As a designer I always hear how people want to buy their end-all-be-all sofa (sadly often sacrificing style). As a budget conscience individual I agree, a sofa needs to last for length of time you are going to keep it. It should hold up to the wear and tear of your daily family life, but let’s face it, it will not need to be for 20 years. In fact, the next time you move that sofa’s days are numbered. And I do mean numbered...according to my calculations it has about 12 months.
Here is the math: take the average home tenure of 9 years minus the average sofa age of 8 years and we get 1 year. I believe it takes people that first year to figure out their old sofa is cramping their style. After spending money to move the old sofa into their new house they discover it doesn’t fit, doesn’t match their new style, looks frumpy next to all the new paint…there are several reasons why it just has to go.
So what does this mean for you?
Money: It is probably best to save the money and not move your existing sofa. Average custom sofa (you get to pick the fabric & cushions): $2500-$5000. Over 9 years your sofa will average about $1.12 per day (less than your daily cup of coffee).
Style: Order and enjoy a style and fabric that fits your new space. You can now have fun with the overall look!
Quality/Longevity: Pay attention to construction (i.e. kiln dried hardwoods), cushions (high-resiliency foam core), springs (heavy gauge steel), and fabric (performance fabrics that are stain resistant).