A sofa is much more than where you sit down after a long day at work. It’s a space for cuddling with your loved one, watching your favourite movies or shows, and even offering respite and comfort to guests.

Buying the right sofa is more than just securing a piece that’s on sale. You will probably have that sofa or couch for many years to come. It should be comfortable, complement the space, and offer the design and practical elements you need in the room.

While browsing a range of sofas can help inspire you, there are several things you need to consider before making the leap and purchasing one.

What Kind of Sofa Do You Need in This Room?

There are so many considerations when you need a new sofa. A sleeper sofa is an ideal solution for those without a guest room or those with children whose friends sometimes sleep at their homes. Far from the unattractive and uncomfortable futon, modern sofa beds feature sleek designs and offer soothing comfort.

If you don’t need an extra sleeping space, there are still many considerations when investing in a new sofa. You should carefully analyse the room, as well as the uses of the sofa, before committing to a purchase.

How Many People Will Need a Seat?

A two-person sofa, also sometimes called a loveseat, offers seating space for two adults comfortably. These can typically hold three or more children. For larger families or spaces frequented more by adults, however, a sofa designed to seat only two people may feel restrictive or cramped.

Sofas designed for three adults may be a better option for those who entertain frequently. In addition to being longer, these sofas can typically support more weight as well. That may make them a better choice for households with more people. For some families, matching lounge suites that offer multiple spaces to sit may be the best option.

What Does the Space Allow?

A sofa is a large piece of furniture, even if you go for a more compact two-seat option. Whether you’re replacing an older sofa or buying the first piece for a new home, you need to consider the size and feel of the room.

The design of the sofa, including the colours, shape, and stuffing should all reflect your intended use of the sofa and the room it will be in.
Is this sofa going into a sitting room or formal parlour? If the room is highly stylized but receives little traffic, it may make sense to invest in a show-stopping sofa with bold colours or a strong pattern.

You won’t have to worry about wear to the sofa, and it can provide real visual appeal in a room intended for entertaining guests.

On the other hands, sofas that will see daily use and heavy wear require a different approach. You need to consider how well the fabric will hold up to routine use and potential staining.
The overall structure of the sofa also matters. Your selection will need to be sturdy enough to withstand regular abuse by household members.
Finally, the density and material of the stuffing will matter. You don’t want the whole thing going flat after only a few months of use. Denser foam and similar fillers are ideal for a daily-use sofa, while natural fillings may be a better option for sofas that only see occasional use.

Making Savvy Design Choices When Purchasing a Sofa

Given that they can cost bit, you want to pick a sofa that you’ll enjoy looking at and sitting on for many months to come.

Once you’ve decided how you’ll use your sofa – and how much – you can move on to ensuring that the new piece of furniture will fit with your overall design for the room and the home.

Overall Shape and Materials Matter

Homes outfitted in a Classical design will require different sofas than those with a more Modern or Art Deco feel. Thankfully, there are many options available to you when selecting a sofa beyond just function and size.

Sofas modelled after classic pieces may have carefully polished exposed wood on the back, arms, and legs. More modern pieces could have stark, clean lines and minimal design elements.

Would your space benefit from a rounded back or something more rectangular? Will overstuffed cushions encased in leather bring a comfortable feel to your room, or would you prefer something more slender and sleek?

Do you imagine armrests that rise straight up, perpendicular to the seat, or do you prefer the elegant outward slope of diagonal armrests?

Colour and Texture Have Profound Visual Impact

The colour of the upholstery, as well as the legs and any visible structural elements, will impact the visual appeal of your sofa.

White sofas cushions, for example, speak of minimalism and cleanliness, although they may feel less inviting to guests. Neutral earth tones, on the other hand, could encourage guests and loved ones to take a seat without worrying about staining or spilling on the sofa.

Many sofas come in a single colour, but you can also find some beautifully patterned upholstery. A single colour sofa is often the best option for one that endures regular use, while bright and bold patterns could make a beautiful sofa more of a focal point in a room.

Aside from colour, you should also think about the texture of the upholstery on your sofa. Is it leather, suede, or synthetic? Is it plush or woven? Are the cushions and seats one long expanse of fabric, or are they broken up into geometric, tufted areas? The decorative buttons and patterns created by a tufted sofa could be the perfect way to break up the textural monotony of a space.

It’s important to remember that no single design element will please everyone. You should consider the visual impact you want from a sofa, but also prioritize your own design aesthetic when making your final selection.

Browse Brosa’s full collection of designer sofas online today to get some inspiration and find the perfect fit for your home.

