Buying a sofa in the UK… our top 5 picks and how to make the right choice.
Our round up of the UK’s finest sofa offerings
Buying your first “serious” sofa in the UK is not easy… you’re not alone if you find yourself inundated with choice but unable to make a final decision.
Navigating through the broad range of styles, quality and pricing is tricky.
At Victorian Home, to help you in our search, we’re providing our crib sheet (see below).
In this article we’ll give you a steer on our top 3 favourite sofas along with a couple of admirable mentions. We’ll tell you why we think these sofas stand out from the crowd. We’ll provide for a range of budgets too.
First, our sofa crib sheet, as follows:
The “look” of your sofa is important, but comfort is non-negotiable
…don’t compromise on comfort
Hardwood frame only. No talk of softwood, chipboard, whateverboard
Coil springs should be in the seat. No springs… move on
Seat cushions must be densely packed, preferably with foam and feathers
[Cushions offering measly bounceback resilience in the store will not suddenly develop a backbone when they arrive in your home]
Sit on the sofa in the store. Yes, a physical store.
Lie on the sofa in the store…
A high quality sofa is heavy. It should be pretty difficult to lift, move, throw…
Owners’ feet, when seated, should be able to plant squarely on the floor
Owners’ knees, when seated, shouldn’t be higher than their nipples
Fabric should be 30,000 rub count or higher (unless broken yarn is your thing)
A sofa is not a Christmas tree. It doesn’t need to lighten up the living room
Top 3:
Brand: Love Your Home
Model: The Florence
Price: from £2,935
Pros:
Comfort score is off the charts (we love the Florence’s high back)
Vintage design but with a fresh, contemporary feel
Cushion quality is excellent
The details; the piping on the cushions, the scalloped arms (we’re big fans)
LYH has a superb showroom just outside Godalming (Surrey, UK); 40 mins from London by train and worth a visit!
Cons:
We think the Florence looks amazing in LYH’s 100% cotton fabric, but for everyday use the durability of this farbric might come up short
LYH’s sofas are manufactured in central Europe. Whilst we have zero hang ups about that, we think it can make lead times and delivery that little bit more challenging
It’s in the higher price range amongst its competition (it’s probably worth it!)
Brand: Barker and Stonehouse
Model: The Hoxton
Price: £1,879
Pros:
A structured marshmellow of a sofa! It exudes comfort
Feather-filled arms make for the perfect pillows (think supine position)
The chenille fabric exudes the rich colour of velvet whilst being even softer
We think the price point is hard to beat
Cons:
This sofa’s unorthodox arms might not be everyone’s cup of tea
The colour range in the chenille fabric is limited; although you can customise by delving into B&S’s other fabric ranges (note: you can only do this in store)
Brand: Loaf
Model: The Dawdler
Price: from £1,545
Pros:
The Dawdler offers superb structure whilst oozing a sleek, vintage design
The cushions require very little plumping… they seem to auto-plump
Loaf’s “clever” fabrics are practically indestructible
At such a reasonable price, you get premium customer service and guarantees from Loaf (they might just be top of the pile when it comes to customer trust)
Cons:
It’s on the deep side. Some might find their legs dangling…
Whilst Loaf has developed incredibly robust fabrics, we haven’t fallen in love with their colour wheel
Admirable mentions:
Brand: Soho Home
Model: The Mossley
Price: £3,795 (there’s discount for Soho Home members)
Pros:
Soho Home have created a beautiful looking sofa in all its vintage glory
We think their velvet colourways are unrivalled; olive, lichen, grey blue
The design, whilst simple, is a head-turner and probably our favorite
It’s also an excuse to go to one of their gorgeous showrooms in Chelsea or Notting Hill
Cons:
It’s low to the ground with a back that is not particularly high… we asked ourselves if it offered enough structure to be our daily driver
The price… it’s on the high side. The sofa cushions will need a lot of plumping!
Sofas & Stuff’s ‘Alwinton’ sofa pictured in Hovingham Woven Linen Stripe Blue.
Brand: Sofas & Stuff
Model: The Alwinton
Price: £3,285
Pros:
We love how the Alwinton embraces classic design. For those more intent on committing to a timeless style, we think this sofa is a winner
The build quality is superb
The fabric choice is incredibly diverse (we think Sofas and Stuff are leading the charge on fabrics). You can get the Alwinton in Harris Tweed if you so wish!
Cons:
We think the Alwinton is a 2 seater. The middle section is a bit of a crevasse
The list price is on the high side… look out for those discount opportunities
We wish we liked more of S&S’s sofa range!