Many things in life are more difficult than they seem. Part of going from hobbyist to professional status is the ease with which you do the difficult things associated with your profession. Surgeons perform surgery with relative ease because they have been trained, practiced, and have years of experience. Attorneys can review the most complex legal documents and quickly figure out what it means and what needs to be done. Are they born like this? No, but they have had an exponential experience that allows them to make things seem much easier than they really are.
Selecting the perfect sofa for your home is another task that, for a design professional, can seem like a walk in the park. If it’s not that simple for you, does that mean you’re flawed in some way? Hardly, but what it does indicate is that your average design professional has probably specified hundreds, if not thousands, of sofas over the course of their career. It is this that allows for the ease they demonstrate in pinpointing the perfect sofa for any situation or location.
So how can you learn from the pros and make selecting your next sofa or chair anything less than the nightmare you’ve experienced in the past?
I’m going to let you in on a system used by design professionals that helps them efficiently and effectively find that “needle in a haystack”. The system goes like this:
1. Reduce the design style of your sofa by identifying the architectural influence of your home. If you can’t identify the architectural style of your home, check out this helpful guide (http://is.gd/xdALiv). Once you better understand the architectural influence of your home, it will be easier to zero in on appropriate upholstery styles. Spend time online looking for rooms in houses with similar architecture. Save pictures with upholstery pieces that you find pleasing. Gather at least 3 favorites and reserve these images. We will use them shortly.
2. Learn the perfect size and shape for your new furniture purchase. This is not the time to guess. If you do, I promise you’ll be wrong more often than right. Use a simple (free) online tool like Google SketchUp to create an accurate floor plan for your room. Use this same program to organize and size furniture in the room. When you have decided on a layout you prefer, apply the rule to the sofa or chairs and write down the correct maximum size. Do not buy anything that is not this size. If it doesn’t fit on paper, it will never fit in real life. (Also make sure your exit allows the piece to enter the room or house. You won’t be too happy if you forget this detail.) Apply blue painter’s tape to the floor and/or wall of the room, outlining the exact dimensions of a piece of furniture, it is very helpful in understanding the size and scale of a proposed piece.
3. Take the three images from step one with you when you shop for your new sofa or chair. Ask to see specific pieces with details (arm shape, skirt style, leg design…etc.) similar to these images. Many manufacturers offer semi-custom options that can be modified into specific parts. For example, you can find a sofa body that you like. A semi-custom option allows you to add skirt, arm and back details to that sofa body, making the piece an even better option for your home. Hickory Chair Company has a program that you can read about at this link (http://is.gd/RKjqqz). Many vendors have similar offerings that can quickly get you to the perfect sofa for your home.