At a Glance:
Choosing the perfect sofa goes beyond just finding a comfortable seat. You can find a sofa that captures your favorite style and leads the way for a well-designed living room. The plentiful options can feel a bit overwhelming, though. You can begin narrowing your search by zeroing in on the right silhouette, color, and fabric and taking cues from your favorite design style for your dream sofa.
In this upholstered sofa guide, we’ll discuss how to narrow your search for an upholstered sofa, offer living room sofa ideas, and recommend eight of our favorite upholstered sofas from Colder’s.
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Shop NowUpholstery 101
Upholstered furniture features a solid frame that is wrapped in padding and covered in fabric. The internal components of an upholstered couch may include filling, springs or coils, webbing, and foam, down, or synthetic padding.
Upholstered sofas come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and fabrics. Each element builds upon the others to achieve the design style you want. Every style from modern to coastal to glam has its own typical silhouettes and finishes.
- Shapes: Sofas typically seat three to four people, but their shapes still vary. For instance, some sofas feature a chaise, where one section extends past the other two seats. Or you can opt for a reclining sofa, which requires you to measure not just the size of the sofa but its length when it’s extended as well. Some sofas even incorporate pullout beds that double up on function and take advantage of small spaces.
- Silhouette: The silhouette of a couch, such as its arms and back style, will differ depending on the design style of your room. For example, modern designs feature sleek, simple silhouettes, so you’re likely to see a square or tuxedo arm. A curved back gives off a feminine feel that would fit in a glam living room. Rolled, English, and pleated arms give off a more traditional feel.
- Sizes: It is crucial to measure your living room and plan your layout ahead of time. We’ve created a quick video for you to know how to measure furniture before you buy to ensure if gets into your home easily and fits the space you have to work with.
- Colors: It’s up to you whether you opt for a neutral, bright color, or even patterned sofa. If you do make a bold choice, make sure you’re confident you won’t get tired of the material. Pillows and rugs are much easier and less expensive to replace than a couch.
- Fabrics: Common upholstery fabrics include cotton, linen, wool, tweed, polyester, microfiber, velvet, chenille, and leather. When choosing a fabric, it’s important to consider how much wear and tear you expect your sofa to face. Is it in a high traffic area where spills may occur? Performance fabric is a great option for kids, pets, food, and fade resistance if it’s placed near a window. Leather is a durable option that is also hypoallergenic. On the other hand, velvet adds elegance and a more formal feel, so it can be better for a sitting room that isn’t used every day.
Learn More: Your Guide to Contemporary Interior Design
Living Room Sofa Ideas
Here are a few sofa decorating ideas based on popular design styles:
Coastal Couches
For a coastal look, choose a natural finish in a neutral tone with a little bit of texture. Tweed or linen are great options. Embrace soft, creamy whites and beiges and sprinkle in blue, green, and brown accents throughout your space.
Modern Couches
A modern upholstered sofa sleek, geometric lines can make a major impact in your room with. Modern designs tend to embrace neutral color palettes, so a white, gray, or black sofa would work. An upholstered leather sofa in black or brown could serve to elevate your room with a refined, put-together look.
Farmhouse Couches
Farmhouse style embraces neutral tones and soft fabrics to create a homey, inviting space. If you want to embrace modern farmhouse style, remember to keep simpler silhouettes in mind.
Glam Couches
For a glam living room, infuse a sense of drama whether through a curved back, nailhead trim, or elegant tufting. Velvet and chenille are great options, and you can stick to classic neutrals or incorporate a bold pop of color.
Learn More: Your Guide to Modern Interior Design Style
Top 8 Upholstered Sofas
Keep reading for a sofa buying guide of eight of our favorite upholstered sofas from Colder’s.
Best Nailhead Trim Sofa: Signature Design by Ashley Zarina Jute Sofa
This jute fabric sofa is a casual, comfy pick with surprisingly chic details. Bronze-toned nailhead trim and rolled sofa arms add a touch of elegance while plush cushions invite you to curl up and stay a while. Polyester upholstery is a welcome addition to high-traffic zones, and it’s easy to maintain too. This is a great option for an inviting farmhouse living room.
Featured Zarina sofa review: “I love the sofa. It is big enough to seat 4 adults. The color is perfect and fits in well with my decor.”
Best Linen Sofa: Best Home Furnishings Trafton Linen Sofa
This contemporary upholstered sofa is sleek from its simple silhouette to its tapered wooden legs. White linen sets you up for contrasting details throughout the room, which is a quintessential aspect of contemporary design. And since linen is one of the easiest fabrics to care for, you and your loved ones can enjoy downtime knowing any messes along the way are easy to take care of.
