Buying Guides

Three short guides from our showroom team, covering the questions we are asked most. If you would rather talk it through, come and see us on Queens Road, or call and we will happily go through it on the phone.

Sofa Buying Guide

Start with the room, not the sofa

Measure the wall the sofa will sit against, then measure the route to it: front door, hallway, and the turn at the top of the stairs. Mark the sofa’s footprint on the floor with masking tape and live with it for a day. Leave about 45cm between the sofa and a coffee table, and 75cm for a walkway behind it.

Choosing a size

• Two seater — roughly 150–180cm wide. Best for snugs, smaller living rooms and as a partner to a three seater.
• Three seater — roughly 190–220cm wide. The standard choice for a family living room.
• Corner group — makes the most of a square room and seats more people in the same floor area, but commits you to a layout. Check which side the chaise is on before ordering.
• Sofa bed — look at the mattress depth, not just the mechanism. Anything under 10cm is for occasional use only.
• Recliner and rise-and-recline — allow clearance behind for the back to tilt unless it is a wall-hugger model, and check the plug socket position for powered versions.

Frames, fillings and fabric

A hardwood or engineered hardwood frame with glued, screwed and dowelled joints is what gives a sofa its life. For cushions, foam holds its shape and is the easiest to live with; feather and fibre mixes are softer and more luxurious but need plumping. Sprung seats sit between the two.

On fabric, ask about the rub test result — around 20,000 rubs is fine for a spare room, 30,000 or more for a family living room. Flat weaves and tight velvets wear better than loose weaves if you have pets. Leather is hard-wearing and wipes clean, but it marks and softens with age, which most people come to like.

Before you order

Sit on it for at least five minutes, in the position you actually sit in at home. Check the seat height against your knees and the back height against your shoulders. And ask whether the arms and feet come off, because that often makes the difference on a tight staircase.

Dining Table & Chairs Guide

Working out the size

Allow 60cm of table edge per person and at least 30cm of depth each side, so a 150cm table seats six comfortably and a 180cm table seats eight. Then leave 100cm between the table edge and the nearest wall or sideboard, so chairs can be pulled out and someone can walk behind them. Measure that clearance before you fall in love with a table.

Choosing a shape

• Rectangular — the most seats for the floor area, and the natural fit for a long room.
• Round — better conversation and no corners to walk into, so it suits a square room or a kitchen diner. A 120cm round table seats four, 150cm seats six.
• Oval — the capacity of a rectangle with the softer feel of a round table.
• Extending — everyday size most of the year, full size at Christmas. Check whether the leaf stores inside the table or has to live somewhere else.

Tops and bases

Solid wood ages beautifully and can be sanded back, but it moves with humidity and marks. Veneered and engineered tops are more stable and usually better value. Ceramic and sintered stone are the most heat, scratch and stain resistant, and the heaviest. Glass keeps a small room feeling open but shows every fingerprint.

On bases, four legs are the sturdiest but get in the way of chairs at the corners; a pedestal or trestle base frees up the ends and is the better choice if you often squeeze an extra person in.

Chairs

Aim for roughly 30cm between the seat and the underside of the table — less and your legs are trapped, more and you sit too low. Upholstered chairs are far more comfortable for long meals; wipe-clean faux leather or a tight velvet is the sensible choice with young children. If you are mixing a set, keep the seat heights identical and let the finishes vary.

Mattress Buying Guide

Firmness is personal, not a rating

Firmness labels vary between manufacturers, so treat them as a guide rather than a standard. Broadly, side sleepers and lighter people are usually more comfortable on medium or soft, back and front sleepers and heavier people on medium-firm or firm. If two people share a bed and disagree, look at a zip-and-link model or a mattress with independent pocket springs.

The main types

• Open coil — the most affordable option, best for guest rooms and occasional use.
• Pocket sprung — each spring works independently, so movement transfers less to your partner. Spring counts above roughly 1,000 in a double make a real difference; beyond about 2,000 the gains are smaller.
• Memory foam — moulds to your shape and relieves pressure points. Sleeps warmer, so look for gel or open-cell versions if you overheat.
• Hybrid — pocket springs with a foam or latex comfort layer. The most popular choice in our showroom, and a safe bet if you are unsure.
• Latex — responsive, breathable and naturally hypoallergenic, at a higher price.

Sizes

UK standard sizes are single 90 × 190cm, small double 120 × 190cm, double 135 × 190cm, king 150 × 200cm and super king 180 × 200cm. If either of you is over six foot, the extra 10cm of a king or super king is worth more than the extra width.

Looking after it

Use a washable protector from day one. Rotate the mattress head to foot every month for the first six months and every three months after that, and turn it over too if it is double-sided. Most mattresses need replacing after around 7 to 8 years — sooner if you wake up stiff, or if you can see a dip where you sleep.