Before colour and fabric, the measurements. A large sofa in a small living room squeezes the passage; a small sofa in a large room looks lost. As a starting rule, the sofa should be about 2/3 the length of the wall it stands against. On a 360 cm wall, a sofa of about 240 cm.

Once you have chosen the size, mark it on the floor with painter's tape and check that you can walk around it. Finally, confirm the access measurements: the width of the front door, the stairs and the lift, and the turns in the hallway to the living room.

• Traditional: 2 or 3 seats, with arms. It stands against a wall and leaves room for armchairs. The LINE is 240 cm, with arms, loose cushions and a wooden tray for support.
• With a chaise longue: a place to stretch your legs, for those who read or watch television on the sofa. The HAVEN is 300 cm, with a 145 cm chaise and a side console.
• Corner: makes use of the corner and seats more people. The ESCAPE L-shaped sofa is 340 × 340 cm.
• Modular: the modules change position with the room and over the years. The ISLET is made up of modules and a 100 × 100 cm pouf.

To see the sofas in context, visit the Living room page.

The right distance depends on the size of the screen. With a 4K television, sit at 1 to 1.5 times the screen's diagonal. For a 55-inch screen, about 140 cm diagonal, that gives 1.4 to 2.1 m between your eyes and the screen.

Do not block the window with the back of the sofa, and avoid daylight falling straight onto the screen.

Between the sofa and the coffee table, leave 35 to 45 cm: enough to move your legs, and close enough to put down a glass without getting up. The table should be about 2/3 the length of the sofa. On the main route through the room, leave 90 cm clear.

In our shop, the STRATA is 85 × 60 cm and 30 cm high, in natural wood veneer. To bring the sofa and rug together, see the guide How to use rugs in your home.

Choose the fabric for the life that happens in the room, not for the photograph. With children or pets, choose a hard-wearing fabric that is easy to clean. If the sofa is in a room with lots of sun, ask about the fabric's colour fastness to light.

On our sofas, the upholstery is in fabric, with a pet-friendly fabric option. Some models combine other materials: the HUG has faux-leather details on the outer back and the sides of the arms.

• Scale: a sofa too large or too small for the wall.
• Passage: less than 90 cm on the main route, or the coffee table too far from the sofa.
• Access: not measuring the door, the stairs and the lift before ordering.
• Light: cool white light in the living room. Choose warm light, 2700 to 3000 K, in several points.
• Excess: too many cushions, throws and objects around the sofa.

More mistakes, and how to fix them, are in the guide Mistakes to avoid in the living room. For light, see the guide The right light.

More pieces in the Sofas and Chaise sofas collections.