The Ultimate Guide to Custom Sofas. Learn how to turn your ideas into real life designs. You are unique.. Your custom upholstery should be too!

Transcription

1 The Ultimate Guide to Custom Sofas Learn how to turn your ideas into real life designs. You are unique.. Your custom upholstery should be too!

2 Meet the Authors Brielle Pastore is the Digital Marketing Specialist, focusing on blogging, marketing and social media. Before Kensington Furniture, Brielle attended Penn State University studying telecommunications. She graduated in Carolyn Wood is the Store Stylist, focusing on interior design, merchandising and creating in-store displays. Before Kensington Furniture, Carolyn worked in Atlantic City casinos and restaurants, designing their holiday décor and interior plantscaping.

3 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Questions to ask before you buy. page 4 Chapter 2: Designing your own custom sofa. page 11 Chapter 3: How to pick a fabric for your custom sofa. page 18

4 Chapter 1: Questions to ask before you buy. The Brentwood Sectional by Rowe features loose back cushions and rolled and padded arms. Plush cushions and soft fabrics give this sectional a clean, comfortable look and feel. 4

5 5 Questions to ask yourself before you buy a sofa. Most people sit on their sofa at least once a day. The wife relaxes on the sofa. The children play games on the sofa. The husband watches television on the sofa. A sofa is the staple of the living room and buying one is an important task! Do some research before you buy. Express yourself and show your character and creativity by customizing a sofa that is perfect for you. Thornton Sofa by Flexsteel Viceroy Sectional by Palliser 5

6 Clanton Sectional by Klaussner Kempner Sofa by Rowe Question 1: What type of sofa is right for my family and our lifestyle? When choosing a sofa for your main living room, you want to go with a more functional piece. Make sure you consider all aspects of the sofa before you decide. If you have a family member that is very tall, choose a sofa with deep seating. For someone with an injury (such as bad knees), shallow seating and a sofa with a tight back will make it easier for them to get up from sitting down. It is important to think about your family and their needs before you decide which is best for you. 6

7 Question 2: What style speaks to me? If you are going to do a lot of relaxing on your sofa, go with a deep and cushioned sofa with lots of pillows. If you would like a more formal look, choose a modern sofa with a sleek frame. Are you looking for a comfy, cozy, casual movie night sofa? Are you searching for a sophisticated, supportive and more tailored sofa? Or are you looking for something in between? The style of your sofa should reflect your lifestyle and personality. Bryant Sectional by Flexsteel Brae Sofa by Bernhardt 7

8 8 New Traditions Sofa by Craftmaster Click here to learn how to properly measure your space. Question 3: What size sofa fits my space? The size of your room is the main guide when you are choosing the size of your sofa. If you have a large room, go for a larger sofa that will fill out your space! You must decide whether or not you want a sofa, loveseat or sectional. Consider the size of your room and how many seating options you need before you settle on a frame. Additionally, sectionals are great for larger spaces because they provide more seating options than a traditional sofa. If you have a small space to work with, a smaller sofa will fit more proportionately in the room.

9 Question 4: What fabric fits my lifestyle? Microfibers and leathers are more durable fabrics and are great for sofas that will be used daily by a busy family. How is the room going to be used? Who is going to use the room? You must think of the answers to these questions before you decide on a fabric type. Make sure your fabric choice compliments the look that you are trying to achieve. For more information about choosing a fabric, check out chapter 3! Grove Park Sectional by Klaussner Crosby Sofa by Bernhardt 9

10 Le Marias Sofa by Fairmont Designs Tarleton Sofa by Bernhardt Question 5: How can I bring style and color to my sofa? Get creative with your fabric options! Neutral colored fabrics look great in any room and you can easily dress up your frame and get artistic with the pillow colors and patterns you choose. Make your room come alive by creating an exciting custom sofa! If you are obsessed with a certain fabric but know it won t look good on your sofa, choose it for the pillow fabric instead. If your sofa will be set in a heavily used area of your home, patterned fabrics will work better to hide minor stains. Patterned fabrics and distressed leathers are best for a home with pets! 10

11 Chapter 2: Designing your own custom sofa. The Loomis Sofa by Klaussner features sharp and clean welted arms, T-style cushions and wood block legs. 11

12 Phoebe Sectional by Fairmont Designs 12 Designing your own custom sofa. Every day, we have tons of customers that come in to our store wanting to pick out a sofa and customize it themselves. This is becoming more and more of a trend! The days of what you see is what you get furniture is long gone. You can now customize many different aspects of your furniture. Set aside some time out of your day because customizing your sofa could take some time. Normally, it takes about two hours to complete the process. You want to make sure that you are absolutely IN LOVE with your custom piece before you finalize your order!