Wood furniture gives your home an instant dignified air, no matter whether it’s a pine cabinet or a large oak kitchen table. Multiple types of woods see use in home furnishings, and these woods receive different finishes to achieve a distinctive look.

The cost of the wood used in furniture varies because not all species of tree grow naturally in the same place. In tundra and cold climates, you’re more likely to see pine. Oak sees more use in temperate zones. These are just a few examples. We’re here to give you the basics of different favourite types of timber and their finishes

Types of Timber

First, a bit about timber types.

Oak for Solid Furniture Pieces

Oak is a hard, heavy wood used in furniture meant to support a lot of weight. As one of the more expensive solid woods, you’ll see it in cabinets, tables, and occasionally chair legs. You can also use it as a veneer. Oak comes in two colours: red and white.

Red oak is a bit stronger than white oak, but both are beautiful in their own right. The open grain texture gives it distinct patterns. Oak grain is almost always straight along the wood. This tree grows throughout many of the forests in temperate climates.

Pine for Light Colour & Texture

Pine wood sees a lot of use when it comes to untreated furniture pieces, mainly because the light colour and texture make it easy to paint, stain, or otherwise alter.

Pine is a soft wood that works well for curved and ornate-looking furniture because of how easy it is to shape.

Because it’s a soft wood, it is easy to damage, especially without treatment. If you want wood with a distinct curved grain with knots, you should consider pine furniture. As a coniferous tree, it grows more in northern climates and is likely cheaper in those areas.

Ash for Hardy Wood Furniture

Ash is a more popular choice for many pieces of furniture than oak because ash is harder and more responsive to finishes and painting. With oak, you can only have its natural colours. If you choose to use a finish on ash, you’ll notice the distinctive pale look.

One advantage ash has over oak is that it’s resistant to decay. You’ll see it used in modern furniture more than oak because ash is more widely available. Natively, it grows in European forests, but can occasionally grow in North America.

Mahogany for High Quality Furniture

This is one of the more expensive woods, so it’s used in fine, high-quality furniture. Mahogany has a distinctive, dark red-brown hue that makes it work well for almost any kind of furniture.

It’s a soft and easy wood to work so that it can be shaped into ornate trims and fittings. Mainly, you’ll see mahogany used in things like cabinets or drawers. The tree grows large and creates broad boards.

The other two types of mahogany that exist tend to grow in the Philippines and Honduras. This version of the tree has orange and grey hues, respectively.

Walnut for Dark, Natural Colours

Walnut is by far the most expensive of the hardwoods you’ll see in furniture. Like mahogany, it can be used in a wide selection of furniture.

It isn’t the hardest of woods, but it is relatively easy to work. Walnut wood has one of the darkest natural colours, ranging from dark brown to almost black. You’ll see walnut wood used in china cabinets and the occasional table.

The 4 Most Common Finishes

There are several finishes that can give your timber a beautiful shine to make it stand out.

Lacquer for High Sheen

As a finish, lacquer creates an extremely high-gloss shine applied via a sprayer. It’s a solution that dries on the wood and creates a fine coating when the liquid solvent evaporates.

Lacquer is one of the most durable finishes, which is why you see it so often on furniture, but it can suffer discolouration over time and become scratched.

Natural Oils for Rich Polish

Oils are liquid that work their way down into the wood, giving it a rich, polished look without creating an impervious film the way lacquer would.

It’s easy to apply: just saturate the wood with oil and rub it in with a rag, then sand it in to create an even smoother appearance.

The most common types of oil you’ll see used are tung oil and linseed oil because of their abundance. When applied, they can create a solid film that will have to be reapplied periodically. You can also use mineral oil on surfaces where food will be placed.

Shellac for Golden Amber Look

Many people confuse shellac and lacquer, but they aren’t the same thing. Shellac is a natural compound that comes from the lac bug. Combined with rubbing alcohol, these secretions produce a formula that can create a rich amber colour that stays on wood for a long time.

Because shellac is a partially organic compound, it can break down when exposed to heat. So it’s a compound you don’t want to use on surfaces that see a lot of heat, like kitchen counters or tables.

Wax for Fine Polish

Wax is another temporary finish used by a lot of beginning woodworkers. It goes great on furniture that doesn’t see a lot of wear and tear, like bookcases.

You apply warm wax with a rag onto the wood, and it can last for up to a year. However, wax finish comes off easily when dissolved in natural spirits. This is useful if you need to apply a new finish or to repair damage to the wood.
Whether you want to buy pre-made furniture or apply new treatments to your existing pieces, you should know the advantages and disadvantages of the different kinds of finishes.

