Buying The Perfect Family Sofa

A great family sofa is the backbone of the living room, and what’s better than spending an evening curled up on the sofa with your family? Whether it’s a movie night or a game night, you want to make sure that you have the perfect sofa for your home.

It’s important to choose a couch that accommodates your family life, which means that there are a few things to take into consideration when choosing your perfect family sofa, such as size and material.

This guide will take you through some of the best sofa options when it comes to the different styles of family-friendly sofas. Whether you’re looking for a new sofa or you have a new addition to the family on the way and want some advice, we’ve got you covered.

Materials

If you’ve had young children in your family, it’s no surprise to you that accidents and spillages happen and sometimes sticky, messy hands are unavoidably going to get all over your furniture.

To minimise damage, it’s useful to know which fabrics make for a family sofa and which sofa fabrics to avoid. Let’s walk through some of the best options.

Leather

Leather sofas are a popular choice among people with furry friends and kids. A leather sofa is an admirable choice for any living space, emanating all the elegance of a traditional sofa while offering instant comfort.

Not only is a leather family sofa stylish but also relatively easy to clean – any food crumbs or sticky stains can be wiped away with ease. However, always make sure you tackle wet stains as soon as possible, to avoid them staying on your sofa permanently.

Caring for your leather sofa is a habit you’ll have to implement into your cleaning routine, especially if you have a large family, but it’s definitely worth the effort to maintain the beauty and durability of your sofa.

Fabric

Fabric sofas are an extremely common option for a family sofa. If you’re looking for a stylish, comfy sofa, then a fabric sofa is a good choice. However, they aren’t considered a top choice for a kid-friendly sofa.

If you’ve ever owned a fabric sofa, you’ll know how tricky it can be to remove stains – you tried all of the homemade remedies you could find to get those pesky stains out of your seat cushions or back cushions but they still wouldn’t budge and even professional cleaners can only do so much.

So you’ve got your heart set on a fabric sofa? Try opting for patterned fabric or a darker coloured fabric, that can easily disguise any small spots or stains, so you can enjoy a super comfy couch without all of the fuss.

Velvet

Velvet sofas are a simple way of making any living space highly fashionable. Unfortunately, they aren’t completely ideal as a family sofa, unless it is a synthetic performance velvet.

Velvet upholstery can be particularly difficult to clean if your little ones happen to spill their juice or have an accident on the sofa, leaving stains that will require immediate attention. Check out our guide on how to clean a velvet sofa for more information.

If your heart is set on a velvet sofa, or you already have one that you can’t bear to part with, then it might be a smart idea to invest in some removable sofa and cushion covers.

Microfibre

Microfibre is an excellent choice when choosing between sofa materials. As far as performance fabrics go, microfibre is an immaculate choice.

The tight weave of microfibre causes any spilt liquid to puddle up on the surface of your family sofa for a short while before sinking in, making it highly water-resistant. Highly durable and stain-resistant, you’ll be hard-pressed to find something better for a family home.

Size

Of course, when it comes to purchasing a new family sofa, size is a huge benefit to be able to seat the whole family. How big your family is should determine the size of your sofa, or even if you should consider buying multiple sofas and chairs.

Corner sofas are a great idea for big families, especially those with the advantage of having a larger living room. Something like our traditional style Frinton corner sofa would be amazing in a family home as corner sofas provide plenty of seating for the whole family plus guests, not to mention the faux leather upholstery looks as stylish as it is comfortable.

If you need something a little more compact, then try a three-seater sofa paired with an amazing armchair or accent chair. A slightly more compact sofa is an ideal choice for those with a smaller living room or those with fewer family members in the household.

Sofa beds are a fun option for families with adventurous children. They make movie nights extra comfy and are amazing for building a sofa fort!

Further Considerations

You can take extensive preventative measures in an attempt to ensure the safety of your sofa but it’s never a total guarantee. If you’re very concerned about keeping your family sofa clean, a great place to start is to set some ground rules with your kids, for example, no food on the sofa, to make sure they have a basic understanding of why they need to be careful.

Buying a sturdy sofa is a must for those with children and pets. There’s no doubt that at some point you will find your kids jumping up and down and walking all over the sofa. A more stable sofa will make sure that you get the most longevity out of your furniture.

Conclusion

There are a lot of fantastic, affordable options out there for people wanting to buy a new sofa for their family home but regular cleaning and setting general rules are a must if you want to prevent any premature damage to your couch.

Consider what size you will need to accommodate your whole family, and what kind of family sofa will work the best in your home environment, to guarantee that you get the most out of your new sofa. Regardless of size or material, any great sofa should be able to stand the test of time, withstanding any general wear and tear that comes from raising a growing family.

Just remember that no furniture will ever remain completely pristine, so try not to overindulge in panicking and worrying if there are any stains or scratches because, eventually, those marks will become family memories.