The perfect couch: dream or reality?

Looking for a statement sofa, such as this showstopper 

from legendary Barrymore Furniture? Or just a comfy 

sofa for you and your family? Read on for some tips!

So you are on the lookout for a new couch. You know what size and colour you want. And you know it has to be comfortable and practical. But how about the rest: shape of legs and arms, style of cushions and backrest? Not to mention details such as piping and nail head trim? Let's start with the legs.

Skirted couch from Lee

Industries, available through

the Great Room, North Bay.

Look at the legs of other pieces in the room and repeat the same general shape on your couch. If the other pieces have exposed legs, consider breaking that trend and opting for a skirted couch, or a couch with an upholstered or recessed base with no visible feet.

Arms: Are there already many soft, round shapes in the room? Then go with a couch with a rounder appearance. Stricter lines in the room often require a straighter sofa. Choose narrow, low armrests if space is tight.  

Alger Furniture and Appliances 

in North Bay sells this two-cushion 

sofa. 

 

Seat and back cushions: There are many options; a three-seater for example can have three individual cushions for each seat, it can have two, bigger cushions, or one single seat and backrest. The cushions can be loose or tight. Consider this: each cushion creates vertical lines in the couch. So if you want a clean and streamlined appearance, a sofa with fewer (and consequently larger) cushions is preferable. Couches with individual cushions for each seat have a tendency to look more traditional, and that might be exactly what your are after.

Three-cushion sofa available 

at North Bay's Home Furniture.

Nail heads are decorative metal buttons applied to edges and arms. Available in different finishes and sizes, they give your couch a somewhat formal appearance. Match the nail-head finish to your cabinet hardware, and your space will read as coherent and pulled together. Achieve the same effect with the piping, the fabric that covers the cushion seams. Make it stand out by using a contrasting fabric present elsewhere in the room. These embellishing details will make your couch stand out from the rest!

Couch upholstery: breaking the rules

"Go with a neutral couch and leave the colour to the accents!" The old design mantra completely makes sense; a couch is an investment and you want to enjoy it for years. But what if we challenge the rules and have some fun imagining a certain sofa in a patterned, colourful upholstery? It could actually be that statement piece that makes a whole room! Just have a look at these examples, as seen at Home Furniture in North Bay.

Start with a streamlined couch with simple lines.

A love seat is the ideal size for an attention-grabbing 

upholstery. The statement shouldn't be too big, just 

big enough. Keep the rest of the décor toned down.

Big, white hydrangeas on a soft yellow background 

will give the room a quiet punch. It's contemporary 

and sophisticated at the same time. 

A graphic trellis pattern is a bolder choice.

Match with sculptural side tables.

A subtler option that works in both a traditional

and a more modern setting. How about light blue

or cream walls with this upholstery? 

This lush, dark purple upholstery lends itself to an 

intimate setting. Enhance the feeling with purple 

and pink accent pillows in velvet.

An eclectic art collection, all framed in black, above 

a love seat with this upholstery would look stunning. 

Add a round, bright yellow side table for a fun, ultra 

modern vibe.

This soft and elegant upholstery can read both 

as traditional and contemporary. 

Another graphic option with lots of contrast.

Finally, here's a great, neutral couch from Home Furniture

if you want to play it safe. Do you?

Let your couch slip into something comfortable

Does your couch need a facelift? One effective way to inject new life to a piece is to have it slipcovered. Contact our local upholstery places for a quote. Or, if you happen to have a couch, armchair, chaise or stool from IKEA, it’s even easier. Simply browse the many slipcover alternatives at Bemz, order samples, and buy the slipcover online. For a flat $20 shipping fee, it will be delivered right to your doorstep. With over 180 different colors and patterns, you’ll be sure to find something that meets your fancy. Just have a look at these inspiring options. They are all from Bemz:

Introduce colour to your home with these beautiful 

covers from Bemz’ Designers Guild collection.

Finnish design house Marimekko is respresented 

with a number of fabulous slipcovers. 

Another colourful slipcover from Bemz' 

Marimekko collection. Note the white 

walls in the background; upholstered 

pieces with strong patterns and colours 

need a calm, solid backdrop. 

Stool dressed in the legendary 

Unikko pattern from Marimekko.

If you are dreaming of having some Designers 

Guild fabrics in your home, this is your chance.

A modern floral from Bemz' Lisa 

Bengtsson slipcovers.

Another Designers Guild slipcover, this time on a chaise.

