The part that matters is the part you cannot see
A sofa is bought by sitting on it for ninety seconds in a showroom, and then lived with for ten years. Those ninety seconds tell you almost nothing, because a new sofa is comfortable whatever is inside it. The difference appears in the second year, when one has settled into a hollow and the other has not.
Every set here is made to order — your dimensions, your fabric, your firmness. We will tell you what goes into it before you order, which is the only point at which the information is of any use to you.
What actually matters, before the design does.
Under the upholstery is a timber frame, and it is the whole structure. Built in properly seasoned hardwood with jointed and glued corners, it outlives the fabric. Built in green or soft timber and stapled, it loosens, and a loose frame cannot be repaired without stripping the piece completely.
Beneath the cushion sits either webbing or a sprung platform. Rubberised webbing is perfectly good and suits most sitting; a sprung base lasts longer under heavy daily use. The failure most people recognise is a seat that has dropped on one side, and it almost always starts here.
Foam is sold by density, and density is what determines whether a seat holds its shape. Low-grade foam feels identical on the first day and is flat within a year. Ask what density is being used and expect a number in reply; a maker who does not know is not choosing it.
Leather wipes clean and ages well but shows a scratch. Woven fabric is forgiving and warmer to sit on but holds dust and marks. In a house with small children, the practical answer is usually a tight weave in a mid tone with removable covers, whatever the showroom suggests.
Measure the room and the doorway before you order anything. A seven-seater that fits the room but not the staircase is a problem we would rather catch on the telephone than on delivery day.
Every piece is built after you order it — your size, your wood, your finish.
Send a photograph and rough dimensions. We will come back with options and a price.