The Great Sofa Hunt

Dreams, wishes and new plans often go hand in hand with a new season, and spring is definitely no exception. We want a blank canvas and maybe a little bit of sunshine, if we’re lucky.

Next month I am moving house with my family, not very far…but still, the planning is the same whether you are moving further afield or just up the street. We will need a new sofa or maybe two (because of an additional basement area/ living room) a new lamp, an armchair – the list goes on!

No one buys a sofa frequently, so browsing around and checking the latest trends is a must. We all have a personal criteria when shopping for a sofa. I recently had our two sofas reupholstered after 19 years, surviving three kids, two dogs and being moved around several times – all of a sudden it has a new lease of life. As its Scandinavian design is timeless (square and simple) and never seems to go out of shape, they now look brand new in their fitted linen covers.

I often have the question; where do I find a sofa I love that wouldn’t cost the earth? Of course the answer will fully depend on your needs and budget. However, I have done a little research, and in case you’re thinking of purchasing a new sofa I’ll tell you my favourites.

It’s actually difficult to look for a sofa without checking what IKEA has to offer. Some of their models are comfortable classics, and you can even buy a second cover without robbing a bank.

The Stockholm series was launched in the early eighties and is still going strong. I love the rich dark velvet on this Stockholm sofa. The Sandbacka dark blue is a newcomer 2017, and is fantastic news for every Indigo-blue lover out there. What’s not so great about it in my opinion, is the legs – but you can screw on different legs if you don’t fancy the wooden ones.

This handblown blue glass is also from the Stockholm series. Spot on trend, and absolutely affordable.

Another sofa I often see in Scandinavian airy and classic homes is the leather sofa also from the IKEA Stockholm series. The cover ‘Seglora Natural’ is full-grain leather which is soft and has a natural look and feel. Must admit I have not been sitting in it though, so do not take my word for the comfort on this one.

I can assure you that IKEA ‘Ektorp’ sofa is definitely a comfortable choice, also the arm chair is amazing. Look it up if you are not familiar with the ‘Ektorp’ family.

Before I left IKEA, this lamp caught my eye…

‘Ranarp’ comes as a work, floor or reading lamp. I just love the black and brass combination.

Enough of IKEA for now. Another of my favourites is ‘Little John’ from The Sofa Workshop – a timeless design and it comes in a variety of colours. My favourite is the denim blue as you might have guessed already. But I can’t deny the beauty of this sofa in grey.

So far my sofa suggestions have been of the more neat type, so my last favourite choice is a sofa from Neptune which is properly stuffed and has a classic and elegant design. A sofa to curl up in. I love the copper nail details and the heavy weight linen cover. My colour choice is ‘Millet’ which goes perfectly with my soon to be ‘French Grey’ walls (A colour from ‘Little Greene’).