Bemz also offers many solid colours, 

and a loose-fit, contry-style collection. 

Loose-fit dining chair slipcovers.

Be bold and have fun! Who says all chairs 

around a dining table have to be the same?

Which slipcover is your favourite?

Ten slick sofas (plus an armchair)

Hunting for a couch can be challenging. Not only does it have to look stylish, it also has to be comfortable and practical. And, the price tag must be right.

Here are a few tips to make your next sofa purchase a lot easier:

- Know in advance where the couch is going. Take measurements and determine the maximum width and height of your future sofa.

- Be specific about your functional requirements. How many should the couch seat? Should it stand rough treatment from little ones? Pets?

- Think about what style of couch would look good. Does your room call for an ornate couch with rounded arms and back, or should the sofa have simpler lines?

- Determine if you want a solid-coloured couch or a patterned. If there is already a lot of pattern in the room, on curtains, rug, etc, it will look better with a solid colour. When visiting stores, ask for samples of different upholstery options to try at home.

- Shop around. Take photos, write down measurements and price. Then go home and look at the photos, try the upholstery options and make a decision.

Here are 10 slick sofas (plus an armchair) from North Bay stores:

I'm a big fan of "condo-sized" couches. They have

a much more "human" scale than the typical over-
sized sofa. The proportions are also slicker. This
couch is from the Great Room and costs $1620.
Look how great it is with orange and red!

This Canada-made couch is "a designer favourite" 

at Alger Furniture & Appliances. It costs $1499,
has clean lines and a variety of upholstery options.
Imagine how beautiful it would look in these fabrics:

Leather is practical if you have kids and pets
(watch out for sharp claws though!). This leather
sofa is from Sears. $2249.

Elegant lines on this sofa with nailhead details. 

And the upholstery options are almost endless! 

It is part of Leon's Cobistyle selection. You should

check it out! $1299.

I like the curved arm and nailheads on this couch. 

Below are some of my upholstery favourites:

A three-seater with rounded arms from Sears.

$1099.

A sectional couch is a good choice if you have the

space and need a lot of seating, like in a family 

room. Different modular pieces are often joined 

together to create a sectional. This gives a lot of

flexibility, since you can move the pieces around 

and try various configurations. This piece is from

the Great Room and costs $4486.

This sectional is from North Bay Home Furniture.

$2999.

With two seat cushions and one single piece as back

rest, the look of this sofa bed is clean and stylish.
$1099 at Sears.

A Brentwood Classic, now 40% off at Cleopatra

(originally $2400). Instead of the tray which is
seen in this photo, you have the option to include
a third seat cushion and back support. The couch
comes with beautiful upholstery options. See two
examples below:

If you have a tighter budget, you might be 

interested in this contemporary, faux-leather 

couch from the Brick. $399. And why not add

a fun chair to go with it, like the zebra print 

below. Also at the Brick. $179.

Which couch is your favourite?

Classic and contemporary at Home Furniture

Versatile, clean lined and classic. That's my impression of North Bay Home Furniture's products. I was delighted to see a number of couches with the lighter, "condominium-size" appearance. This was also true for some of the dining sets on display. My favourite, though, was a classic wing chair. With an array of inspiring fabric options, you can turn this piece into a show-stopping statement chair. Crisp accessories, a custom order program and many Canada-made pieces, add to the reasons why this showroom on Highway 17 is worth a visit.

Canadian-made Brentwood wing chair. It's yours for $699 in your choice of fabric. Can you imagine this chair in my fabric picks below?

Neutral upholstery is preferable for couches, but when it comes to accent chairs, I'm all for being bold. These two fabrics would turn the wing chair into an exclamation mark in the room, calling out: "Hi, here I am!" The Asian-inspired fabric is also available in a beautiful, bright blue. Some of my other fabric favourites for the wing chair are shown below. 

Sectional with a wide corduroy upholstery, $2,999. The ottoman and accent chair (below) combine nicely with the couch.

Round tables are conducive to conversations and social interaction. More so than their rectangular and square counterparts. This dining set at Home Furniture has a nice pedestal table. Tables with a pedestal base are convenient since there are no legs to bump into. $599 for the 5-piece set.

This cozy-looking sheet set is 100% cotton and costs $399.

Funky, white vases. $47.99 for the bigger vase.

Sculptural glass vases, from $39.99.

Green leaf on crisp white, $12.99 and $19.99 respectively.

Turquoise table lamp. $219.