If you’re designing your amazing, dreams sofa, you’ll find there are millions of possible combinations of styles. In the galleries below, we’ll show some of those options to help you visualize what your custom sofa could look like. Keep in mind that the names for these items will have a different name in many shops. If you have questions as you design your new custom sofa or sectional, contact your upholsterer and they can help clarify your options. Most upholsterers can’t change the style of the sofa. If you are looking to build a custom sofa, it is best to check with that company beforehand as building a new piece from scratch requires a different workshop than simple upholstery.
Arm options
The arm style is possibly the biggest differentiating factor in the overall design of the sofa. From traditional to modern, normal to quirky, a good workshop can build you almost any style you can imagine. Here are some of the more common options. Where you go from here is up to you
Cushion options
When it comes to cushions, there are many more options than just how soft or firm you want it to feel. Some options to consider are noted in this gallery. This includes box vs knife edge, welt (piping) or none, and decorative stitching and finishes among other things.
Leg options
Wood, metal, or synthetics are your three big options, but within those, you have options on the color, size, and style of each leg. In many cases, the legs are designed to “disappear” so they are in a darker color or inset a little bit more on the frame. Others choose legs to stand out and make more of a statement. Whatever you decide, here are some basic options to consider.
Tufting options
Want to add some flair or some extra sophistication to your sofa, try adding tufting. There are many different styles of tufting. True tuft vs faux tuft, diamonds vs squares. While they aren’t actually a tuft, we’ve added button pulls and channels into this category. The premise of a button pull is the same, but the look is different and the amount of time to create them is far less (thus less expensive).
For those wondering what a faux tuft is vs a true tuft, here we go. A true tuft takes the material and folds it over to create the diamond (or square) pattern. The pattern is held in place by the buttons. On a faux tuft, the pattern is created in the sewing. Rather than use folds, a faux tuft stitches together a number of diamonds (or squares) which are then secured to the frame with buttons. The buttons though aren’t needed to help hold the shape of the pattern.
Skirt options
While sofa skirts were once the mark of a cheaper sofa, they have become synonymous with elegance and luxury. Most skirts that we do are a simple box skirt with welt. A dressmaker skirt needs to be tailored more carefully to the frame onto which it will be applied. Due to the extra craftsmanship needed and the extra material, the dressmaker skirt tends to be the more expensive option.
Ottoman options
Ottomans are a great way to bring a little something extra to your furniture set. Whether that be the comfort of kicking your feet up, additional seating when the party gets too big, or extra storage space for board games or blankets, your ottoman can provide that.
Two basic forms of ottomans include a pillow-top or a pullover. These are shown below. If you’re looking for a storage ottoman, the style will need to be more of a pillow-top. Storage ottomans will also change the look and feel of the ottoman to maximize the storage space inside of it. Note: if you want shocks to help carry some of the weight of the ottoman lid, make sure your workroom understands how the shocks are measured and how to properly install them. This is the single biggest failure point on a storage ottoman (that we see).
If you’re in the process of designing a custom sofa and have some questions, give us a call and we can point you in the right direction. If you’ve found the right partner to build this for you, you can also reach out to them for their specific suggestions. We’re also here as a resource for you if you need some fabric options and don’t want to pay retail prices for them. We have wholesale accounts set up with over 50 fabric mills and brokers. See the (mostly updated) list here.
We found this basic design guide from an amazing brand for deciding the dimensions of your sofa. The style options above are important, but the engineering design will determine the comfort of your sofa.