4.7 
Choosing a sofa is not something you do lightly. It is probably the piece of furniture you spend the most time on. Relaxing after a long day, watching films, catching up with friends, or simply doing nothing for a while. Yet most people start the selection process with the model or colour, while space and use are actually the real starting point.
Which sofa suits me? It is a question that carries more weight than it seems. Because there is no universally right answer. Only an answer that is right for your situation. In this blog we go through the selection process step by step: from the layout of your living room to your daily living habits, from sofa shape to look. So that by the end you know what to look out for.
Which sofa fits your living room?
The living room is the starting point of every good sofa selection process. Not because space determines everything, but because a sofa that does not fit the space never feels truly right. However beautiful it is.
Start by asking how you move through the room. Is there a fixed walking route from the hallway to the kitchen? Are there doors that need space? A sofa that blocks the way through will feel like an obstacle within a week. The walking space around the sofa, both at the sides and in front of the seat, is just as important as the size of the sofa itself.
Think about the direction too. What do you look at when you sit down? The TV, the window, the garden or simply the room? A sofa that forces you to sit at an angle or blocks the best view will not work in the long run. After all, the sofa determines how the whole room feels, not just visually but also in use.
Do you have an open-plan living space where the living area and kitchen-diner flow into each other? Then a sofa can also take on a spatial role: as a natural divider between zones. A corner sofa or a U-shaped sofa lends itself well to this. They create a clear seating area without needing a wall. In a somewhat smaller or closed room, a straight sofa or a 2+3-seater arrangement works better, as it gives more breathing room.
Which sofa shape suits the way you live?
If the space sets the framework, your living habits determine the shape. And those are two very different things, even though they are closely linked when you want to choose the right sofa.
A corner sofa does something very specific with a space: it creates a seating island. Everything points inwards; you form a little world of your own in the living room, as it were. That feels safe and cosy. Ideal for families who watch films together or for people who want the sofa to be the calm centre of the room. At the same time, a corner sofa demands space and commitment: it is difficult to move and determines the layout of the whole room.
A U-shaped sofa goes one step further. More seats, more social dynamics, more conviviality. If you regularly host lots of people or have a large family, this is a logical choice. But here too, the space has to allow it. A U-shaped sofa in a room that is too small eats up square metres and makes the room feel smaller than it is.
A 3-seater sofa feels lighter. It gives more freedom in the arrangement: with or without an armchair, away from the wall, at an angle in the corner. For people who like to move things around and change things up, this is a great choice. And for smaller spaces, a 2-seater sofa is sometimes just the bit of breathing room the room needs.
Then there is the modular sofa, which deserves a special mention. Because people who are unsure which sofa to choose sometimes opt for modularity because it sounds 'handy'. But modular really works well if your life is modular too: a move on the horizon, a living room that will change in a few years, or a need for a configuration you can keep adjusting yourself. The flexibility is then not an extra, but a real function.
How do you use the sofa every day?
This is the part most buying guides skip over too quickly. Because what actually makes a good sofa? Not the sofa with the most five-star reviews. But the sofa that suits how you sit, prefer to lie down, work or relax.
Do you sit upright, or do you prefer to lounge? If you sit upright, a sofa with a straight backrest and some firmness in the seat will help. If you like to stretch out, you want a deep seat, soft cushions and a chaise longue or element to put your legs up on. That sounds simple, but it makes a world of difference in daily use.
Do you watch a lot of TV? Then the ratio between sofa depth and height is important. A sofa that is too deep makes watching TV tiring, because you have to bring your head forward. A backrest that is too low gives insufficient support. If you do not watch much TV but love to talk, an arrangement where you can easily turn towards each other is more valuable than the perfect viewing angle.
Do you have children or pets? Then wear and tear becomes a real point of attention. Not as a reason not to buy a beautiful sofa, but as a reason to choose more consciously: a darker colour, a sturdier weave, a fabric that is easy to clean. Working on the sofa is another story: then you want a firm, slightly harder seat, because a sofa that is too soft makes sitting for long periods tiring.
A sofa you use intensively every day deserves a different selection process from the sofa in the study that is mainly there for atmosphere. So "which sofa suits me" actually starts with: how do I live?
Which look suits your interior?
Only once space, shape and use are clear is it time for the question most people ask first: what should the sofa look like?
Material plays a key role here. Not only for the feel, but also for the atmosphere the piece of furniture exudes. A fabric sofa feels warm and approachable. It blends easily into an interior and suits almost any style. A leather sofa has character. It is timeless, develops a beautiful patina and gives a room a certain strength. Velvet exudes luxury and softness, but also requires more maintenance and consideration. Corduroy brings texture and an earthy feel and has become popular in recent years because it can be both casual and stylish.
But the real question behind material and colour is: do you want calm or do you want a statement? Should the sofa blend into the whole as a calm backdrop for the rest of the interior? Or can it be the centrepiece, the piece of furniture the room is built around? Both choices are entirely valid. As long as you make them consciously.
A sofa in a neutral shade calls for accents elsewhere: in cushions, a throw, the colour of the wall or the floor. A sofa in a bold colour or special material does all the work itself and calls for calm in the rest of the room. Both paths can lead to an interior that truly feels right.
When is made-to-measure or configuring your own a smart choice?
Standard sofas come in standard sizes and standard configurations. That works fine for standard situations. But living rooms are rarely standard. A sloping wall, a bay window, an extension, a room that is slightly narrower than most models assume: these are all situations in which a fixed sofa simply does not fit optimally.
Configuring your own gives you control over the elements that really matter: the width, the depth, the number of seats, the side of the chaise longue, the fabric, the colour, the legs. You do not start with what is available, but with what you need. That is a fundamentally different starting point and the result feels different too.
At Kas20 you configure your own sofa, from model to fabric, from arrangement to dimensions. View the options on the sofas overview page or get started straight away with the sofa configurator.
Still in doubt? Ask yourself these questions
Sometimes it helps to take a step back and ask the basic questions. Not as a checklist, but as a way to organise your thoughts:
How big can the sofa be, and how small can it be? Both limits are relevant. A sofa that is too big dominates. A sofa that is too small feels like a temporary solution.
Do you want the sofa against the wall or freestanding in the room? A sofa against the wall gives calm and saves space. A freestanding sofa is more dynamic and can divide the room.
How many seats do you really need? Not in case ten people come to visit, but for how you use the sofa every day.
What atmosphere do you want to create? Warm and cosy, or light and spacious? That feeling determines not only the colour, but also the shape and the material.
There is no perfect sofa. Only the right one for you
The best sofa is not the most expensive, the biggest or the most popular. It is the sofa that suits your space, your life and the way you live. That may sound obvious, but it makes the selection process a lot clearer if you really take it as your starting point.
Start with the space. Determine the shape based on use. Choose the material and look as the final step. And if you are unsure whether a standard sofa will fit, configuring your own may be the answer.
View our range of sofas or design your own sofa, exactly the way you want it.