When making a furniture selection, knowing the material the furniture is made of can help you decide whether it’s a good fit for your home.

Hardwood furniture can be expensive, but it’s worth the price tag. Other wood types exist, but these are things like plywood, particle board, and other things that just don’t look good in classy decor.

Invest in a quality, designer piece of wood furniture with Brosa’s exquisite furniture range. Crafted by loving artisans, our furniture is delivered direct to you to help cut down costs. Browse our full range of designer furniture today.

Whether you run a business from home or simply need a space to organise family affairs, creating a dedicated home office can ensure your kitchen bench isn’t a constant battlefield of bills. With more time spent working from home, it is surprising that the home office is still one of the most overlooked areas of the house – with styling limited to nanna’s battered wares.

A streamlined home workspace should not be a mismatched jumble of rejected furniture or, worse still, a sterile room with a clinical chair and desk. On the contrary, the home office should strike a perfect balance between functionality and style to encourage productivity and offer inspiration. There is nothing motivating about dull colours and a cluttered space.

Set aside a space

Gone are the days where home offices had to be separate rooms devoted to paperwork. With the advent of open plan living comes the concept of open plan offices. Whether you choose to embrace the open office or opt for something a little more traditional, the end goal is to produce a dedicated office space.

It can be tempting to simply use the dining table as an ad hoc workspace, but this can throw the concept of work-life balance out the window. Don’t let that glass of red trick you into thinking you’re having “you” time hunched over a laptop on the kitchen bench! Home offices are not just reserved for those with the luxury of space, either. Smaller dwellings can transform an unused alcove into a stylish little nook for their laptop and calendars.

Keep it simple

The key to a beautiful home office is to take the minimal approach when styling. A space that features a rainbow of colour or every trinket that didn’t make the styling cut in other parts of your home is likely to cause distractions. Focus on a calming colour scheme and choose stylish storage rather than filling the office with pretty but useless décor.

Reverting to one styling idea doesn’t mean your home office has to be clinical or devoid of any flair. This isn’t some tiny cubicle lost in a sea of corporate buildings, it is your home office – so get creative with trendy accents and personal touches. Spruce up the space with an interesting wallpaper or some refreshing wall art. Add a textured Lalit wool rug to make the room feel less office-y. Finally, bring the space to life with greenery. Display potted plants on the desk, floor or hang them from the ceiling to inject tranquillity, reduce noise and keep the air clean.

Get organised

Whether your home office is part of a larger living area or has its own dedicated room, there is no excuse for clutter. Leaving bundles of paperwork lying around will not only create a disorganised space – and cramp those already lacking in square meterage – but also reduce productivity. To avoid paper chaos and ensure a streamlined work area, you need to get smart and savvy with storage.

Reduce clutter by reserving as much of the desk space as possible for actual work tasks. That is not to say that the desk should stay completely bare. Small accents can (and should) be used to inject personality. Just stick to those with a practical aspect to them, such as a trendy calendar or framed motivational poster to ensure they don’t interfere with your day-to-day work. Opt for horizontal storage to make the most out of the available area. The Kidd bookcase is perfect for those with home offices not blessed with copious amounts of space. Open shelving is great for showing off décor but can quickly become overwhelmed with folders and stacks of paperwork. Keep files away from prying eyes with a desk drawer or stylish floor cabinet.   

Choose comfort and function

Investing in office furniture isn’t as simple as picking out the most trendy desk and chair available. Unless you currently utilise a standing desk, you will most likely spend hours at a time sitting on one particular chair at one particular table. Therefore, you need to make sure these investments are as comfortable as they are stylish!

Consider workflow and the requirements of your workspace before buying office furniture. If you are incredibly organised and love the minimalistic approach, the petite Juno desk may be more than adequate. On the other hand, if you prefer to sprawl out and brainstorm, the sturdy Lewes desk would be much more appropriate. An office desk and chair that offer great fit and support for your back, tush and arms will allow you to work comfortably and productively. Always take the time to choose pieces that are both functional and beautiful.

Light it up

There is nothing more dampening to productivity than spending hours in dimly lit office space. Leave those dark and dingy offices for the private investigators in noir films. Aim to set up your office space in an area that allows for plenty of natural light. Allowing natural light to filter in while you work will not only save on electricity costs – it will also boost productivity and benefit your health. Plus, it has the added bonus of shining light on your décor (literally). Now we don’t condone daydreaming while gazing longingly out of the window, but short breaks are great for reducing eye strain.

While proper overhead lighting is important (especially in the winter hours), introducing a table lamp can create functional mood lighting. The stunning Alpha table lamp will cast a beautiful light and brighten your mood at the same time.