13 Step 1: Pick a frame. Frames come in many different shapes and sizes. Look past what you see on the floor because you can have many different options on different frames. You can customize a sofa, loveseat and/or a sectional. You can also customize chairs! Sofas, loveseats and chairs are a bit selfexplanatory but sectionals have more customization available when it comes to frames. You can add length to your sectional and add a chaise lounge or a cuddler piece. Depending on the space you are working with in your home, you can maximize seating by customizing the frame of your sectional. Once you are in store, sit on the different frames to feel which one you think is most comfortable. Don t be afraid to ask about your options! Like your mother said, you don t ask, you won t know! The frame is all about functionality and comfort. Would you like a stationary or reclining sofa? Think about what you and your family want most. Sandy Ridge by Klaussner 13

14 14 Step 2: Pick a general color group. Do you want to stick with the current colors of your room or build an entirely new design around your new custom furniture? If you are looking to save time or are shopping on a budget, we can help you select items that will be a nice fit with your current home design. If starting fresh, the opportunity of your new look can be endless. Having a color in mind before you come in to the store will also save you time. Once you pick a color group, a design consultant will help you build your dream sofa around it! If you would like additional help before you come into the store, click here to learn more about our free in home design consultation service! Dorset Sectional by Rowe

15 Step 3: Pick a fabric. Picking a fabric can be the most daunting aspect of your customization experience. Do you want fabric or leather? What exact color would you like for the body of the sofa? Would you like a pattern or a solid color? With the help and guidance of one of our educated design consultants, we can work with you to pick out the best option that is suitable for you and your home. If you know that your kids, pets or friends will be using your sofa every day, pick a stronger fabric so that it will hold up to your expectations. Don t be afraid to be bold and use colorful, designer prints and patterns. Get creative and show off your personality! Lahoya Sofa by Klaussner Sky Sofa by England 15

16 Step 4: Pick a coordinating fabric. Coordinating fabric can be just as important as your main fabric choice. The coordinating fabric can be used for your pillows or even a chair to accompany your new piece. Having the option for pillows and chairs allows you to add on to your piece without having the stress of trying to find something that matches with your customized piece. Most sofa, sectional and loveseat frames come with pillows. Match the coordinating fabric to your main fabric accordingly. If you choose a solid color sofa, pick a coordinating fabric with designs to add contrast to your piece. Forest Hill Sectional by Palliser Loewy Sofa by Klaussner 16

17 Step 5: Place your order. Once your custom sofa is ordered, our vendors create the piece especially for you! Shortly after, you can expect your dream furniture to be delivered to your home. Buying a sofa is not a task to take lightly. It is one of the largest and most used piece of furniture in your home. You want comfort, style and durability in your design. A custom piece will fulfill all of your needs and dreams. Design consultants will guide you through the fun and exciting journey until you are 110% satisfied with your new, specially designed living room furniture! Dusk Sectional by Flexsteel Cantor Sofa by Bernhardt 17

18 18 Chapter 3: How to pick a fabric for your custom sofa. The Thornton Collection by Flexsteel features plush seating, rolled arms and exposed wooden legs.

19 How to pick a fabric for your custom sofa. You found the sofa that you fell in love with. Now what? It is time to pick your fabrics. The sofa frame itself provides comfort but what really makes the sofa is the fabric that is put on it. Picking a fabric must be a decision that you can live with for a long time. Flexsteel Fabric Bernhardt Fabric 19

20 England Fabrics Rowe Fabrics The first step for picking out fabric begins with deciding how the room is going to be used. Is it a family room or a living room? Will your children be constantly climbing on the furniture or will it only be used for entertaining friends and family? If it will endure a lot of use, go for a heavier, stronger fabric. You want to protect your furniture so it will be long lasting. If it will endure light wear, go with a natural fabric. Natural fabrics will provide great comfort but may not be as durable when it comes to a lot of wear. 20

21 We must also look at what is currently in the room. What is the color in your room? Are you going to build your furniture around the room? We then move to colored fabrics that will match and flow correctly. If you wish to start from scratch, you will have more room for imagination because you could go with any color you like! Think of your new redesign as your blank canvas. Envision something first to get to the next step! Some people pick their primary sofa color first. Others fall in love with a fabric that will only look great on a pillow. You can always pick a pillow fabric and build around it. It is all up to the customer. You are totally in control! Think of your sofa as your little black dress. Accessorize it to give it flair and make the design fabulous! Klaussner Fabrics 21

22 What style do you like best? Contemporary? Modern? Eclectic? Traditional? Pick and choose but don t forget to have some fun while doing so. Have some creative fun with different pillow fabrics. Don t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Are you the type of person that has a hard time making a decision? If you are trying to pick out a fabric and don t really like the way things are progressing, ask a design consultant to suggest a few options so you can choose which one you like best. You (the customer!) will still be in control of the design process but your choice will be laid out for you so you can better visualize your sofa. Comfort Design Fabrics 22

23 Thank you for reading! If you re interested in learning more about how to customize your new living room furniture, make an appointment with one of our design consultants today!