Here is the usual routine for purchasing upholstery.

We go to the nearest furniture store, scope out what looks like will fit. We look at what seems to have the right colour and feels comfortable. We look over our shoulder to find the salesperson hovering in earshot and we place the order. Within a week or so, voila! We have a sofa and or chairs delivered. Simple, right?

These large furniture stores order by volume and house these sofa sets in large warehouses. For this reason, they're able to keep the costs down, however, fabric choices and styles are limited, sometimes only 2 or 3 fabrics, sometimes none.

“You can have any fabric you want as long as it’s the grey fabric showing on the sofa”. (A little sales joke.)

Let’s dive in a little deeper.

The first step should be to measure out the space for sofa, love seat, and or chairs will occupy.

The next step is to find a reputable sofa manufacturing company. Preferably a Canadian one, better yet, a local Canandian, sofa company. Local manufacturing companies will offer different price points. (Contact me for my favourite, competitive, local sofa companies.)

The reason I’m recommending a local company is that there will be far more options available to you. These sofa manufacturers have a showrooms that allow you admission to visit.

If you are redoing the space, take all your samples with you. Your paint sample, a fabric swatch, a wood sample. I promise you, your colour samples will look different in the showroom light than in your home. You can look at all their fabrics, and there are hundreds! As well you can sit on all the product. Not to mention - supporting local businesses.

Although you can’t order from the showroom, you can walk away with all the information you’ll need to order your newly found sofa style with the perfect fabric. In most cases 2 or more toss cushion is usually included with your ordered sofa. You will have to choose a coordinating fabric for the toss cushions as well. This allows you to have a little fun with the sofa fabrics and patterns.

Something to note: Although showrooms do their best to make your visit pleasant, they are a “showroom” and not a retail establishment, they don’t have the sales staff. A manufacturers showroom is an extension of the manufacturing facility reserved as a courtesy for designers and store owners alike to see and try their product, in turn, the manufacterer makes this available and open to everyone.

Go in ready to take notes and pictures and do some work. Going in prepared with your samples will make the process a little easier.

Photo credit - L. Rodrigues

All product will have a product number and a reference page. This sometimes is available on the manufactures website. This is a page with the dimensions of your chosen style and relative styles. From there you can choose different sizes and pieces. Sofas, sectionals, sofa chaise, condo size sofas, sofa beds, love seats, chair and half, chairs, swivel chairs, ottomans, storage ottomans, stools, benches, etc…

These furniture manufacturers will go one step further. Some have custom sofa programs where they will make your sofa to exact measurement specifications, they will also alter the arm or back or interchange styles from one sofa style to another.

Some will allow you to change the feet. I’ve seen chrome feet in the mix. I’ve seen an espresso square block foot. blonde show wood etc…

Another perk they will offer is C.O.M. also known as "customers own material". You can purchase your own material and bring it to the manufacturing facility and they will upholster your sofa with it. Going this route, of course, will cost a little more, but you are guaranteed to have a sofa that’s unique and just the way you want it. Ultimately, this is the same way to buy sofa as the large furniture stores, only, you are exposed to all the styles and fabrics.

Photo credit - L. Rodrigues

Some companies will have genuine leather as an option. Some will have feather wrapped seats and back as an option at a premium. They will offer a denser foam at a premium, arm caps, extra toss cushions.

Photo credit - L. Rodrigues

Once style and fabrics are chosen and all decisions are made, its a matter of placing the order. The usual turnaround time to produce your ordered sofa is about 8 weeks.

SECTIONALS:

If it’s a sectional you’re in the market for. Full schematics with dimensions will be available to you.

There are countless configurations for a sectional. From sofa chaise to “U” shape sectionals. The important part is to purchase the correct sectional configuration to fit your space properly.

There are sectionals with a curved/rounded corner. This is softer if you’re freestanding it in the middle of your space. There are love seats both right and left. Right-hand sofa, left-hand love seat, and vice versa.

There are armless chairs to extend the sofa or love seat to get it to the exact size you need and maximize your seating.

There will be matching chairs and ottoman to the style of sectional you’re looking at.

There will be sectionals available with queen pull out beds, double beds, even single beds. It will be your decision to have the bed on the right or left.

The difference here, is time. Give yourself plenty of time and a whole new world of fabrics and styles will open up.

That’s the process. Pretty simple, yes?

Stay tuned to hear a little bit about "sofa styles".