I HAVE TO CONFESS THAT I GET A REAL KICK OUT OF SELLING LOUNGES.
I love to guide my customers through the selection process to ensure that the finished product exceeds their expectations. That the fabric, style, comfort level and price all fit their requirements. At 1825 interiors, we specialise in custom-made lounges which are manufactured right here in Australia. However, we also have a range of ready-made sofas in store. Ready-made sofas come at a great price, which make them ideal for the family room or beach house, but there’s little or no choice of fabric and they have a shorter warranty. We tend to buy our ready-made couches in neutral fabrics so that they will blend in with our customers’ existing décor.
THERE’S ACTUALLY A LOT TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU BUY A LOUNGE. AND, AS IT IS A BIG INVESTMENT, IT’S WORTH THINKING ABOUT A FEW THINGS FIRST:
- Consider the room where the lounge will live. Is it formal or casual? How much use will it get? Do you have small children or pets? Think about whether pet hair will adhere to/be visible on your chosen fabric. Does it have to work in with an existing colour scheme? These points will help you to narrow down your fabric choices.
- Are your family members tall or short? This will determine the depth of the sofa style you select. Being a shorty, I can’t buy a sofa that’s too deep or I won’t be able to bend my legs. But my husband is tall, so we had to reach a compromise. How you like to sit on your sofa will also determine the depth. Do you always sit with your legs tucked under you? If so, a deep sofa style is the answer, even if you are short.
- The shape and height of the arms is also important. Although it can make a fabulous statement, a larger arm increases the overall size of a sofa, so make sure it will fit your living area. If you like to lie down and have a snooze on your lounge, then a rounded arm is definitely a more comfortable option than a square arm.
- A short back looks stylish and is popular on contemporary lounges, but a higher back will give your neck and shoulders support.
- Custom-made lounges come with different seating choices. Dunlop Enduro foam is great for those of you who have difficulty getting out of a chair as it is quite firm. Dunlop Luxura foam is our most popular seating choice as it combines the resilience of a foam core with a comfort layer on either side. Feather & polyester fill gives your lounge a casual, ‘squishy’ look (it really lends itself to a slip cover too) and should be topped up approximately once a year. But if you’re the sort of person who likes a smooth, neat look then feather & polyester isn’t for you!
- Fixed or slip cover? Any custom-made lounge can have a fixed cover. The point of a slip cover, however, is that it can be taken off and washed. So, if you opt for a slip cover then you must select a washable fabric.
ONCE YOU’VE DECIDED ON HOW YOU WANT YOUR LOUNGE TO FUNCTION, IT’S TIME TO WORK ON THE LOOK.
Although I find it easy to help customers with fabric choices, I have to say that I agonized over my own! We have a service at 1825 where you can choose up to six Warwick fabrics and they’ll send out samples to your home. That way you can see your fabric in different lights and with your existing decor. I even had my kitten sleep on my fabric samples! Knowing the endless combinations of utterly gorgeous fabrics available, I found it difficult to decide but now I’m very happy with the finished product.
If you want some pattern, be it on the sofa itself or as a scatter cushion, start by choosing the patterned fabric, rather than the plain, first. Once you have selected a pattern, it is quite easy to decide on a complementary plain fabric. I find the most popular option with our customers is to have a neutral plain fabric as the main lounge fabric and then introduce a pattern for scatter cushions, an ottoman, and maybe a feature chair. Piping in a contrasting fabric is also a nice touch. By limiting the patterned fabric to inexpensive items like cushions and an ottoman, you can change the look of your living area by replacing these further down the track without blowing the budget.
Your new lounge should be vacuumed regularly, and the cushions fluffed. For peace of mind, we offer fabric protection for a small additional cost at the time of purchase. You can also spot clean with Warwick Halo cleaner. With practically endless combinations of fabric, style and comfort choices, our custom-made service gives you the freedom to create very own unique lounge—one that will suit every member of the family!