Best Upholstered Sleeper Sofa: Best Home Furnishings Marinette Queen Sleeper Sofa
Shop This Upholstered Sleeper Sofa
You can choose from over 700 fabric cover options to make this a custom upholstery sofa that perfectly suits your style. Whatever color and fabric you choose, this sofa boasts a simple silhouette and tailored piping for just enough detail to make it special. Regardless of the fabric choice you select, the foundation comes with encased coils for maximum comfort. f you need extra sleeping arrangements, this is a great option because it easily transitions to a queen sleeper sofa.
Best Performance Fabric Sofa: Flex by Flexsteel Gray Chaise Sofa with Ottoman
Shop This Performance Fabric Sofa
This gray upholstered sofa comes with an ottoman so you can enjoy the feel of a chaise with the freedom to rearrange as needed. The standout feature of this couch is the sustainable stain-resistant performance fabric. You don’t have to be stressed out about spills with this couch! We also love the way it's designed as a modular sofa that you can easily expand and reconfigure as you need.
Best Chenille Sofa: Benchcraft Wixon Slate Sofa
This chenille fabric couch features chunky upholstery that provides visual and tactile texture. It is soft to the touch and promotes a cozy, snug feel in your living room. Dark slate gray and a simple silhouette easily shapeshift to match whatever design style you choose. This is a good choice for households without pets and older members since chenille fabric is a little harder to care for than other upholsteries.
Best Leather Sofa: Flexsteel Bryant Black Sofa
You get the best of both worlds with this black upholstered sofa: crisp lines and soft padding. It’s also durable and a good option for those with allergies because leather doesn’t trap dust the way many fabrics do. The ultra-modern silhouette is complemented by buttery-soft black leather for a look that is perfect for a modern, industrial, or contemporary living room.
Learn More: Find the Perfect Color of Leather Sectional
Best Velvet Upholstered Sofa: Signature Design by Ashley Darlow Indigo Sofa
Navy blue velvet, bolster pillows, tapered wood legs, tufting on the seat, and a simple silhouette combine for a luxurious and dramatic couch that is sure to be a focal point in your living room. It is great for a smaller space, apartment living room, or bedroom reading nook. Soft to the touch and supremely elegant, this velvet upholstered sofa would be at home in a glam or mid-century modern living room.
Featured Darlow sofa review: “Love the simplicity. Creates more space. I am actually going to purchase the chair.”
Best Tweed Sofa: Hughes Furniture 1750SLP Tully Tweed Regular Sleeper
This tweed sofa highlights just how beautiful and refined a neutral sofa can be. Tweed adds a bit of texture and color variation while subtly rolled arms are a chic addition. This would be a perfect choice for a bright and airy coastal or farmhouse living room, but the infusion of glimmer in the tweed fibers also gives this couch license in glam-style living rooms.
There are nearly limitless fabric options available for upholstered sofas today. There’s no need to be overwhelmed, though! Study your favorite design style or browse in person and see what styles stand out to you. At Colder’s, you can find the best variety of upholstered sofas in the Milwaukee area, no matter what color, design style, or fabric type you’re looking for.
FAQs
How to clean an upholstered sofa
Sofas come with a tag that tells you their specific cleaning code so that you can best take care of your unique sofa. Cleaning methods differ based on upholstery type.
Can you steam clean fabric sofas?
Some fabric sofas can be steam cleaned, depending on their cleaning code. Never steam clean a leather, suede, or silk couch.
Is polyester a good fabric for a sofa?
Yes, polyester is a durable choice for high traffic spaces and stains.
What is the best fabric for a sofa?
Ultimately, this depends on your style and your needs. Leather is great for people with allergies and can add elegance to your space. Velvet is luxurious, but not ideal for high traffic areas. Performance fabric is a wise choice for families with children and pets.
Learn More: Tips for Keeping Your Sofa Looking New
Why Trust Colder’s
Since 1942, we at Colder's pride ourselves on offering value, selection, and service. Serving Southeastern Wisconsin with four showrooms that stock quality name-brand furniture, appliances, and mattresses, Colder’s is sure to house exactly what you are looking for. And if you can't find it on our floors, chances are, we can order it for you. As a local, family-owned company, we are always doing our best to provide the highest value at the lowest cost to everyone who walks through our doors.
Colder’s is committed not only to continuously offering can’t-miss sales but also to working with each customer, making sure that you take advantage of every possible markdown — that’s our best price guarantee. Still need help? We offer zero percent appliance and furniture financing on your home needs!
Shop Upholstered Sofas at Colder’s
Don’t put off happiness — and shop sofas online for unbeatable prices at Colder’s. Our friendly experts are always happy to help you find inspiration in our upholstered sofa selection, whether you call us at 414-476-1574 or use our online chat feature. Better yet, stop by one our Colder’s locations in West Allis, Oak Creek, Delafield, and Grafton, Wisconsin to touch, see, feel, and experience home products that fulfill your dreams. Visit us today!
Learn More: Custom Couches: How to Design Your Couch