What's Your Sofa Personality?

Knowing your (or your client's) furniture personality is critical to furniture happiness.  Have you ever thought about it?

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Are you a perfectionist, a lover of things neat and clean and orderly?  A "tight back" or "tight seat cushion" may be for you...

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Or maybe just a tight back alone, like the one below.  Why?  Because they rarely ever wrinkle.  No loose cushions to get squishy.  True love for the type-A personality (overgeneralizing, I know, but work with me:)

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Then there's the semi-attached cushion, perfect for the "I like to think I'm a more relaxed
personality, but I don't want my cushions moving around (or kids using them to make forts!).  Semi-attached look loose and more relaxed, but they are actually sewn along the back of each cushion to the back of the sofa.  Pro?  Looks neater than loose back, and no fussing.  Con?  You can't rotate your cushions for even wear.

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The ottoman above is semi-attached.  It has a loose-looking cushion, but that baby isn't going anywhere, because it is sewn underneath to the base. (Easier to show on an ottoman than a sofa picture.)

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The cushions on a  "loose back" sofa, above, can all be taken off and rotated for wear. This is a great sofa for the person who 1.) is anal about even wear of cushions or 2.) likes a more lived-in look to a sofa,  or 3.) the person who doesn't freak out when the kids toss the cushions all over the floor.  (And they will.  At least once. :)

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A "pillow back" is literally having pillows along the back instead of larger cushions.  Whoa.  This person has a ton of tolerance for messy and super casual. (So NOT me.)   Do not buy a pillow back if you like things neat all the time!  This sofa type will make you out of your mind.

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Seat cushions either come loose or tight (like the blue tufted sofa up top).  There is one guarantee I can make with a bench cushion, like the one above.  It will, almost immediately, show what I call "comfort wrinkles."  Because the cushion is so long, it. will. wrinkle.  This is not for you or your client if 1.) wrinkles make you insane, or 2.) you are not willing to flip your cushion regularly.

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Finally, a word about skirts.  Whether your personality leans formal or casual, know this...skirts wrinkle.  Almost always.  And once they get a major crease in them, you can rarely get it out, because skirts have a stiff backing, and when it gets bent, it doesn't un-bend.  You also risk shoe marks.  That said, skirts are one of the easiest ways to add a bit of formal attire to a space.  Just know what to expect. 

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Truly, the key to sofa/furniture happiness and true love for years, is knowing yourself (or your client), and answering these questions before you make an investment:

1. Am I a person who likes things to look neat and tidy all the time?  Do I want to work at maintaining  a perfect look?

2.  Will I loose my mind if I can't rotate my cushions so that they always look evenly worn?

3.  Do I like to sit on my sofa (tight back/tight seat), or sink into my sofa (loose or pillow back)?

I could go on and on.  But I won't.  (Whew, I know.)    What sofa personality are you?


Carol


Need help buying furniture to suit your personality?  Contact me, I'd love to help you.