The Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Perfect Modern Sofa For You

Just take your first steps into the fascinating world of modern sofas to realize that you can easily get lost among so many options. The task is complex for several reasons: not only because you need to find the sofa that best represents your style, tastes, personality, and aesthetics without losing coherence with the rest of the environment, but also that it's functional enough for you according to your lifestyle and needs.

Among these different types of sofa, you could make an endless list of all the ones that you like or think could look and work well for you. However, guidance never hurts, especially if it comes from people with experience and a broad vision of interior design.

The following series of questions and answers will help you in your purpose and you can begin to clear the most important doubts you have about this task:

What are the different types of sofas?

It all depends on the way you classify them since there are several criteria according to which you can group the different types of sofa. These are the main ones:

• According to its form and function. The linear sofa, sectional, sofa with chaise lounge, corner sofa, modular sofa, sofa bed, sofa with storage. You'll find several of these pieces in modern catalogs.
• According to your style. The style of the sofa design is key in many of its aspects. You can find the modern sofa, contemporary sofa, tuxedo, classic sofa, chesterfield, lawson, etc. Style is the main aspect that divides the wide universe of sofas into an important diversity of colors, sizes, and shapes. The different types of sofas are almost always classified in furniture stores according to their style, in the first place.
• According to its materials. Mainly, the upholstery material can be decisive in the final look and style of a sofa. The upholstery of fabric, leather, velvet and some synthetic materials are usually the most common. Also, some sofas have reinforced wood frames, while others have a metal frame.

What type of fabric is best for a sofa?

Nylon, polyester, artificial silk, and cotton tend to be the most common materials. However, your choice should depend on the environment, climate factors, and the type of recurring users who will sit in it. For example, if there are small children at home, we don't recommend any type of fabric but rather a leather sofa because it's easier to clean food and drink stains that children can spill on a leather surface than on one of cloth.

What type of sofa should I buy?

Before making the decision, you should consider the most pertinent aspects of what you want and need. First of all, your ideal sofa has to provide you with the functionality you need in your living room and, at the same time, it has to be, as far as possible, a reflection of your personality, your tastes, and a piece highly compatible with the decorating style you have chosen. That is the safest and most reliable way to make the right choice.

Take into account the number of people who will use it, whether they live with you or visit you frequently, if you have pets or not (since some materials are more susceptible than others to claws and sharp objects), the climate of your area (since some materials are more impervious and warm than others), and especially: the size of the model that you like the most. The different types of sofa designs will show you that there's practically an option for every need and you just have to find the most appropriate one for you.

It's advisable to draw a small-scale floor plan in which you can specify the particular dimensions of the model you need and the spot in which you're going to place it. Thus, you'll avoid the great inconvenience of buying a disproportionate sofa, too big or too small that, ultimately, won't make you feel satisfied and you'll end up wanting to return to the store.

Which type of sofa is best for my living room?

To each living room its own sofa! Never forget that the floor plan is the key and your main guide in the process. The floor plan will allow you to clearly visualize, in a general sense, what can be best for your place.

Some living rooms are based on an open-concept floor plan and, when they're very spacious floors, a good option may be to choose a robust model, such as a large modern sectional, to visually divide the space and create the feeling that each section is individual.

If instead, you live in a small place, such as a studio apartment designed for one or two people, you probably want a purely minimalist model, small, that simply fulfills its most basic function: to provide comfortable and ergonomic seating to those who inhabit the site. Along those lines, there are plenty of modern designs that could amazingly accomplish that task, including the popular loveseats.

Don't panic when you discover that the types of couches and sofas make up an almost infinite universe of options and possibilities. This is one of the most versatile and interesting categories that modern furniture stores have, so don’t feel overwhelmed when you start your search.

What type of cushions is better for a leather sofa?

Do the following mental exercise: think for a moment about the types of sofa cushions that you'd like your couch to have and imagine that you have just placed it in your living room. Three aspects, in particular, are usually key in choosing your cushions:

• Temperature. Is the finish of the cushions appropriate for the climate of your area? Leather is usually nice if you live in a place with very low temperatures all year round, as the leather will keep you warm, but if you live in a region with constant high temperatures, the leather will probably suffocate you quickly, so it may be better a fabric sofa.
• The weather. Do you live in an area with a lot of wind or a lot of dust? This could be very important to choose the most appropriate type of upholstery, since leather is waterproof, while the fabric will trap a greater amount of dust particles inside and will affect you even more if you suffer from allergies. Some cushions made of synthetic materials are especially suitable.
• The finish and the filling. What the cushion has inside and the feeling it gives you when you touch it are two determining factors in the process of choosing your cushions. Some are filled with memory foam, feathers, or even, if they're high-end sofas, they can have sophisticated cushioning systems with springs. Also, if you're one of the people who like to take naps on the sofa from time to time, you'll want not only your body to feel well cushioned on the seats but also to produce a pleasant sensation to the touch when you feel its surface.

