As I write this I feel a teeny bit silly that I’m writing an entire post on sofas when our house isn’t even ready for plasterboarding just yet. To say that my virtual sofa shopping is premature is a bit of an understatement. Yes I even eye-rolled myself…

But there’s a kind of warped logic to my enthusiastic hunting, for a start it takes time to really land on a design that makes your heart sing. Well it does for me anyway – I’m so very envious of those of you who manage to find ‘the one’ painlessly and quickly. Secondly we’re hoping to be moved in before the end of the year and have everyone round to ours for Christmas so some seating will need to be in situ before December. Given the timescales between ordering said sofa and delivery, I’ll need to have made my mind up and bashed the plastic no later than mid-October. And we’re already in July…yep feeling a tad panicked now about the aforementioned lack of plastering.

But I’m not a quitter. And the best way I find to deal with any ensuing panic is to try, as much as is physically possible, to plan ahead so that when the time comes you’re fully equipped and ready to go…hence today’s post.

Ste and I have a long list of requirements when it comes to sourcing our dream sofa, in fact Goldilocks springs to mind somewhat. Allow me to explain…

In our first house we were the lucky recipients of a fantastic sofa given to us by my parents. It was a beautiful L-shaped charcoal grey number that was flipping huge. In fact it was so big it took over our living room and then some. But you could guarantee that everyone would find a place to perch when they popped round to visit. But…and it’s a big but, it just wasn’t that comfortable. Aesthetically it was wonderful, but from a usability perspective it didn’t tick all our boxes.

This new home is a family home through and through. Yes it will be stylish but comfort will be the watch word here… well as being Hector-proof. Gone are the days of any artful arrangement of knick-knacks on side tables, at least for now, and similarly the new sofa needs to work hard rather than just look pretty.

With this in mind we’re after a truly squidgy sofa, one that you can nestle down in rather than perch on the edge of as if you were waiting outside the Headmaster’s office at school. To this end we need arms, as in sofa arms, ones that you can wedge cushions and thus your backside up against for proper snuggling action. Oh and plenty of feather pillows too!

Our living room is a decent size – there’s plenty of natural light and a beautiful bay window but it isn’t huge. I’d say we’ll be lucky to get a three seater in there and an L-shaped number is out of the question. We’re after something that’s got some depth but isn’t too deep and is long (to accommodate our family and friends) but not too long…told you we were like Goldilocks.

Since we’ve outlaid a sizeable sum on getting the house renovated, we’re also looking for a sofa that is reasonably priced and hopefully well under £1,500…and ideally under a grand. But it’s imperative that the sofa has nicely turned legs (call it one of my whimsies) and is constructed from a material that will withstand Hector’s attentions but still looks good.

A tall order? I’ll concede that there’s much to accommodate but I think I’ve found a few designs that we truly love. Let’s take a look…

First up has got to be this pink number from Loaf. Brand new, as of last Thursday, this beauty is handmade to order so there’s a ten week waiting period. I love the colour (not sure Ste would agree though) and its new take on an old-school classic: the traditional Chesterfield. It’s deep, has substantial arms and beautiful oak legs but I’m not entirely sold on the squidgyness.

Step in The Crumpet, also from the same brand, which is definitely ticking the comfort boxes and which incidentally is Ste’s favourite. Super-deep, the solid beech frame comes with a five year guarantee and feather filled cushions which is a definite plus point for us.

Both Charlotte and Lauren have sofas from Sofa.com and testify to the comfort and stylishness of their respective seating arrangements. The Bluebell is an undisputed classic and its turned legs are giving me all the feels. The site is currently celebrating their 10th birthday so are offering a discount on some of their product ranges so it’s worth swinging by if you wanted to take advantage of the offer. I adore the look and feel of The Bluebell but wonder if the arms are substantial enough….

I can’t quite decide if I’m being seduced by the design of the Clio or by its sumptuous velvet fabric. Either way Graham & Green claim that their Clio is super luxurious and designed for sinking deeply into and relaxing with a good book. The seat cushions look particularly sumptuous and there’s some good leg action going on.

Heading over to MADE, I was particularly taken with the Ariana three seater sofa which has a lovely side profile and a very attractive price tag. Neat and tidy, I can see this suiting any contemporary home but it doesn’t quite have the sinking luxuriousness of the Rosamund also from the same company. Rosamund has some SERIOUS arm action reminiscent of cresting waves and a slanted back for relaxing reclining action. I’m more than a bit smitten with the ocean velvet hue…

Rowen & Wren is one of my all-time not so secret indulgences and their Abington Sofa is definitely up there in my top three. Granted it’s one of the most expensive products included in this round-up but it is SO chic. Crafted with wool upholstery, there are plush feather cushions and sexy legs. I’m also loving the delicate pleat detail on the armrests and the classic brass casters it rests upon. There’s also a footstool if you wanted to go the whole hog…which I’m very tempted by as well. There are two colours and it’s clear that the natural wool has stolen my heart. The downside…it’s the most expensive of our final selection and it’s taking Ste a bit of convincing to commit.

Chunky and impressive, the Maximus from Love Your Home is most definitely a seat-sinker with plenty of depth to get comfortable in. My only worry is that it might be a bit too boxy and cut off the room somewhat but I think we’d need to see it in the flesh before making our minds up. Ste loves the masculine vibe and it looks homely to me which is a winner.

Now that we’ve whittled it down to this final selection our next step is to go and try them all out. And by that I mean jump on/ squidge/ fluff and prod to our hearts’ content and check out a few fabric swatches to boot. I’ll be sure to update you on the design we finally choose.

Are any of you sofa hunting at the moment? What’s in your shortlist? Do any of you own any of the models I’ve mentioned above…how do you rate them? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments box below.