Fran Lebowitz said, “A woman’s quest in life should be to find the perfect apartment. And I have found the perfect apartment. The perfect apartment is the first floor of the Metropolitan Museum. With a sofa.” Now that sounds like perfection to me! Sofas, after beds, are probably the most sought after places at the moment. It is the first place to land with a morning coffee, then to relax for five minutes after meetings and then the final seat for the evening. It is a big investment and you need to test drive them and go for what suits you. The most expensive is not always the best. We have a 3-seater IKEA sofa that is still comfortable. Our favourite is a Bo-Concept one we got in a sale – it has the right back to support and I can pull my legs up. Others have even fallen asleep on it. Shop around and sit down!
Feng Shui First
Placement of a sofa is important in Feng Shui practice. You should have a wall behind for Chi support and if not a wall, a solid piece of furniture. Make sure you can see the entrance of a room from where you sit. Don’t panic if you can’t, you can place a mirror opposite, ideally a concave one, so that you can see who comes in and out of the room. Check the sofa colour with the Bagua map area you are placing it in, a red sofa in a water area is not ideal as the water element will put out the fire, the energy. If you have what is called a blade wall, try to ensure the sofa is not against the wall but a foot forward with a piece of furniture between the wall and sofa. You may be asking what is a blade wall? If you view your whole living area, an apartment in this case, the plan will look like a hatchet with a long handle and a square head. The blade of the hatchet is the ‘blade’ wall. If you have to sit near a blade wall, have a mirror opposite. If your sofa will be in the Wealth sector, spend as much as you can afford as it is a major item.
How to Choose a Sofa
First measure where it will go! We once bought a lovely sofa bed and then moved. No one could get it upstairs in the new house so it sat as a normal sofa. We sold it years later for a song, sigh. Work out your budget as this will affect the quality of fabric and structure. Don’t ignore second hand sofas. A NYC friend bought a wonderful leather sofa which had hardly been used but was too big for the seller’s new apartment. If you have cats and dogs, check the fabric type to avoid too much scratching. Our cats have scratched leather and pinged cotton, so we are being vigilant about our new sofa! You can always protect the arms with blankets.
I Need to Spruce Mine Up
You already have a sofa that looks tired and it is sagging. First, spread baking powder over it and leave overnight. This will absorb most smells. Vacuum and then gently scrub stains with a good fabric cleaner. Let it dry and then vacuum again. You can buy cushion supports in IKEA and Bed, Bath and Beyond to push up the saggy sections or add a firm piece of foam under the cushions. Add new throw cushions, a blanket or two then take a seat and put up your feet!
