size sofa."

Cox says: "The big oversized ones are on the outs now. Let the space and size of the room dictate."

If you go

Hues you can use

Linda Cox will offer free seminars on color at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday at Robb & Stucky at International Plaza in Tampa. For more information, call (813) 319-6707.

[Last modified August 11, 2007, 23:15:29]