3 min readWhen designing a forever home, it’s easy to get distracted by statement-making pieces like an antique armoire, sculptural lighting, or vintage rugs. While these all play a role in helping your home feel layered and lived-in, designers insist the smartest investment isn’t the flashiest; it’s the one you’ll actually use every day.
Collecting and design expert Emily Evans Eerdmans of Eerdmans says the first piece of furniture you should invest in for your forever home is a great sofa. She says, “The sofa is the cornerstone of the living room—it is the piece that all the other furniture is organized around. Not only is it a major focal point of the room; it will also be used constantly.”
Leanne Yarn of Yarn Design Associates agrees that daily life justifies the investment. You spend an extraordinary amount of time on a sofa—watching television, gathering with friends, hosting family—making it one of the most frequently used pieces in your home. Here are some things to look for before making the investment.
Comfort
One key thing to look out for before purchasing a sofa that you’ll love and use daily is comfort. Our design pros agree: If there’s one universal pitfall, it’s prioritizing appearance over practicality. “I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve had who have bought an expensive sofa and never use it because it simply isn’t comfortable,” Eerdmans says.
Yarn emphasizes comfort just as strongly, but she pairs it with a dose of realism. Because as much as we love our dining tables, many of us also love to eat on our sofas. That reality calls for materials that can withstand real life. Performance fabrics—including widely known options such as Crypton—offer durability without sacrificing style. Many upholstery lines, including Vanguard and Century Furniture, integrate high-performance options directly into their collections, making it easier (and often more cost-effective) to select a fabric that can handle spills, guests, and everyday accidents.
Scale
Beyond comfort and construction, our design pros recommend taking the scale and depth of your sofa into consideration. “Depth is important—I recommend 38 inches to 41 inches,” Eerdmans advises. That extra room makes all the difference in how a sofa supports everyday lounging—but you’ll still be able to stand up after lounging. Inside the frame, cushion construction is just as important. The right fill ensures the sofa keeps its shape— and comfort—over time. Eerdmans recommends “at least a 50/50 down-wrapped foam insert.”
Height is another detail that shouldn’t be overlooked. Yarn cautions against sofas that sit too low to the ground. While low-slung silhouettes can look sleek, they aren’t always practical. She recommends seat heights in the 19- to 22-inch range, noting that anything under 18 inches can start to feel impractically low and difficult to rise from.
Configuration
Configuration also deserves careful consideration. Sofas now come in a range of layouts—traditional arm-to-arm styles, chaise extensions, L-shaped sectionals, and modular configurations. While the various options are appealing, Yarn advises homeowners to think critically about proportion. A configuration that overwhelms the room will never feel right, no matter how beautiful it is.
And before you place the order, measure everything—doorways, hallways, stairwells. It’s an easy step to skip in the excitement of a purchase. “However, in the worst case you can always call a sofa doctor, which we have had to do, who will take it apart and put it back together again,” says Eerdmans.
Craftsmanship
When investing in a large piece of furniture that’ll stand the test of time, craftsmanship matters just as much as measurements. Eerdmans recommends investing in bench-made pieces whenever possible.
“If you buy a bench-made piece, it is made to last forever. That isn’t to say you won’t need to recover or redo cushions every decade or so.” Her firm even stain-treats fabric before upholstery to help protect against the wear and tear of daily life.
A well-chosen sofa comes down to getting the proportions right and investing in quality where it counts. Do that, and it becomes a piece you’ll live with—and love—for decades.
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