Three Out of Four Experts Look for This Feature in a Sofa
Words by Gabrielle Savoie
Photography by Dylan Thomas; Design by Rita Konig
Upholstery lingo can be confusing at best if you’re not a pro.
Mentions of eight-way hand-tied foundations, horsehair cushions, kiln-dried hardwood frames, down-wrapped bench seats, waterfall-style slipcover, and fully sprung interiors is enough to send your head in a tailspin.
But as Rita Konig points out, it’s an important purchase: “You don't want to buy too many sofas because even cheap ones are expensive and they’re hard to get rid of because they have no resale value,” she says. “You want to try and get it as right as possible the first time.”
To demystify how to buy a sofa, we asked eight Experts to share what they look for—and six of them had one requirement on their list: down fill is almost always part of the mix.
Photography by Haris Kenjar; Design by Meghan Eisenberg
Wrapped in Down
“Since large upholstery pieces are a big investment, my dream sofa is timeless and transcends styles: it can fit into either a modern or traditional home. It is soft but supportive because it has a down and feather envelope over a foam core and it has an 18” seat height so all the grandparents can get up without assistance!” —Meghan Eisenberg
Meet with Meghan Eisenberg.
Photography by Milo Brown; Design by Lonika Chande
Tight Backed
“A timeless, elegant design, immensely comfortable with a seat that’s deep enough to snuggle into. The Elmstead sofa by Lorfords pretty much fits the bill with a fully upholstered back, swept-out arms, tapered wooden legs with castors, and feather and down seat cushions. I always opt for a well-made sofa upholstered in a less expensive fabric, rather than the other way round.” —Lonika Chande
Meet with Lonika Chande.
Photography by Stephen Kent Johnson; Design by Nina Farmer
Silky Smooth
“It has a down-wrapped bench seat, an 8-way hand-tied foundation, and it’s covered in silk velvet.” —Nina Farmer
Meet with Nina Farmer.
Photography by Paul Massey; Design by Brandon Schubert
Steeped in Tradition
“I’ve got my eye on a new sofa from Howard Chairs. They’re handmade in their London workshop, which is right around the corner from me in Camden. They’ve been making upholstered furniture since the 19th century, so it’s nice to contribute to keeping that tradition alive. The one in my head is a slightly cleaner, more 20th-century style than their traditional Victorian ones.” —Brandon Schubert
Meet with Brandon Schubert.
Photography by Stephen Kent Johnson; Design by Patrick McGrath
Handmade
“Oh, it’s probably handmade at Jonas in NYC with horsehair and down cushions. It’s deep, has a tight back, and is upholstered in a wool cashmere or something really soft and comfortable.” —Patrick McGrath
Meet with Patrick McGrath.
Photography by Helen Norman; Design by Lauren Liess
Machine Washable
“My dream sofa would have to be the collection I designed with Taylor King. We did so many “sit” tests to get the seat exactly as I wanted: on the lower side but not too low, deep enough to spoon on, down-wrapped, soft but not too squishy, and extremely nappable. Each sofa is made in North Carolina by some of the nicest humans I’ve ever met and they’re all 8-way hand-tied with kiln-dried hardwood frames. I have the “Lady” in my living room, which has a sleek bench seat and a white, waterfall-style machine-washable linen slipcover that I don’t need to worry about—even with 5 kids and 3 dogs in our house!” —Lauren Liess
Meet with Lauren Liess.
Photography courtesy of Rita Konig
Sleek and Timeless
“It should be deep and comfortable. I like the idea of streamlined or sleek lines rather than traditional and heavy. It should be lovely and deep which allows you to put good cushions in the back when you want to be brought forward a bit but you can also really slouch in it when you want to watch a movie or read a book.” —Rita Konig
Meet with Rita Konig.
Photography by Douglas Friedman; Design by Martyn Lawrence Bullard
Fully Sprung
“I like my upholstery to be super deep and down-wrapped—so you are enveloped in softness whilst still being supported—and fully sprung interiors that hold up to the test of time. The shape is always changing since rooms desire different looks and design intent, but my rule is depth and comfort. I like a minimum seat depth of 30 inches, and if it’s solely for TV viewing I like to go as deep as 40 or 45 inches so you can really curl up, wrap in a blanket, cuddle your significant other or beloved dog, and luxuriate in personal time.” —Martyn Lawrence Bullard
Meet with Martyn Lawrence Bullard.
Photography courtesy of Lauren Liess