Test drive sofa’s comfort before bringing it home

DEAR GAIL: We're shopping for a family room sofa and we're so confused with all of the different options to choose from. We've always just bought something off the floor but this time we'd like to pick and choose the style. We don't know where to start; any help would be greatly appreciated. -- Becky W.

DEAR BECKY: Having something custom made opens up endless possibilities, which is great but it also can be overwhelming. When buying a family room sofa the most important decision you have to make is what is comfortable for you -- not me, not the salesperson and not your friends.

In all design, "form follows function," which in very simple terms means that first it must work for you, aka function, and then you make it into an attractive form. It does no good to have a beautiful sofa that you can't sit on and relax.

So, where do you start? Start by sitting on all the different styles, fabrics and fills. When shopping, sit as you would at home. If you sit in the corner with your legs stretched out, sit like that. If you sit in the center with you feet pulled up, sit like that. You need to test drive the sofa. Any good salesperson will encourage you to sit and enjoy -- of course, he or she may ask you to take your shoes off, which is only being considerate of the retailer's showroom.

Take note which back was the most comfortable. There are a couple of basic back styles. A tight or solid back is a one-piece back without any pillows; the fabric is tightly pulled over the seat back. A fitted-pillow back has pillows that lay flat against the back of the sofa and fit together. An attached-pillow back looks the same as a fitted-pillow back except that the back pillows are attached to the back of the sofa. A loose-pillow back has a back that is all throw pillows. The one you see a lot on leather and recliners is a rolled back, where there is a roll at the top that is either completely attached or flips up.

Each one sits very differently, except for the fitted and attached backs, which sit pretty much the same. Everyone has a different comfort level so I can't tell you which one would be best for you.

There are, however, some pros and cons to each style that might help you decide.

Most tight backs sit very hard and many times hit at the point of your lower back so that you are not getting support up by your shoulder blades. But, if you like the feel and look of a tight back, you can have the back made higher. The standard back height for upholstery is 36 inches.

The fitted back is nice because you have more options for your back comfort. Depending upon the foam or fill you select, it can be firm or very soft with goose down that you just sink into. With a fitted back, you can flip the pillows, which helps with the wear and tear on the piece.

The attached-pillow back has the same characteristics of the fitted, except that you can't move the pillows. Many people prefer this style since they don't want to fuss with the pillows moving around. It's all a personal choice.

The loose-pillow back is a fussier style. The back pillows are basically large throw pillows so they can be moved around for your comfort. On the down side, many people don't like having to re-make the sofa every day. I place a lot of loose-pillow backs in living rooms that are more for show; with multiple pillows, they can have a very luxurious look, especially when you start adding trims.

Backs with rolls can be tricky as it all depends upon where the roll hits the back of your head. If it hits too high, it pushes your head forward, which is not comfortable.

Along with the sofa back you need to look at the style of the seat cushion. A bench seat is just one single cushion from end to end. Watch this style with a long sofa because if you sit in the middle a lot, the cushion can crush and the sides will sometimes bend up if you don't have good foam.

There is a two-cushion style. As its name states, there are just two cushions. With this style, know that if you are going to be sitting more than two people at a time, someone will be sitting where the cushions split.

Then, there is a single-cushion sofa, where each back cushion has a seat cushion. This happens to be my personal favorite.

In addition to seat back and seat cushion, you also have to consider arm style, fabric, size and fill. If you are going to custom order a piece, realize that depending upon the changes you make to a sofa you have sat on, your piece may sit different. Take the time to shop around and sit on many different styles, but most importantly make sure it is comfortable for you.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.