No modern home is complete without a modern sofa. Here's how to choose the right one for your space.
Choosing the right modern sofa for your home is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when shopping for new furniture. There are many factors to consider, from construction and comfort to style and design details. With so many variables in play, it can be difficult to know where to start. Our sofa guide can help you easily navigate the sofa selection process with ease to achieve a modern look in your home.
While traditional styles seem to either be very stylish or very comfortable, the modern designs balance the two. Modern sofas emphasize comfort and livability, while still being visually stunning so you don’t have to choose between looks or comfort. You can get a sofa that has it all. Look for sofas with deep seats and high quality construction for a seat you’ll never want to leave. Clean lines, straight angles, and minimal decoration balance the comfortable elements for a sofa that can be both inviting and sleek. Today’s most contemporary styles have left over the top decorative details in the past in favor of high quality fabrics and eye-catching colors that make maximum impact without any of the fuss.
The modern sofa will serve as a focal point of your living room arrangement where everyone wants to gather. You can opt for sectionals too with a chaise that makes lounging even better. Look for tuxedo sofas, chesterfield styles, mid-century modern designs to achieve the modern look. Bench seats and wide, squared arms are also hallmarks of the contemporary aesthetic.
Sofas are available in nearly every color and pattern you can imagine, upholstered in a variety of fabrics. Today’s contemporary styles favor solid colors that contribute to the minimal style that is currently having a moment. Velvet fabrics, especially jewel tones like emerald and dark blue are especially popular today as well as linen upholstery in neutral hues like beige, white, and tan. No matter the fabric and color you choose for your modern sofa, make the couch the centerpiece of your living room by selecting other furniture and accessories that complement the look and design of your sofa.
When it comes to sofas, the elements you can’t see are sometimes more important than what you can. Sure you want a couch that speaks to your personal style, but you also want one that will stand up to everyday wear and tear and provide a comfortable seat for years into the future. The frame and suspension of your sofa are the two primary factors that will determine the long-term comfort and quality of your new sofa.
When shopping for a frame, you’ll find models constructed from a range of wooden, metal, and synthetic materials. Kiln-dried hardwood is popular for being extremely sturdy and maintaining its integrity through years of use. It will not warp or lose its shape, making it a favorite in the luxury market. Hardwoods that are popularly used in sofa frame construction include oak, beech, and ash. The drying process removes the moisture from the wood making for a more consistent style that won’t lose its shape.
If value is a primary consideration, you might opt for a plywood frame, which is similar to kiln-dried hardwood except for less expensive and by merit of its lower price point is considered less of a top tier wood. Plywood is engineered, and not found in nature. There is a broad range of quality that can be found, and top grade plywoods can be as sturdy as hardwood, though some people will still prefer the genuine wooden product.
Particleboard wooden frames are similarly an engineered material that is constructed by compressing wood chips and fibers and gluing them together. It’s less strong than both hardwood and plywood but it is much less expensive and lightweight which is great for renters who plan on moving often or for anyone who enjoys the option to rearrange their furniture often and mix up the look of their living room. You can also purchase sofas with a center frame that is constructed from various metal materials. Metal is lightweight and durable and oftentimes less bulky than wood frames. You’ll want to find a metal sofa frame that has been reinforced and treated to not bend or warp in humid environments.
Tip: The frame is only as strong as the joints that hold it together. Make sure the sofa you purchase has reinforced joints that interlock or include dowels to get the strongest frame.
The type of suspension systems and what the cushions are made from will together determine how comfortable your sofa is. You’ll also want to consider longevity when choosing the sofa for your home. Some couches might seem comfortable when you first sit down, but if the suspension and cushions aren’t made from materials that are built to last, you’ll be left with sagging seats after just a few years. The suspension can be made from metal springs that are dropped in or hand tied. Eight-way hand tied coils are widely considered to be the most high quality that you can buy, while drop in springs are a better value. You can also find sofas that feature sinuous springs which bring a softer seat to your living room and springs that form a zig zag pattern. Newer sofas will often have a web suspension system, which uses more modern non-metal materials like fabric and canvas plus stretch and tension to create the support for the sofa.
Cushions can be filled with a broad range of materials. You’ll want to consider the fill of cushions you want carefully, because this is the construction element that will make the biggest, most noticable difference in how comfortable the sofa feels when you sit down. Modern memory style foams have become popular in mattresses, and they are commonly used in sofa cushions today too. Foam is soft and comfortable while still providing ample support when you sit down. This popular material also will not lose its shape over time, lending longevity to the comfort and style of your sofa. Batting is often added to cushions to give more shape to sofas and can be constructed from traditional materials like polyester, cotton, or wool. For price conscious consumers, polyester is a great value option. On the other side of the spectrum, cushions filled with feathers or down are the peak of luxury in the furniture industry. Down cushions offer supreme softness and luxury in your living room.
Choosing the right sofa size for your home will largely depend on the size of your space. You want to ensure your sofa isn’t too large, overwhelming your living room, or too small. You’ll also want to consider how the sofa you want to buy will play off of the other furniture you already own. Generally, a sofa will be the focal point of your living room arrangement, and the other elements should add to its elegance. The seat will typically measure about 20” high, and the back will measure closer to 36”. The seat depth will range from 30” to 40” or even deeper in select styles. As a rule of thumb, the deeper the seat, the more comfortable the sofa. Modern sofas range from 6-8’ long.
