Has the time come when the old flowered hand-me-down sofa is starting to look like a sack of hay? Have the springs sagged from your once comfy couch? Perhaps it is time to shop for new furniture. As with all major purchases, it’s a good idea to ask yourself questions about how your room will be used. How many people would I like to seat comfortably in this room? Will it be a family room used by young kids? What kind of feeling am I looking for? Modern? Traditional?

Once you have answered some questions it’s time to narrow your ideas down to choices that work for your needs. As a general rule, I mostly end up suggesting that people purchase a three-seater sofa and two comfortable chairs. This is the absolute easiest way to arrange furniture in a living room and a very efficient way of seating people. You can pull up extra chairs from your dining room or get some upholstered cubes. If you have a love seat or even worse, two love seats, would two people (not a couple) at a party want to share a love seat? No!

Another option for great seating is a sectional. These are more informal and are great for seating many people, comfortably. Before you go shopping, measure your space, you can even draw a quick plan of the room, that way you can show the sales person what scale you are looking for, and also think of height of the back, in case the sofa will be placed in the middle and not against a wall. Keep in mind that a high back sofa with a skirt and tufted arms and back will take up a lot more visual space in a room than a sofa or chair with slim arms, no skirt and a tight back. Remember, all the pieces should be of similar scale, i.e. you don’t buy a huge sofa and tiny sleek chairs, that usually gets a room off balance. Look for a sofa with low armrests; it just is more comfortable if you want to lie down.

Remember, you get what you pay for. If you want your living room furniture to last for ten years or more, you need to invest in high quality. Generally, furniture made in North America has been acclimatized to our weather (in terms of the wood used) and is often of highest quality. If you like white or light colored sofas, look for ones with removable covers you can wash. One last tip: if the piece is borderline “too soft,” stay away, it will only get softer.

This article was provided by Room 4 Refinement. Cat Hackman is a Calgary-based decorator. Visit them online at www.room4refinement.com , or call 403 681 4473.