How to Find the Perfect Couch

Couch . . . sofa . . . Chesterfield, or my midwestern Mom’s moniker for the living room mainstay—Davenport: no matter what you call it, finding the perfect one on which to kick back at the end of a long day can prove challenging. And the challenge is even more daunting when you’re looking for a classic design.

Classic sofas are defined by a timeless design, often featuring rolled arms, tufting, and natural fabrics like linen, leather, or velvet, and solid hardwood frames or accents, coupled by an unmatched quality. Unfortunately, society’s fast fashion and toss-rather-than-repair approach to nearly everything limits the quality of many available options, so even if you can find a traditional sofa to fit your home, you may either find yourself not sold on its flimsiness or needing to replace it after the cushions begin to sage after a couple of years.

The Clevelands feel your pain!

We’ve been there and after having spent the last handful of years searching for our perfect couch, finally found one that checks all the right boxes—the Hickory White “Features” sofa. More on our choice shortly, but first the details on our search so you can find the sofa that is perfect for you.

Before the leg work, start with some “ear work.”

While we only settled on the Hickory White sofa—a brand of the well-respected Sherrill Furniture company—after several trips to various furniture stores, we didn’t start out in the showrooms, but by asking friends and families for their recommendations. We already knew Sherrill offered excellent options, and, of course, we knew of several other possibilities, such as Ethan Allan, Lazy Boy, Crate & Barrell, Room & Board, West Elm, and Pottery Barn. Previously, Restoration Hardware would have been top on our list, but with the rebranding to RH, the company abandoned the classic styling we had loved.  We received recommendations for Flexsteel, Rowe, Stanton, Smith Brothers, Lane, Lexington, and LoveSac.

We crossed off Crate & Barrell, West Elm, and Pottery Barn because we wanted something more unique and believe their furnishings are often overpriced. After some additional internet research, we decided to focus on brands carried by furniture stores so we could more easily compare the sofas. Luckily, we have two local furniture companies which carried half-a-dozen of the targeted brands.  We spent a couple hours in each, trying the various sofas for comfort and styling, while recognizing that the couches on the floor were but a fraction of those offered by the manufacturers. This reality meant that our main concerns were comfort and quality, and that from there we would focus on design.

The height of the sofa back and the depth of the seat cushions proved most important to the Cleveland men, which narrowed our search further. Then it was a matter of personal comfort—not too hard, not too soft, but just right. The Hickory White “Features” sofa hit the perfect note.

However, the floor display’s styling was, shall we say, completely off for the Clevelands’ taste.

Floor display is much too modern for our taste.

Gray & beige…No. Thank. You.

 But that’s where the “Features” line became the perfect choice for us—nearly everything was customizable! (This link https://hickorywhite.com/upholstery will show you the various “Features” you can choose from.)

We went with an 86” sofa because the living room in our circa 1939 Colonial is of modest size. We then opted for the luxury depth cushions to provide extra leg support for Mr. C.

Of the 15 arm choices, we opted for the traditional rolled arm of Wilton.

There were six back styles and we selected the more formal semi-attached boxed back, with a welted finish.

The semi-detached back provides comfort while the boxed back adds to the formality of the couch.

The welted finish adds another nod to formality.

We opted for the turned leg to create a break between the rich fabric of the couch and the pattern of the wool carpet.

Finally, we chose the turned leg for the base, after debating between that and a dressmaker’s skirt.

It was then time to pick out a fabric, but with all the offerings we were still coming up short, with most of the offerings nearly all 100% polyester. But then a helpful assistant manager noted we could also choose from other Sherrill brand’s fabrics. Within a minute of pointing me to the wall of hanging fabrics, I had the perfect one. . . or should I say perfecto, as in Vino Perfecto, from Sherrill’s Precedent line.

The online picture appears darker than the fabric sample itself, which you can see below, laying atop a remnant of our wool carpet. (You can also catch a glimpse of the floral fabric I used to make the draperies in our living room, rolled up in the Ziplock bag.

The rich burgundy shade is truly a timeless classic and the linen-cotton blend fabric offers a soft breathable option that far surpasses the synthetic choices.

However, before ordering, we made on last trip to Ethan Allen and also looked at Lazy Boy on line, and then assured in our choice placed the order!

It will be several weeks before the sofa arrives, but we couldn’t be more thrilled with our choice. Once it arrives, we’ll share pictures and our real-life ratings of comfort!

This post is based solely on our personal opinions and is not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned.