In general, if we pick a wrong dress with a shoe that doesn’t match, isn’t comfortable or isn’t the right quality for our look, we will just give it away or return it with a light heart no regrets.

However, buying a sofa is very different and much more complex. We have to live with our decision for years, even decades, so it is very annoying when we realize that we have made the wrong decision after the furniture has arrived in our home.

Where do we look for a good quality sofa?

Searching and choosing is the million-dollar question and then how will I know if I have found the right one?

Well, most people nowadays start their research and orientation on the Internet. Browsing the internet allows you to be bombarded by a lot of furniture ads that sticks to our eyes. Sofa poems photographed in amazing interiors everywhere. But are they like this in real life?

For example , take corner sofa bought a t Plush, Bracknell. We want to know if this piece is really a good quality and suitable for our needs. Since the image can be deceptive and the quality can’t be judged by a photo, furniture ordered online may not be the best option for everyone. Instead, it’s recommended to visit a shop where you can look at the sofas, sit in it, lie on it. Where you can feel the fabrics and see the overall effect live, and last but not least, get expert help or opinion with your choice. So, get up and pay visit to some local home living shops to find out more before making any decision.

What should we pay attention to in the furniture store?

It may sound weird, but don’t  go alone. Invite a friend or family member — more eyes can see more; more ears can hear more. Your acquaintance might notice things that you would have overlook, which could be decisive in the election and purchase. After arriving to the store, test the furniture: sit down on any sofa that you like, because this is the only way to decide what seat depth, seat height and backrest height is ideal for you. At our PLUSH store, you may have the opportunity to try, test and compare several types of sofas.

Ask, ask and dare to ask!

Important to ask the seller/assistant all the questions that concerns you, it is vital to have all the necessary information before making a purchase. Ask where the product is made and try to find out everything about the manufacturer. If you choose the product of a reputable, reliable company, you won’t be disappointed, and you will be able to use the purchased sofa with satisfaction for a long time.

It could be a warning sign – and it says a lot about the quality of the business too – if the seller is unaware or simply reluctant to share information with you. In a prestigious trade as furniture selling, you should get an adequate and satisfactory answer to all your questions.

What to examine before purchasing a sofa?

Always and I repeat “always” inspect the furniture meticulously. Make sure there are no tears, marks etc. plus check the following:

1. Frame structure: Let's start the inspection from the inside. It is important that everything in a sofa that has a supporting function is made of hard wood (possibly metal). Beware of pieces made of softwood, fiberboard and cardboard as they will not last long. Open the bed structure, look at the inside of the bedding rack, bend down and look under the sofa, the small details tell you a lot about the quality of the construction. Sit down on the seating set. If you feel like you’re sitting on a bench, it's a big problem. There's probably no spring in the couch. In quality seating sets you always find load-bearing irons under the seating areas, which are mostly made of steel wave spring. If we sit down on such a sofa, we will immediately feel the springiness of the seating area. It is very important to avoid a set of seats from afar that does not have spring support!
2. Foam: Most manufacturers put foam cover on the spring base, but the quality here is also very different. In the poorer quality pieces, there is a cheaper foam with a density of 20-25, which when seated is conveniently perched and soft, but later collapses, "potholes" and becomes uncomfortable. This process often begins with the pieces exhibited in the furniture store and can already be seen there. If possible, select foams with a density of 35, 40 or 50 in the seating area. As a rule, the denser the foam, the more durable and lasting it is. Be sure to ask about the density of the built-in foam before choosing. For more demanding manufacturers, you can choose from a variety of seat comforts and foam densities.

In addition, stay seated on the set for a few minutes, shift around it, then stand up and sit down again, repeating it several times in a row. Make sure to check if you can hear any squeaky-squeaky "cat voices." If so, it may indicate a skeletal defect, forget about the intended set and keep looking.

3. Outer fabric: Whatever material you choose the most important factors you should consider are cleanability and wear resistance. The wear resistance index - Martindale value - should be above 30,000 when under heavy loads. In terms of cleanability, we don't such an easy job anymore. In general, we can say that the leather is an extremely cleansable and durable material, it is an ideal choice for children and pets, but in the last few years it may have been marginalized a little compared to fabrics, since the production of furniture fabric has developed enormously in recent times.

New durable Aqua Clean technology, water-cleanable fabrics have appeared in the market, so even with heavy loads, you do not necessarily have to worry about stains anymore. In Plush you will find a wide range of these materials. If possible, ask for a small tissue sample from the store and examine the possible finisher even in home conditions before making a decision. For fabrics that can be cleaned with water, not only the color is examined, but also a little chocolate is applied to test the cleanability.

4. Smell the sofa: At first, this request sounds very strange, but believe me, it's not. Unfortunately, from time to time, seating furniture may contain substances harmful to our health, such as formaldehyde, which is commercially available. If you smell anything suspicious, keep looking. We recommend that you buy furniture from a manufacturer that has a quality assurance system, where the production process is fully controlled, and the raw materials used meet the highest quality, safety and environmental standards.
5. Warranty: If you want to buy a high-quality sofa and use it for many years, make sure you check out the manufacturer guarantee list. The length of the warranty period itself can indicate the quality of the sofa. Furniture makers who use high-quality raw materials and produce high quality sofas usually offer a much longer warranty period than manufacturers of cheaper sofas.

Deciding on your sofa space

• Decide on the sofa location and space you’re going to need for it to comfortably fit in your room. Then use newspaper and masking tape to mark out the amount of space it requires
• Check that there’s enough space to walk around your sofa. Plus, check that the positioning of your sofa doesn’t obstruct your doors or drawers
• Measure the height of the area where your sofa will be placed to ensure it can be moved into that area

Measuring your sofa

For sofas, first measure the width and then the diagonal depth. The diagonal depth is found by measuring from the highest point of the back frame to the front of the arm. Then measure from the bottom rear corner of the sofa up to the point it crosses your measurement of the back frame to the front of the arm. The measurements of the diagonal depth must be less than the size of your entryway.

Ensuring your sofa can access your property

Not only will your sofa have to fit into your living room, but also through your doors, halls, stairs and even up in a lift, if you have one. Here are a few things you’ll need to consider before your sofa is delivered.

Measuring the hallway

• Measure the height and width of all doors and hallways that your sofa will need to pass through
• Check for fixtures, fittings and immovable objects like radiators that may obstruct your hallway
• Measure the distance between the access door in the hallway and the interior wall in the room where the sofa will be put. This measurement must be more than the width of the sofa
• If the corner is tight, it might be easier to stand the sofa upright to gain entry. Before you do this, you should measure the ceiling height. This needs to be greater than the width of the sofa to ensure entry