What are the different types of leather for sofas?

The main types of leather for sofas are aniline, semi-aniline, protected, top, grain, split grain, bonded, nubuck, faux leather, and many others. The quality and characteristics of each type of leather will depend on the type of sofa, its style, and the general characteristics of the design.

What is the best type of fabric for a sofa?

Cotton, silk, and wool are usually the most common and recurring types of fabric. Many times, the finishes will depend on the type of fabric used for a certain piece. Two sofa models with upholstery of the same color can look very different if the type of fabric is different since there are some shinier, smoother, permeable, soft, or rough.

It's recommended that before deciding which type of fabric is best for the model you'll choose, take your decorating style into account; this way, you'll ensure that the finish, texture, and the specific material are fully compatible and consistent with everything that surrounds it.

What is the best type of leather for a sofa?

All the types of leather sofa mentioned above are valid, depending on the use that you're going to give them since some are more resistant than others, and can vary in textures and colors. However, some of the most recommended are pigmented leather, aniline leather, and semi-aniline leather.

These types of leather are durable, becoming supple and soft over time, and can even develop an elegant patina that makes them look even more sophisticated. Tanned leather is also highly acclaimed and used in modern models for its amazing features and versatility of appearance, which makes it look good in virtually any type of decorating style and even works great as a contrasting accent shade in living rooms with light-color palettes.

What type of sofa is best for dogs?

The best type of sofa for pets is microfiber sofas. Those sofas are highly recommended when there are dogs at home, or any other pet with claws. Microfiber is not only “pet-proof” for its strength, but also much easier to clean when it comes time to strip away accumulated hairs.

What type of sofa is good for your back?

Regardless of its materials, durability, and aesthetic style, the best furniture designs are those that stand out for their ergonomic attributes, since those are the type of details that make a piece suitable for use by a human being in the most appropriate way possible. Thus, the best sofa for your back will be the most ergonomic model, depending on your anthropometric measurements, or any special needs you have.

If you suffer from chronic back ailments, a sofa with lumbar support may help you enjoy the experience in a way that is much more pleasant and suitable for your body. Also, when testing the model that captivates you the most, pay close attention to the height of the seat, how good your legs and the rest of your body feel when you sit on it. Your own body will be the one that will tell you more reliably which design you should choose.

What type of sofa to buy?

If you have already taken into account all the previous recommendations that we have given you in this article, the task of choosing the correct sofa should be much easier and friendly. We recommend that you make a small list of the models that you've seen in the online catalogs either from Manhattan Home Design or the store of your choice and, next to each model, you write down the advantages and disadvantages that each piece would mean for you.

The types of sofa styles are usually divided mainly according to their trends since it's from this aspect that materials, designs, colors, sizes, etc. are mostly defined. Take into account all the aspects mentioned above (decorating style, color scheme, climatic factors, presence of children or pets, etc.). At the end of the day, you won't only find the answer in that list but also in your intuition: follow your instincts and choose the sofa that your sixth sense indicates should be in your living room today.

Which type of sofa is best?

There is a type of sofa ideal for each type of environment and decorating style. The best sofa for you is the model that keeps the right balance between aesthetic style, functionality, durability, and, additionally, whose cost-benefit ratio is appropriate and balanced. The most popular types of sofa covers are those that resist intensive use and are suitable for children, pets, and adverse climatic factors.

If you find a sofa that's able to cover all these aspects satisfactorily, you'll know immediately that it's the best sofa for you. It's best to review each section of the modern model catalogs and make sure to review all types of categories well, including the types of sectional sofas. You don't know which of them can become your new sofa.

Which type of sofa is best for the home?

This is not a rhetorical question and the answer is not either since you must bear in mind that sofas are not only used in homes but also in offices, public areas, outdoors, lobbies, waiting rooms, or even compartments in your house which are not exactly the living room.

When you choose the sofa for your home, always think about what is most useful for those who share the space with you or those who visit you frequently. Even the types of sofa arms or other components can mean a wide range of attractive options that are always worth checking out.

If a sofa reflects your personality, preferences, is consistent with the environment, and adapts well to your lifestyle, you shouldn't ask for much more since it's probably the perfect design for you.

There are even some types of sofa beds that could be convenient in many cases, especially in minimalist layouts where it's necessary to use every square inch of the place wisely. Even if you decide to choose one of these pieces, you'll still find different types of sofa beds with diverse styles and technical functions.

This guide contains the most important questions and answers that are usually generated during a decorating process. All doubts deserve to be clarified so that you can decide without regrets.

Remember that your sofa has a very special role within your floor plan because it will probably become the star of many memorable memories, family photos, and, with a bit of luck and the necessary care, the next heirloom that will pass from one generation to another in your family.