This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of RewardStyle, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please visit our privacy policy for details.
I was looking through old photos on google drive and I can’t believe we’ve only had our Sedona Leather couch for a year. It feels like ages because it has gotten so cozy and patinaed very nicely. When we first moved into our home in Bay View we purchased the Andes sectional from West Elm.
But we soon realized, after getting VÃk, we had become “that family” that allows the dogs on the couch.
I knew that a leather couch would be more durable and easier to keep clean. Even though our dogs aren’t trying to damage our furniture, the simple act of jumping up on the sofa can leave unwanted scratch marks, not to mention it is hard to keep the sofa free of the fur, oils, and dirt. I was excited when we decided to go with a leather couch from West Elm to replace the Andes twill couch.
We moved the Andes Couch to my Studio 29 Photography studio space and it has gotten so much use there with all of my in-studio sessions. All of my clients love it as much as we did when it was in our home.
To be completely honest, of all the furniture we’ve bought for our home, the sofa is arguably the most important and frankly the most difficult to make a decision on. Caleb and I waffled back and forth for several days before finally deciding on the Sedona.
Couches are dominant pieces in any room they live in, playing a key role both in terms of the aesthetic of a room and the comfort for the family – and they’re also a fairly significant investment too.
As a result, ensuring that you find the ideal sofa for your needs is absolutely crucial.
I’ve provided a simple step-by-step guide that should help to keep the sofa-buying process as smooth and successful as possible…
Step One: Decide a maximum size
Sofas should be proportional to the rest of the room, so consider the space available and set a maximum size you believe your space can accommodate comfortably. Apt2b has a great article about how to choose the right sofa size.
Step Two: Decide On Your Three “Must-Haves”
Establishing three “essential” factors your new sofa must-have can help to guide you through the buying process and make it easier to focus on what you really want and narrow selections.
As an example, you could decide that you want a sofa that is a modern style, is raised from the floor and is provided in a fabric that is compatible with “wear and tear” from your dog.
Step Three: Establish Your Budget
It’s advisable to set your budget before you start looking for sofas; you can then filter search results accordingly, so there’s no risk of falling in love with a sofa that is outside of your price range.
Step Four: Start Browsing Online
There are benefits to visiting a store (as we will soon discuss), but the range of options will always be limited by space. To ensure the most thorough overview of the market, it’s always preferable to start your buying journey online; from well-known retailers selling established brands to smaller retailers with more eclectic ranges, the internet allows you to discover the full diversity of choice available to you.
My favorite places to browse for couches:
- Way Fair
- CB2
- West Elm (they have pet-friendly fabrics)
- Joybird
Step Five: Create A Shortlist
After initial research, put together a shortlist of sofas that satisfy the three “essential†criteria you set above and are in line with your budget. Do try to keep this list as literally short as possible – we’d recommend no more than three – otherwise, the next step can become very time-consuming indeed…
Step Six: Keep On Searching
If you can, try and view the sofas you are considering in person so you can test it out for yourself.
In addition (or in place of, if in-person testing is not possible), take the time to research online; YouTube videos and blog posts can be a good starting point for more information and honest reviews beyond the standard sales details.
You can also read customer feedback to get an idea of what a particular sofa is actually like to live with. Joybird reviews can really help to shape your buying decision, and you should have no problem finding similar feedback for other major brands.
Step Seven: It’s Buy Time!
With all of the above steps behind you, you should be ready to make your final selection and look forward to a happy sofa-ownership experience for many years to come!
