There’s a lot at stake when buying upholstery. Most do this rarely, and only when they have to.  In my almost    30 years of working in retail design I’ve found these are the two most common stumbling blocks consumers hit:

• Hyper-focused on one element (it must be navy blue, or 83.75″ long)
• Ping back and forth between the aesthetics and process elements

Both cause them to wonder why it’s so hard. Sometimes they’ll blame themselves , but almost always don’t feel good about their process or instincts.

I suggest it can be lots easier when done in 2 parts, and compared to something a lot more familiar. So Part One prepared you, this post is about the things you might not think to do when you’re actually in the furniture store.  And, like in Part One, practical small tips to take the drama out of the process.

First off, I suggest buying upholstery in the same way they think about buying underwear.  Seriously!

• You spend a lot of time in it
• Realize aesthetics and cost are what we’re most used to assessing, set these aside for the moment
• Many choices out there
• In good-or unfortunate- purchases it’s the function, comfort, and support(or lack thereof) we remember

Right?

OK, so you’re in the store. tell your salesperson what you want to see. They bring you a piece. Just sit, and close your eyes. You’re experiencing, not deciding!  Don’t be distracted by the fabric, fringe on the toss pillow with fringe, the price tag (for now), or the argument the couple across the room is having.  Sit all the way back. Exhale. A few times. Experience the proportions, how they fit your body.

The Fit

Typically, women tend to be proportionally leggier, and men tend to be more torso in their height. But there are leggy men, and long-waisted women. And regardless of gender, leggy can be lower-leg leggy, or more-upper leg leggy. So listen to the Designer:

• If you are short-do your feet touch the ground? If you are taller-does the seat cushion support your thighs, hit the back of your knees? Ideally, your knees should form a right angle, showing the height and depth of the seat match your proportions.
• Is your posterior at the same  height as your knees?  Higher seat best, slight pitch at back is good. Otherwise you’ll always struggle to overcome gravity and get yourself out of it.
•  Think about who’ll be sitting there, what they’ll be doing.  Being comfortably upright is important for reading.  Bring a book! Can you relax, or is your midsection tensed, holding your torso upright?  Does the head/neck support feel natural, that you’re neither being pushed forward or have to lean back?
• Will you be watching TV or even napping? Are your shoulders supported? Is the back wide enough? How about tall enough?  Backs with steep pitches should be high enough to support your neck and head.
• Is it the right amount of cushy? Take more than .87 seconds to think about it, remember, there are no wrong answers!

About Arms

• Plan to read, work on a laptop, or do crossword puzzles? Bring these to the store and use them for a few minutes. Are your elbows and shoulders relaxed and supported at a natural height? If your shoulders are hunched up-arms are too high; if you are forcing your shoulders down, the arms are too low.
• Will you be lying down on the sofa at all?  Don’t be shy!!  Make sure you are wearing comfy pants and good socks, clear it with your salesperson, and stretch out.  A low, gently rolled arm is MUCH better to lay your head on, or wedge a pillow against than a high, flat track arm.

Filling materials 

• Natural materials-latex foam, down feather, and (ok, many years ago) horsehair were all common upholstery materials. Latex fell out of favor a few decades ago-it’d dry out and ossify; then urethane foam became uber-pricey overnight post-Katrina, when the refineries were wiped out (it’s a petroleum-based product). Down and horsehair have little body and no resiliency, but it’s what Nanna knows to ask for.
• For a nice blend of support and cush, The Refreshed Home likes cushions with a spring embedded in the dense foam core, then wrapped with Dacron fiberfill to make them pretty and full. But one word: ALLERGIES. If anyone in your household, or regular circle of visitors has allergies, ask a lot of questions about all the construction materials.

Specialties

This post originally came to be because Aunt Lucy asked my advice on surprising her son with a recliner for Christmas. My advice-DON’T. Lucy is about 4’9, and likes to see dainty, pretty things. My cousin Joe is about 5’10, all arms and very very leggy.

• In addition to all the above, if the footrest on a piece of motion furniture is too short, the weight of your unsupported foot will stretch the tendons and ligaments in the ankle.
• Similarly, it’s the weight of the upper body that allows the sitter to open, close, and keep the recliner steady.  And when you lean back,  the head and neck need to be supported so you can read, watch TV, etc without undue strain-all things only the sittee can determine.

Not sure what Aunt Lucy is going to, but here’s what I suggested:  As lovely as it might be to see the actual something in the house on Christmas morning, you’ve got a good chance of guessing wrong…and that can be a pricey proposition.

If you’re buying a gift, hit the hobby store instead and buy a doll house version.  You’ve got thoughtfulness, surprise, and good intent all in a nice small package. Chances are you’ll get some nice January sale prices too.